MDM solutions and gamification make perfect interactive learning partners

In the era of mobile devices and tablets, interactivity has become the norm for schoolchildren. To facilitate effective teaching and learning, modern schools must equip every classroom with interactive touchscreens and utilize gamification techniques. As these modern education tools require management and security, integrating MDM solutions has become imperative for every organization.

Understanding the Basics of Gamification in Education

Gamification means adding interactive gaming elements to processes such as learning. Everyone loves games, and competition motivates people to perform their best. So, by adding gamification elements during teaching sessions, schools can significantly increase their participation and engagement levels.

In addition, gamification can improve student skills such as active learning, problem-solving, and critical thinking. It also helps students enhance teamwork and collaboration.

Gamification helps students retain acquired knowledge. Gabe Zichermann, CEO of Dopamine, a gamification consulting agency, said people tend to remember their lessons better when taught via gamified methods. In fact, applying gamification to the learning process can increase knowledge retention by up to 40 percent.

Finally, gamification is more fun. Students will find it hard to resist participating when a leaderboard out front announces current individual scores. Or they might find it challenging to compete against fellow students to become the first to finish a task or answer a question correctly via touchscreen. In addition, it can be a rewarding experience to see the entire class cooperating to jointly solve a puzzle.

The Benefits of MDM Solutions for Gamified Learning in Schools

When using touchscreen devices in schools, it pays to have companion MDM solutions to manage, maintain, and secure them. After all, touchscreens represent a significant investment for school districts.

Like other school equipment, the better the care and upkeep, the longer these devices will serve the students. So, investing in a sound and reliable device manager is critical when deploying touchscreens to the entire school district.

Let’s look at the direct benefits of applying MDM solutions to gamified learning:

Better Software Management

With a cloud-based remote device manager, it’s easier to keep all software and system settings updated. Instead of spending money on support calls or field visits, system administrators and IT teams can remotely connect to individual devices to perform over-the-air (OTA) installations, updates, and fixes.

With all the tools and resources available via cloud connection, admins can conveniently schedule updates during after-school hours to minimize downtime. Moreover, ideal MDM solutions will update selected devices or the entire fleet.

Better Security

Combining the functions of a whiteboard, projector, and media player, school touchscreens are interesting pieces of equipment. This can inspire certain students to attempt to break into the touchscreens and modify records or simply vandalize them.

If you invest wisely in your MDM solutions, these issues should be no problem. A reliable device manager will deny connections by users without proper credentials and implement additional security measures. It will also disable or freeze devices after repeated attempts at access. And should thieves remove touchscreens from school premises, geolocation capabilities can locate the devices and disable functions remotely.

Better Access Control

Devices should also have restricted access outside class hours. MDM solutions that feature variable access levels can effectively limit what areas different users can view or modify. For instance, admins can access system settings and perform updates, fixes, and installations but can’t view modules or student data.

Conversely, instructors can view or edit modules and launch learning apps. They can also access and update student records.

Creating Effective Gamified Lesson Plans With MDM Solutions

School district system administrators can centrally manage individual device settings using MDM solutions and create the ideal learning environment.

Making sure each touchscreen device in each classroom remains optimized for the day’s activities means ensuring all system settings and software versions are current and up to date.

Here are some best practices to ensure your gamified lesson plans are more effective:

• Even games get boring if they’re repetitive. So, gamified lessons should include some element of surprise to keep students interested.
• Don’t gamify everything; instead, focus on lessons lacking engagement and motivation.
• Make the rules clear and easy to follow. The simplest games often work best.
• Utilize the four features of gamification—points, timers, badges, and leaderboards—to inspire competition and learning.

Best Interactive Tech Features for Gamification

Robust MDM solutions are just the start. To provide the best learning experience, school touchscreens should come equipped with these ideal modern features:

Multi-Touch Capabilities

Capacitive touchscreens allow multi-touch capabilities. This means the device can recognize simultaneous touches on the surface, which helps in lessons that require collaboration among multiple students. In addition, multi-touch is a must if instructors hold interactive competitions involving the fastest response times between individuals or teams.

Instant Feedback

Instant feedback reinforces learning by keeping students continuously engaged. When the student clicks the right button, and the touchscreen display confirms the right choice, they retain the lesson better. Conversely, pressing the wrong button and receiving instantaneous feedback reinforces the correct process.

Moreover, instant feedback lets students quickly learn the proper sequence of doing things. It also means teachers can provide additional guidance immediately after an action so students can make faster adjustments. This way, lessons are kept fresh. Students also learn to make adjustments during, and not after, the learning process.

Screen Recording

Teachers will need to look back at what happened during school hours to spot areas for improvement. Whether for individual students, the entire classroom, or their methodology, having the means to review the day’s proceedings is vital.

The ability to make screen recordings is an excellent feature to have. It helps teachers and school administrators assess their present methods and develop future improvements.

Gamification Works Best with MDM Solutions

Investing in the future is best when implementing modern solutions to today’s school programs. Interactive touchscreens allow students to actively learn, retain their knowledge, and collaborate with others.

However, school administrations should also invest in MDM solutions to protect their investment and increase their ROI. A device manager ensures your devices remain updated, well-maintained, and secure throughout their lifespans.

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