Traditional teaching methods often fall into the repetitive cycle of lecture, discussion, assessment, repeat, leaving both students and instructors disengaged and possibly even bored. Looking toward the future of education, what can we do differently to entice students to stay interested and motivated in their courses? This session explores how story-driven learning and gamification can transform OER-based courses into interactive, engaging experiences for both learners and educators.Using a sci-fi inspired, mission-driven framework, this session will demonstrate how immersive narratives, challenge-based learning, and game mechanics enhance student motivation and participation. By applying these principles, educators can make learning more dynamic, fostering creativity, collaboration, and deep engagement.Attendees will learn how to think outside the box and reimagine their OER course as something more creative and dynamic by integrating gamification elements into their OER courses, shifting from passive learning to active exploration, problem-solving, and role-play scenarios.
