Bolstering Career-Readiness with Visalia USD

Challenge

Within the Visalia Unified School District, a distinct challenge emerged – the desire to bolster students' communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity skills. The district recognized the importance of preparing students with these essential skills for their academic success and workforce readiness.

Solution

The solution came in the form of QUEST Camp, a unique program designed to address future-ready skill development through gamified learning. QUEST offered students a unique learning opportunity to enhance what educators often refer to as the "4C's" – communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Through immersive gameplay and engaging experiences, QUEST became a dynamic tool for fostering these crucial skills, preparing Visalia's students for success in a world-embracing artificial intelligence.

QUEST Creators provided students with an avenue to actively apply their creativity and reinforced the 4C's. As they crafted stories and challenges, students not only strengthened their imaginations but also honed their presentation skills. Creators empowered students to showcase their work, reinforcing the importance of effective communication while enhancing their creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities.

Results

• 90% of students communicated with their team
• 96% of students improved their ability to solve problems
• 87% of students developed skills in cooperation and compromise

Quotes

“QUEST provides a new way for students to collaborate and work towards a common goal.” - Michele Ried

“The thing I like about it is, it’s not just sitting in front of a laptop the whole time. They have a lot of hands-on activities.” - Ken Owens

“I liked watching the episodes, drawing, and working as a team. I also had fun!” - student

“I learned to share and complete challenges that I thought I couldn't do but i was able to.” - student