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ORISE FeaturecastAuthor: Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
This is the ORISE FeatureCast. Join host Michael Holtz for conversations with ORISE experts on STEM workforce development, scientific and technical reviews, and the evaluation of radiation exposure and environmental contamination. Youll also hear from ORISE research program participants and their mentors as they talk about their experiences and how they are helping shape the future of science. Welcome to the ORISE Featurecast. Language: en-us Genres: Government, Natural Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Leveling up in the classroom: Albert Einstein Fellows discuss gamification and education
Episode 5
Tuesday, 7 April, 2026
Gamification in the classroom applies game design elements, like points, badges, leaderboard, and leveling up, to increase student engagement and improving learning. Gamification does not mean turning everything into a game, though. As our Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellows discuss in this episode of the ORISE Featurecast, gamification is selective. Natasja Brown, guest co-host for this cohort of AEF Fellows, and host Michael Holtz are joined by Shane Wines and Steve Kirsche, two experts on gamification in the classroom. Dr. Shane Wines is a distinguished educator, researcher, and leader in computer science education. With over a decade of experience teaching and coordinating middle and high school computer science programs, he currently serves as both the Computer Science Coordinator and a high school teacher for Calvert County Public Schools. He facilitates professional development for the Maryland Center for Computing Education and Code in the Schools, mentors computer science educators, and was named Calvert County's 2020 STEM Teacher of the Year. A recipient of the Maryland Governor's Citation, Dr. Wines also served as president of the Maryland Chapter of the Computer Science Teachers Association, leading a statewide network of over 500 educators who advocate for accessible and high-quality computer science instruction. Steve Kirsche is a middle school science program specialist for Saint Johns County School District in Florida. He previously taught math and science at both the middle school and high school levels and served as an Albert Einstein Fellow from 2019-2020 in the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate at NASA. Steve earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Upon graduating, he was commissioned in the United States Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer. He served at commands in the United States and Japan and is a veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Act gives the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) the responsibility for managing the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship. The DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) manages this program for DOE in collaboration with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and the partnering Federal agencies, which, at the time of this recording, included the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), the Library of Congress (LOC), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the US Geological Survey (USGS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The DOE sponsors five placements in congressional offices. To learn more about the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship, visit https://science.osti.gov/wdts/einstein.
