Beatrice Chu
Beatrice Chu is an Educational Developer and Head of the Professional Development Team in the Center for Education Innovation at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where she has led faculty and learning innovation initiatives since 2013. With more than 20 years of experience across tertiary education and a background that spans physics, engineering, and educational leadership, her work focuses on helping learners develop the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed for a rapidly changing world. Beatrice is deeply involved in advancing innovative pedagogies, including experiential and authentic learning, gamification and game-based learning, immersive AR/VR/MR technologies, and intercultural teaching practices in higher education.
Bringing University Programs to Life Through Gamification
This session offers an inside look at how gamification has been used to bring large-scale university programs to life at HKUST. In a conversational interview with James Bishop, Beatrice Chu shares practical examples of gamified learning initiatives, including a program designed to onboard more than 900 teaching assistants in a way that was engaging, meaningful, and scalable.
Rather than focusing on theory, the session explores real design decisions, lessons learned, and what it takes to apply gamification thoughtfully in an academic environment. As early adopters of gamification and Sententiaā€™s methodology, HKUSTā€™s experience provides concrete insight into how gamification can support faculty development, learner engagement, and institutional change without becoming superficial or gimmicky.
Takeaway: Gamification works at scale when it is designed with purpose, not novelty.
