When the Student Surpasses the Teacher

Every once in a while, you see something that reminds you exactly why you do the work. This week, that moment came from Brown University.

Nearly a decade ago, Jim Egan decided his large lecture courses needed a different kind of energy. He turned to gamification, started exploring the research, and eventually enrolled in Sententia’s certification program. Around the same time, Naomi Pariseault stepped into the same journey. The two met through a university initiative that funded online courses, discovered they shared a vision, and decided to build Brown’s first gamified course together.

Before they wrote a single line of story, they earned their credentials with us and became Sententia-trained gamification master craftsmen. Then they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They used Canvas as the game interface, partnered with Brooklyn-based designer Matt Rockman for custom avatars and environments, and built a narrative that served the learning goals rather than distracting from them.

What they created went on to influence hundreds of students. And as one Brown student explained, through gamification, students “become better writers and critical thinkers.” That’s the impact all of us hope to see.

Watching Naomi, Jim, and Matt take these ideas further than we could have imagined has been a real point of pride. When the student surpasses the teacher, you know the field is in good hands. We are honored to count them as our former students, certified gamification master craftsmen, international award-winning designers, and now facilitators guiding the next generation of educators in our own Sententia programs.

If you’ve been thinking about starting your own path into world-class design and building courses that help your learners think more deeply and write more confidently, your journey can begin with us.

Read the complete article here: https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2025/11/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-gamified-courses-at-brown