Thinking about the topic for my TEDx talk today. 23rd January is not long to go. I have been exploring Experience Design (EX) and Gamification a lot this year and the impact on the future of formal education. So it is only natural for me to focus my talk on being a super learner, the designer of our own educational Hero’s Journey.

The tentative outline is as follows:

The increasing use of games in non-entertainment contexts is transforming everyday lives and most importantly injecting more fun in everyday contexts. This talk will explore the science of games and how education can be an adventure, especially in a hybrid space, where the boundaries between digital and physical contexts and spaces are blurring. Digital and physical experiences are merging in a big way with the advancement of social platforms, mobile technology, wearable devices and the Internet of Things, opening up opportunities for ordinary spaces to be transformed into highly contextualised, purposeful, seamless and ubiquitous playgrounds. As a learner in an information-saturated, fast-pacing and highly connected environment, how can we be a game player, a game changer and a super learner within a learning community that is more global and social. Are we moving towards a borderless, hybrid and gamified educational ecosystem? Learning is a pervasive process and should not be restricted. This talk will touch on the Horizon 2020 Beaconing project that is exploring ‘Anytime Anywhere’ learning to emphasise the EU Commission’s invested interest in pervasive learning and gamification. The talk will also emphasise on the Game Changers programme, where Game design thinking is key to creative problem solving opening up opportunities for learners to design their own learning experience. The gamification of learning will be so pervasive that we will not even realise that we are already in the system; a system that connects mind space, digital existence and physical experience. Should we only be a player or also as the co-designer of the experience? It is time to exploit ‘Games Science’, turning learning into a game; a journey without borders – a journey where anything is “achievable”. Be a learner, a designer of your learning experience, a journey towards mastery.

I will talk more about my thoughts on the power of Experience Design (EX) in my next blog post, reserved for the new year!