Gamification: What it is and Why it Matters Gamification is being implemented into elearning as more learning management systems, instructional designers, teachers, and organizations realize the benefit of including some form of game learning into their courses. To some, the idea of gamification is rather new, but it actually has been around in some form or another for quite some time. Thanks to some content developed by Mia MacMeekin, I was able to discover the origins of gamification, as well as the practical uses today. Gamification started as game theory, where a strategic decision-making module was first introduced to business and slowly evolved over time. From there, game-based learning came about, as teachers from all over the world began to use games like Monopoly, Scrabble, Life, Oregon Trail, and the like to teach various concepts. Gamification is the further evolution of game theory and game-based learning.
Economics & Humanities Podcasts to Propel Student Learning Several weeks ago, we took a look at a number of excellent podcasts just begging to be used in History and STEM classrooms. This week, we’re detailing a few more excellent podcasts to add to the classroom library, along with further ideas for how you can integrate each type. Our goal: to spread a love and joy for podcasts the worldwide, and to promote a lot of learning along the way! Economics and Statistics Design Your Class Like A Video Game How Video Games Have Mastered Learning Engagement Terry Heick Agreeing on how to best establish what a learner understands isn’t simple — if for no other reason than understanding isn’t simple. Gamification and game-based learning (which are different, by the way: the former uses encouragement mechanics to promote engagement, while the latter uses video-games as core sources of learning material or cognitive action) is one response. By embedding diverse achievements into activities and assessments, learning progress can be refracted infinitely. These systems would be able to more flexibly respond to unique learner pathways and abilities, and would further serve as encouragement mechanics — instead of one carrot stick, there are hundreds.
Why Teachers and Students Should Blog Blogs have the potential to expand student creativity, not to mention their writing skills. Language Arts and Reading specialists will love that, right? But how do I convince them that their students are thirsty for the knowledge they want to share but not the same way that they themselves obtained it? Shapiro: Games Allow Teachers to Reshape What and How They Teach Temple University’s Jordan Shapiro recently took to Forbes to write, as he often does, about the intersection of high tech and higher learning. His point seemed fairly clear from the headline: “We Need More EdTech, But Less Technology In The Classroom.” Shapiro’s focus on how technology fits into one’s overall education actually raises important questions for teachers using (or not using) technology. As he wrote, “we need to learn to embrace edtech for what it strengthens and rise up with empathetic excellence where it falls short. Just as Google’s predictive dialogue box has forced me to reconsider the essence of human intuition (after all, according to ordinary definitions, Google has better intuition than any human), so technological ways of knowing have forced me to reconsider the essence of teaching.”
The 23 Best Game-Based Education Resources for 2014 Edudemic has covered game-based learning and gamification in the classroom on numerous occasions in the past. When learning becomes a game, it’s an enjoyable, effective experience for students and teachers alike. We’ve curated 23 of the best game-based education resources for 2014. If your class hasn’t gotten its game on yet, then now is the time. Understanding Game-Based Education Image via Flickr
Escape to Flippity.net I've written several times about the amazing free tools at Flippity.net. In fact, when I am looking for a way to get people interested in spreadsheets, I almost always use Flippity because once people see the variety of the tools, and how easy it is to create them, they are hooked. This weekend, when I teaching a Google class, I revisited Flippity as part of my Sheets lesson and found a new addition to the family: a Breakout tool! Breakout games and escape rooms have become all the rage.
Ben Bertoli's ClassRealm Is Gamifying the Classroom My GeekDad colleague James Floyd Kelly and I teamed up to do our investigative report on Ben Bertoli, who teaches sixth grade math, science and language arts in Indianapolis, Indiana. Ben’s launching ClassRealm, his project to gamify education through a customizable classroom management system built on role playing themes. Here is Bertoli’s official Kickstarter description: In simplest terms ClassRealm is a customizable web-based tool that can be used by teachers, students and parents to track student achievements, provide students with entertaining and educational adventures, as well as improve their overall academic performance. Model United Nations Workshop Basic Facts The Department of Public Information is planning a Workshop in New York in mid-November 2015. More details will be posted soon. This workshop is being organized in conjunction with the 2015 World Federation of UN Associations International Model UN (WIMUN) that will take place in New York from 10-14 November.