Dr. Leigh ZeitzUniversity of Northern [email protected]
What is it?
Who does it?
Does it make a difference?
Things to consider
thefuntheory.comTinyurl.com/UNIbottlebank
Rule-based
Variable and Quantifiable Outcome
Diff Outcomes = Diff Points
Player works to control outcome
Game provides timely feedback
Player cares about the outcome
Mastery = Leveling up
Xperience Points Leveling Upunited.com
games Gaming
tinyurl.com/TheMathBlaster
An organized social system using positive
and negative feedback to direct a player towards a desired goal.
microsoft
An organized social system using positive
and negative feedback to direct a learner towards a desired goal.
iclipart.com
Optimal Experiences
Clear Goals
Immediate Feedback
Challenges/Skills Balance
Action/Awareness Align
No Distractions
Failure Not a Problem
Activity is its Own Reward
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Trends in Serious Gaming for Education
Young et al (2012)
Reviewed 300+ articles
Math
Science
Language Learning
History
Inconclusive findings
Mixed results
Gamers more engaged
Useful in achieving deeper learning
More successful when learning and gaming
objectives aligned
Language acquisition, composition, language arts
Games as learner-centered environments Immersive experiences Kindergarteners learned language faster than
control group Language pedagogy more aligned with gaming
History-based video games engaging Useful in middle school economics Useful to integrate SimCity, Age of Empires
and Civilization into history curriculum Instead of requiring outside reading, include
the content in the gaming situation
Transfer requires reflection
Difficulty level needs to align with skill level
Poor design can’t be hidden in game world
Boys communicated about the game
Girls communicated more generally
Instructor must scaffold as necessary
Can gaming be useful in the classroom?
Is it worth the time?
What does gaming teach besides content?
What’s cheating?
What is the diff btwn Gamification and Game-
based Learning?
If we teach today
as we taught yesterday,
we rob our children of their tomorrow.