Game-Based Education

Play has been a part of education for a very long time. While educational games may not be the solution to education woe’s, they definitely can be used to enhance it. Students today think and learn differently than we did as students. The traditional “sit-and-get” mentality is not a part of most classrooms today. Books and lecture still have a place in today’s classroom, but technology can be used as a vital and relevant tool to help students learn and meet the needs of a variety of learning styles.
A couple of terms to differentiate between: gaming education and gamification. Many times these are used interchangeably, but actually they can technically refer to different things. According to Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher.com, “Gamification is ‘applying typical elements of game playing (e.g., point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity.’” Gaming education is when you actually use games - students play games - as part of the learning and assessment process. Ms. Davis also points out that great classrooms will incorporate both.

There are such a variety of games out there - and they are much more advanced than the “lemonade stand” played in the early 80s on our Apple IIe computers, and still even more than Carmen SanDiego and Oregon Trail of my early teaching days. Today’s games are rich in problem solving and critical thinking skills. What is particularly exciting is that not only can games be used by teachers to assess student learning and understanding, to enhance a lesson and capture a student’s attention, but students can actually create the games! Recent emphasis and excitement about Minecraft and coding has led to a whole new area for educational gaming. Students are now using skills and knowledge gained from playing games, like Minecraft, and are now building mods and components of their own. The STEM and computer science learning that is going on with these students is both encouraging and exciting.

There is an awesome infographic that gives a great overview of the gamification of education. Edutopia also provides a “Game-based Learning Resource Round-up” that provides a collection of articles, videos, and resources for incorporating gaming into the classroom.

Common Sense’s Graphite, found in your Pepper Resource Library, has information and reviews on a plethora of game-based learning resources. Pepper Professional Development Courses and Workshops and the Resource Library can help you create a more engaged and active classroom that include game-based learning - for you and for your students. We’re adding new courses and workshops regularly, so be sure to check them out.