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&
agentsofinnovation

Helpstudentsretain
salientpointsin
yourteaching

Aidwithdipsin
concentration
levels

Games

Aneasymeans

toincorporate

peerlearning

Appealto
different
learningstyles

Encourage
collaborative
ProblemSolving

Engage
students
Inducecreative
divergentthinking
amongststudents

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

Games
complement
traditional
teaching
methods

Gamesexpect
longlasting

benefits

Thereareavariety
ofGamestoadapt
forthelearning
environment

Gamesmakelearning
relaxedandfun&
buildstudent
confidence

Gamesexposestudents
andstafftoother
inherentskills

Gamesareflexible
pedagogicaltools

GameExample:WheredoyougoGame?
Aim:TodeveloptheinformationliteracyofFirstyearstudents

Studentshave10minutestoplaythe
Wheredoyougogame.

ThegameisdesignedforStage1
students.

Thewheredoyougogameusesplaying
cardstoteachstudentswheretosearch
fordifferentkindsofinformationwhen
theyhaveaparticularneed.

10minutes

Stage1
students

Matchjumbled
playingcards

Thebluecardsareamixofdifferent
resourcesthestudentscouldconsult
andtheyellowcardsdetailthequeries
orparticularneeds.

Thecardsarejumbledupandthe
studentsareencouragedtodiscussand
matchthecards(seeasampleofthe
cardsbelow)intocorrectpairs.

Studentsarenotallowedtoconsultany
othermaterialsorcomputersduringthe
Wheredoyougogame.

Followingthegameplay,thefacilitator
providesstudentswithanexplanationof
correctplaytolinkthegametothe
learningobjectivesandstudentprojects
toreinforcelearningandincrease
retention.

Teacheswhereto
goforinformation

Studentsdiscuss&
matchplayingcards

Studentsdonot
consultanyother
materials

Facilitatorgoesthrough
correctplayandconnection
tothelearningoutcome

WheredoyougoGameSamplePlayingCards

Whenyouwantto
searchfor
differentkindsof
researchonatopic
eg:trials/case
studies/reviews
/abstracts/articles
yousearch

Databases

Whenyouwant
torevisethe
basicsofatopic
yougotoa

Textbook

Whenyouwant
tofindaspecific
articleyougoto

Print/
Electronic
Journals

Tofindnational
statistics
informationyou
wouldcheck

Official
Government
website

Tofindout
aboutanew
topic&getafull
definitionyou
wouldgotoan

Encyclopedia

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/