Game-based learning, combined with the team-oriented class structure, encourages the students to build connections with each other and increases their motivation to come to class.
“When I go into my Team-Based Learning classes, all the students are talking to each other. My absence rates are usually lower.” Kaur said. “That is such a stark difference, that relational component really brings them to class more.”
Among other games, Kaur has also developed Forbidden Neurds, a Taboo-style game where students must communicate neuroscience vocabulary without saying the word itself or related words.
“It's a way to reinforce the language they're learning beyond the textbook definition of the terms,” Kaur said. “The game is designed to take advantage of how learning works by connecting new pieces of information to existing information, making it easier to remember the new concepts.”
Kaur also does research on the educational strategies she uses, having her students complete surveys to see how effective it is. These games have been so successful, they have been the subject of academic papers, showcased at conferences, adopted by other faculty, and led to speaking opportunities.
She not only develops the games herself but also designs and creates the digital art for all materials — cards, boards, graphics — just because she enjoys it. Her ARTS310 Neuroscience Fiction in Film class also taps into some of her own interests to help explain neuroscience topics, as she was a film studies minor as an undergraduate. Students watch movies like “Limitless” and “Lucy” to discuss the effects of drugs on the brain, and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Total Recall” to learn how memory works.
But these strategies aren’t just beneficial to the students; Kaur teaches this way because it is engaging for her, too.
“It makes me more excited to go to class, which translates to me being more engaging in the classroom,” Kaur said.
“It's just delightful; students are going to play my game and they're actually going to learn something. It's very satisfying to see the engagement and learning and their motivation, especially because motivated students are so much easier to reach.”
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