Twitch-Facilitated Anonymous Active Learning: A Case Study of an Undergraduate Curriculum and Instruction Course

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Breaking, Building, and Broadcasting: Analog and Digital Games and Affinity Spaces for Learning

Abstract

Students are not always comfortable participating in front of their peers for a variety of reasons including fear of discrimination. Shifting large classes online allows for levels of engagement and anonymity not possible in a physical space. Gaming spaces, such as Twitch, are designed for anonymous, synchronous, social engagement in a way that online learning management systems are not. In this case study a large undergraduate course was conducted via Twitch, a staple in the gaming community for live play and socialization around video games. Utilizing the built-in social norms of chatting and the safety of the relative anonymity offered by Twitch, the course saw a level of engagement and active learning during lecture that was unparalleled in previous iterations.

Authors

• Krista-Lee Malone, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Amy Lynn Jasmin Mueller, University of Wisconsin - Madison