Teaching

Toolkit

An Introduction to Games based

learning
Author:SusanBoyleDate:October2011


TableofContents

AnIntroductiontoGamebasedlearning...................................................................3

GamesasPedagogicalDevices..................................................................................3

GameExample:WheredoyougoGame?.................................................................5

References..................................................................................................................8

AnIntroductiontoGamebasedlearning

Gamesofferauniquestructuretocomplementtraditionalteachingstrategiesand
infuseteachingwithenergy,sparkinnovativethinkingandprovidediversityin
teachingmethods.Gamesmakelearningconceptsmorepalatableforstudentsand
supplylearnerswithaplatformfortheircreativethoughtstobouncearound.Games
encouragecreativebehaviouranddivergentthought(Fuszard,2001)andare
excellenticebreakers.Gameswilloftenactaslearningtriggersinducinglively
discussiononlearningconceptsamongststudentsfollowinggameplay.

GamesasPedagogicalDevices

Aspedagogicaldevices,gamesareextremelyusefultheycanenliventeaching
topicsandareespeciallyeffectivefordealingwithproblemsolvingandkeyconcepts.
Researchshowsthatgameshaveaspecialroleinbuildingstudentsself
confidenceandtheycanreducethegapbetweenquickerandslowerlearners(
Fuscard,2001).

CreativeIceBreakers& Helpstudentsretain

agentsofinnovation salientpointsin
yourteaching

Aidwithdipsin Appealto
concentration
different
levels
learningstyles
Games
Aneasymeans
Engage

toincorporate students

peerlearning

Encourage Inducecreative

collaborative divergentthinking
amongststudents
ProblemSolving

Thehighlyadaptable,flexiblenatureofgamesmeansthattheycanbemouldedto
suitavarietyoflearningsettingsandenvironments,evenVLEssuchasBlackboard,
thiscanaddanotherlayerofinteractivityandfacilitatedistancelearningstudents.
Thenumberofgameframesormodelsavailableisextensive,sonomatterwhat
disciplineyouteachin,thereisagamemodelyoucanuse.Apartfrominviting
studentstolearncurriculumcontentinafunandrelaxedmanner,gamesalso
exposestudentstootherskilldevelopmentduringgameplayviasequential,verbal,
visualandkineticandothergamebasedactivities.

Games Thereareavariety Gamesmakelearning

complement ofGamestoadapt relaxedandfun&

traditional forthelearning buildstudent
teaching environment confidence

methods


Gamesexpect
Gamesexposestudents Gamesareflexible
longlasting andstafftoother pedagogicaltools

benefits inherentskills

GameExample:WheredoyougoGame?

Aim:TodeveloptheinformationliteracyofFirstyearstudents

Studentshave10minutestoplaythe
10minutes
Wheredoyougogame.

ThegameisdesignedforStage1
Stage1 students.
students
Thewheredoyougogameusesplaying
cardstoteachstudentswheretosearch
Matchjumbled fordifferentkindsofinformationwhen
playingcards theyhaveaparticularneed.


Thebluecardsareamixofdifferent
Teacheswhereto resourcesthestudentscouldconsult
andtheyellowcardsdetailthequeries
goforinformation
orparticularneeds.

Thecardsarejumbledupandthe
studentsareencouragedtodiscussand
Studentsdiscuss&
matchthecards(seeasampleofthe
matchplayingcards cardsbelow)intocorrectpairs.

Studentsarenotallowedtoconsultany
Studentsdonot othermaterialsorcomputersduringthe
consultanyother Wheredoyougogame.

materials

Followingthegameplay,thefacilitator
Facilitatorgoesthrough providesstudentswithanexplanationof
correctplayandconnection correctplaytolinkthegametothe
tothelearningoutcome learningobjectivesandstudentprojects
toreinforcelearningandincrease
retention.

 WheredoyougoGameSamplePlayingCards

Whenyouwantto
searchfor

differentkindsof
researchonatopic Databases
eg:trials/case
studies/reviews

/abstracts/articles
yousearch

Whenyouwant
torevisethe Textbook
basicsofatopic
yougotoa

Whenyouwant Print/

tofindaspecific Electronic

articleyougoto Journals

Tofindnational Official
statistics Government
informationyou website

wouldcheck

Tofindout

aboutanew

topic&getafull Encyclopedia
definitionyou
wouldgotoan

References

Websites

EngageLearningEuropeanWebPortalforGameBasedLearningresources
anddisseminationSampleGamesandGoodPracticeExamples
http://www.engagelearning.eu/teachers/?page_id=26
EducauseLearningInitiative
http://www.educause.edu/eli
Searchabledatabaseofeducationalgames
http://www.wingz2fly.com/GameSurvey/search.html
TheGameBasedLearningCommunityNoncommercialonlineforumfor
thoughtleaders,innovatorsandpractitioners
http://www.gamebasedlearning.org.uk/
ExampleofanawardwinningpublichealthgamefromMerlot(the
Multimediaeducationalresourceforlearningandonlineteaching)
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=85084

JournalPapers

CHOW,A.F.,KELLY,C.W.&MAES,J.(2011)DealorNoDeal:usinggamestoimprove
studentlearning,retentionanddecisionmaking.InternatlionalJournalof
MathematicalEducationinScienceandTechnology,42,259264.
FUSZARD,B.(2001)Gaming.INLOWENSTEIN,A.J.,BRADSHAW,M.J.&FUSZARD,B.
(Eds.)Fuszard'sinnovativeteachingstrategiesinnursing.3rded.
Gaithersburg,MD,AspenPublishers.
JAFFE,L.(2007)Gamesamplifymotivationineducation.INBRADSHAW,M.J.&
LOWENSTEIN,A.J.(Eds.)Innovativeteachingstrategiesinnursingandrelated
healthprofessions.4thed.Sudbury,Mass.,JonesandBartlettPublishers.
KLEINMAN,P.(2008)Towardstransformation:conceptionsofcreativityinhigher
education.InnovationsinEducationandTeachingInternational,45,209217.
WESTERA,W.,NADOLSKI,R.J.,HUMMEL,H.G.K.&WOPEREIS,I.G.J.H.(2008)
Seriousgamesforhighereducation:aframeworkforreducingdesign
complexity.JournalofComputerAssistedLearning,24,420432.

Conferences

EuropeanConferenceonGameBasedLearning(ECGBL)http://www.academic
conferences.org/ecgbl/ecgblhome.htm

FutureRealityofGaming(FROG)conferenceprovidesanopenandinternational
platformforleadinggamestudiesresearchersandscholars,gamedesigners,
researchersandscholarsfromvariousotherfields,educationprofessionals,and
gamersfromaroundtheworldhttp://bupp.at/en/serviceen/frog/frog2011/