University of Phoenix webinar combats discrimination through gamification

The University of Phoenix has announced an upcoming addition to its Educational Equity Webinar Series, “Combatting Discrimination with Gamification,” scheduled for February 15, 2024, at 11:00 am MST. This webinar, part of a series aimed at educators, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practitioners, higher education leaders, administrators, employers, nonprofit organisations, government affiliates, and the University of Phoenix community, focuses on innovative methods to address discrimination and inequality within and beyond educational settings.

Coinciding with Black History Month in North America, the event, Tondra Richardson, MBA, Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion at the University, highlighted the significance of the webinar, stating, “We’re thrilled to host a webinar on meaningful ways to combat discrimination and have the chance to examine the factors that compound inequality. Especially during Black History Month, the opportunity to host a facilitated dialogue to help support transformative change is exciting, and we look forward to an honest and impactful conversation."

The webinar will feature Natalie Gillard, creator of FACTUALITY, a platform that uses gamification to simulate structural inequities. Gillard's facilitations have reached over 60,000 participants globally, supporting professional development in various settings, including multinational companies, universities, government agencies, and nonprofits. FACTUALITY aims to engage participants at any point in their social equity journey, offering an interactive experience designed to expand perspectives on factual inequities within a short time frame.

Gillard expressed her approach to the session, noting, "FACTUALITY has been designed to meet participants wherever they may find themselves on their social equity journey, even if FACTUALITY is the first stop. The programme's success lies not just in its capacity to gamify fact-based inequities, delicately, but also in its proven ability to expand perspectives within minutes. I look forward to engaging program attendees in a powerful hour of meaningful experiential learning."

The webinar is coordinated by Richardson and Saray Lopez, MBA, Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion, part of the Office of Educational Equity (OEE) at the University of Phoenix. The OEE is responsible for several initiatives that promote educational equity and diversity, including the Inclusive Leadership Summit and The Inclusive Café, an internal programme designed for staff and faculty. 

Richardson says, "The opportunity to host a facilitated dialogue to help support transformative change is exciting, and we look forward to an honest and impactful conversation."