Old School to New School: Games & Mobile Learning
Education is stuck in the past. Yet, after decades of incubation, technology is revolutionizing teaching, learning, and assessment. Around the world, people are increasingly using mobile devices to connect with each other and the Internet. This transition is laying the foundation for exponential growth in mobile learning. Simultaneously, games are being adopted as tools for teaching and assessment of higher-order thinking. This panel consists of experts from industry, higher education, and K-12. They will discuss and answer questions about technology’s potential to solve today’s most pressing education issues. Dr. Paul Resta is a professor at UT Austin. Dr. Michael Mayrath was a Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow and is CEO of GYLO (GetYa Learn On) – an educational software company specializing in mobile learning & game-based assessment. Dr. Priya Nihalani was a UT University Fellow and is GYLO’s Chief Scientist. David Conover teaches game design at Connally High School, Pflugerville ISD.
Presenters
I’m a high school teacher with a calm, cool, and collected attitude. My work is important to me because it allows me to be curious, abstract, inventive, confident, and creative. Recently one of my students won a national award for game design and I had a chance to speak at the Austin Chamber of Commerce's 6 Ideas that Changed the World. Now my career is in overdrive. I am fortunate to work with a supportive school district (PISD), as well as to work with some great companies, such as AMD, Game Salad and Get Your Learn On (GYLO) and others.
Dr. Mayrath is an expert in educational technology. He worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow under Dr. Chris Dede at Harvard University. He received a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and a Masters in Educational Technology Evaluation from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on how innovative technologies can be used to enhance learning and assessment. He has carried out research for Harvard University, U.S. Air Force, Cisco Systems Inc., and the University of Texas at Austin. He is a co-founder of GYLO and leads the company’s strategic approach to solving the multidimensional problems facing K-12 and higher education.
I co-founded GYLO (GetYa Learn On, LLC), an educational technology company based here in Austin, Texas, back in 2009. I received my Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Masters in Educational Technology Evaluation from The University of Texas at Austin.
My research interests and expertise lie in innovative instructional design through educational technology and high stakes measurement in the global educational community. I've held positions as a statistical, measurement, and evaluation specialist for the University of Texas, Cisco Learning Institute, and the U.S. Air Force.
As GYLO's Chief Scientist, I also lead my company's product design and development to ensure each educational tool is designed to be pedagogically effective based on interdisciplinary empirical research.
Tuesday, March 13
