Boosting Engagement from Off-Camera Zoom Learners
How do I motivate off-camera attendees? Are they even there? These have been the questions of trainers, teachers, and leaders across the globe for the past few years. But search no more, as Townhall delivers like no other. In a recent study at a major university in Boise, Idaho, 88% of adult students stated Townhall created a "Highly Engaging" Zoom experience. The Townhall team planned a highly engaging session, while the Townhall Zoom app completely revolutionized the native Zoom meeting experience. Research-based game mechanics were integrated throughout the class, which delivered instant and continuous engagement spikes. Learners were hooked after only one meeting and now crave future Townhall sessions! See details below.
The Zoom Engagement Game Changer
Zoom engagement is always a struggle in virtual classes. Students are constantly distracted, the host has no real-time feedback, or post session analytics to improve. Townhall solves all of these issues by smartly integrating game-based learning mechanics directly into the native Zoom experience. Learners are instantly and continuously incentivized to engage. They earn points, coins and an engagement score, which creates a sticky and memorable experience. And, this unlocks a significant and brilliant engagement data set. Hosts not only get real-time engagement feedback (even with cameras off), but also receive detailed post session analytics on individual attendance, participation, and engagement. Hosts can rapidly adjust structure or messaging to fine tune delivery. Leading to more Zoom engagement, higher grades, and increased demand for future sessions.
Shown above is the Townhall Zoom app, which creates a dynamic experience that significantly boosts Zoom engagement. Attendees are continuously rewarded for participating, while the Townhall design creates a familiar sense of community. This powerful combination leads to higher attendance, engagement and performance.
As demand for eLearning continues to climb, educational institutions must adapt delivery and teaching methods to not only effectively engage current students, but also recruit the next generation of learners. This powerful case study demonstrates how Townhall can help achieve these goals with only ONE class!
Reducing the Planning and "Engagement Burden"
While online learning presents numerous advantages such as flexibility and cost-effectiveness, planning engaging sessions is tedious and very time consuming (typically more than 1 hour per class). Further, learners often struggle to stay focused throughout educational sessions. This combination creates a lot of work for educators and challenges the effectiveness of virtual learning experiences. Townhall reduces this strain on educators by providing planning tools, such as Agenda functionality within the Townhall Zoom app, and AI engagement tools like the Townhall Ice Breaker Generator. Plus, the game-based learning elements embedded throughout the Townhall Zoom app get your learners to engage for you! Greatly reducing this "engagement burden" for the educator.
Two Gamification Experts Connect in Boise, ID
Clinical Assistant Professor, Dr. Rafael da Silva, an esteemed ed tech and gamification expert, knew the brilliance of Townhall Co-Founder, Dr. Larysa Nadolny and integrated some of her research throughout his OPWL 597 - Game-Based and Gamified Learning course, part of the OPWL program at a major university in Boise, Idaho. They connected on social media and decided to use Townhall in his class to boost Zoom engagement.
Dr. da Silva wanted to make learning easier and more powerful for his Zoom classes as his students were primarily adult learners, with family and work obligations. He was searching for a seamless way to upgrade the Zoom experience to maintain focus and boost comprehension.
Dr. Larysa planned and delivered a highly engaging session by utilizing Townhall's advanced AI engagement tools in conjunction with the gamified Townhall Zoom App to track, boost and report engagement. In partnering with Townhall, Dr. da Silva sought to address the challenge of maintaining high levels of student engagement and interaction in an online setting, particularly within the context of adult learners with busy schedules.
Townhall Wins! 88% Tout Townhall as "Highly Engaging"
Townhall wins! Energy spiked, learners actively engaged and continuously provided feedback throughout the session. An impressive 88% of students stated the session with Townhall was "Highly Engaging", while only 26% stated a typical Zoom meeting was highly engaging. This substantial increase in student engagement not only validated the power of Townhall to revolutionize Zoom engagement, but also demonstrated its potential to transform virtual learning by creating more interactive and dynamic educational environments.
Dr. da Silva loved working with the elegant, yet comprehensive Townhall Zoom app solution, highlighting the ease of use and integration:
“My experience with Townhall was great. The features of Townhall allow for comfortable, low stakes engagement that can make a session more meaningful as I can receive just-in-time reactions and feedback with the click of a button... I also appreciate the data analytics provided by the tool, which provide insight into particularly engaging parts of a class or presentation.”
Applying to ANY Remote Setting
The implications of this study are clear: GBL is not just a fleeting trend but a powerful educational tool that can revolutionize learning. However, implementing GBL one course at a time is both cumbersome and challenging to scale. How can scale the benefits of GBL quickly? This has been our focus at Townhall, and why we've designed our Zoom app solution. We've incorporated over 15 years of GBL research into Townhall to effectively gamifying any large remote meeting. Thus, any virtual course, town hall meeting, or training session can benefit from improved engagement, motivation, focus and interaction. By integrating game mechanics at the platform level, ANY educator can create a more dynamic, engaging, and effective learning environment that not only captures students' attention, but also sustains it.
GBL is an educational innovation that cannot be ignored. It's time to embrace the future of education and unlock the full potential of our students. Let's make learning an experience that is as rewarding as it is educational.
As demand for instructor led virtual learning continues to climb, educational institutions must adapt delivery and teaching methods to not only effectively engage current students, but also recruit the next generation of learners. This powerful case study demonstrates how Townhall can help boost engagement and achievement from day 1!
Townhall Powers Up your Zoom Sessions
Townhall address the gap of low energy from off-camera attendees. By leveraging research-based game mechanics attendees are incentivized to speak up and participate.
Built on over $7M in research funding from elite organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the US Army, Townhall's research-based approach and design has been validated in over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books.
We love helping educators and trainers by engaging their audience for them. Please connect for a FREE consultation to see how we can further reduce your strain.
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