Deidra Wilson 17

SPED 5326:253
Summer 2018 Academic Games:
Make Learning Fun
WHY USE GAMES IN EDUCATION?
 Games increase motivation, engagement, and decrease absenteeism.
 Students enjoy peer collaboration and socializing.
 Studies show that using academic games in the classroom can result in a
20 percentile point gain in student achievement.
 Play is an important and natural mode of learning.

EXAMPLES OF GAMES

 Jeopardy!  Matching games

 Kahoot!  Taboo
 Pictionary  Pictionary
 Charades  Online academic
 Puzzles games
 Dice games  Around the World
 Linear board games  Brain Age

HOW TO IMPLEMNT GAMES

 Students like to compete when the stakes are not high. Rewards and points
should be for fun and not for grades.
 Each game’s focus should be on important academic content.
 Don’t just tally up the points and move on at the end of the game. It is
essential to debrief. Address specific questions and go over difficult topics.
 Give students time to revise their notes and correct misconceptions.

RESEARCH

 Studies show that academic success in 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades can be
predicted by mathematical performance in kindergarten.
 Using linear board games (such as Chutes and Ladders) during early
childhood improves numerical knowledge in all children, including those with
Autism Spectrum Disorder.
 For children with ADHD, brain games have shown to have a similar impact on
the brain as medications (stimulants) used to treat symptoms.
 Gamification of
Education
GAMIFICATION-WHAT IS IT?

 The application of gaming metaphor to real life tasks to influence

behavior, improve motivation, and enhance engagement.
 The application of game design elements in non-gaming context.
 Gamification uses a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in
order to raise motivation and engagement.
 Intrinsic motivators are goal achievement and autonomy. Extrinsic
motivators are promotion to levels, and gaining points and badges.

GAMIFICATION-WHY USE IT?

 People become addicted to video games because the incremental goal

progress and rewards received for effort and practice releases dopamine in
the brain which gives a pleasure response.
 This concept can be used in the classroom to engage and motivate
performance in an educational setting.

GAMIFICATION-HOW TO IMPLEMENT IT?

 Gamification can be used with cumulative material where beginning steps

need to be mastered before moving on to the next.
 It can also be used during any teaching unit.
 Points can be distributed to encourage collaboration, cooperation (helping
another struggling student), and class participation.
 Points can be used to get more time for testing, homework, or projects and
many more ways.
 Gamification can be implemented by manually keeping track of progress or
by utilizing gamification for education software.

REFERENCES
 Cassells, T. t., Broin, D. D., & Power, K. k. (2015). Increasing student engagement with gamification. Proceedings Of
The European Conference On Games Based Learning, 1770-773.
 Marzano, R. J. (2010). Using games to enhance student achievement. Educational Leadership, 67(5), 71-72.
 Moomaw, S. (2017). Not all preschool math games are created equal. YC: Young Children, 72(3), 14-21.
 Satsangi, R., & Bofferding, L. (2017). Improving the numerical knowledge of children with autism spectrum disorder:
The benefits of linear board games. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 17(3), 218-226.
doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12380
 Toppo, G. (2016). Game plan for learning. Education Next, 16(2), 38-45.
 Townsend, D. d. (2009). Building academic vocabulary in after-school settings: Games for growth with middle school
English-language learners. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(3), 242-251.
 Wegrzyn, S. C., Hearrington, D., Martin, T., & Randolph, A. B. (2012). Brain games as a potential nonpharmaceutical
alternative for the treatment of ADHD. Journal of Research On Technology In Education, 45(2), 107-130.
 Zarzycka-Piskorz, E. e. (2016). Kahoot it or not? Can games be motivating in learning grammer?. Teaching English
with Technology, 16(3), 17-36.