• Objections
• Trivial
• Waste of Time
• Harmful
• Immoral
• Not “real” learning
RESEARCHERS
• Becta
• GERN
• DiGRA
• Nesta
• Education Arcade
• MIT
• And many, many others
PRINCIPLES (Prensky)
• Fun
• Play
• Goals
• Interactive
• Adaptive
• Outcomes & Feedback
• Win States
• Conflict/Challenge/Opposition
• Problem-Solving
• Interaction
• Representation & Story
PRINCIPLES (Nesta)
• Challenging/Adaptable
• Absorbing/Immersive
• Non Didactic/Practise-Based
• Authentic & Experiential
• Rules, Alternatives, Consequences
• Feedback & Assessment
• Social & Collaborative
• Expertise & Apprenticeship
• Identities
• Literacies
• Reflective Practise
COTS
SERIOUS
• Primarily developed for entertainment
• Not specifically for learning
• Can be purchased commercially
• Many are inappropriate
• Many have excellent potential
• Variety of genres (rpg, simulation)
• Must be challenging
• Must possess internal structure
• Must have the “principles”
SERIOUS GAMES
Corporate, business, industrial,
scientific, & military worlds
Marketing, finance, human resources,
negotiation, change management,
general management, organizational
behavior, technology management,
innovation, knowledge management,
economics, budget simuation,
investment, and more!
Corporation: A Global Business Simulation
Manage the takeover and continuing operation of a
multi-divisional, multi-national corporation within the
electronic information systems industry.
Human Resources Management Simulation
Simulation of human resource environments with realworld decision making.
Collective Bargaining Simulated
this simulation allows students to take on the roles of
key management and union personnel during the
renegotiation of their labor agreement.
The EIS Simulation Game
The EIS Simulation is a change management
simulation introducing a major change in an
organization.
Airline
Student teams, acting as the management team,
learn to run a small commuter airline.
Negotiator Pro
Negotiator Pro allows the user to learn about his/her
own style, measure your negotiation smarts, AND
prepare for real world negotiations.
Peacemaker
Game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
designed to promote "dialog and understanding among
Israelis & Palestinians
Pulse
Teaches military and civilian health-care providers
procedures and systems simulating operational healthcare facilities
The Basketball Intelligym
Used by basketball players for developing their
cognitive skills, such as decision making, anticipation,
team-play and execution.
Real Lives
Life simulation that gives player the opportunity to learn
how people really live in other countries.
Nanocure
Real-time strategy game for teaching kids about
nanotechnoloy.about Developed by The Game Design
Initiative at Cornell University.
LegSim: Legislative Simulation
Web-based virtual legislature used in college and high
school government and civics courses.
Incident Commander
Teaches compliant incident management for multiple
scenarios, including terrorist attacks, school shootings, and
natural disasters
Food Force
The UN's World Food Program designed this virtual world
of food airdrops over crisis zones and trucks struggling up
difficult roads under rebel threat with emergency food
supplies.
• 3rd World Farmer
• Climate Challenge
• Crate
• Cyber-Budget
• Dangerous Waters
• Darfur is Dying
• DARWARS
• DoomEd
• Eduteams
• FF56
• FINN
• Full Spectrum Warrior
• GYST
• Harpoon
• Incident Commander
• Infiniteams
• LegSim
• Life Preservers Evolution
• Nanocure
• Re-Mission
• Real Lives
• SimPort
• Steel Beasts Pro
• STRATA
• Thinking Worlds
• Trauma Trainer
• Trex
• VBSI
• Selector of the Game
From the wide range of games available, select one
which has relevance to the curriculum.
• Builder of the Learning Activity
Must PLAY the game and discover what learning
experiences will be appropriate for the learners. Must
then construct the actual learning activities.
• Facilitator of the Experience
Demonstrate the game, organize the groups, manage
the experience.
• Evaluator
Assess the results.
• Teacher As Guide
Teacher has control of the game and leads class
through appropriate scenarios. Class has to tackle the
scenario before moving on. Game control is passed
around, or the teacher retains it for the duration of the
exercise. Usually uses one computer and a projector.
• Teacher As Referee
Class is split into different teams. The teams
collaborate internally, and use the game to compete
against one another, e.g., which can develop the most
economically stable city using an urban simulator. The
teacher sets the task, answers queries, helps the
teams, adjudicates, and leads the class debriefing.
• Motivational
Reward for good behavior or excellent performance.
Lunchtime or after school computer clubs.
• Discussion
Teachers demonstrate a concept by playing a portion
of a game which illustrates the concept.
• Media Education
Students analyze components of the game as media
studies (design, graphics, story, etc.).
• Curriculum Integration
Embeds the game in a wider set of educational
activities
• Zoo Tycoon
• Myst
• Harry Potter
• School Tycoon
• Battle of Austerlitz
• Neverwinter Nights
• Making History
Teacher in Yorkshire, UK - Special needs children
Math language, strategy, cooperation, peer modeling,
motivation. Falls under numeracy, money, & real-life
problems.
Used as discussion tool, playing by committee. Mouse
is passed around as required.
Discuss what they can put in the zoo, how much
fencing, terrain, etc.
Has been teaching, cooperation, taking turns, strategic
planning, and discussion.
Teacher in Bristol, UK - English - Grades 5 & 6
Uses Myst as a facilitator to inspire speaking, listening,
observation, and creative writing.
Game-centered class. Students have never been so
attentive. Immense concentration on the game by
students. Their desire to improve vocabulary, speaking,
and writing skills.
Before the game was introduced, English SATS scores
were 66%. After, scores rose to 100%.
Teacher in Cambridge, UK - Media Ed - Grade 8
Uses to teach about video games in the context of
Media Education.
Play a game in a lesson. One student plays, another
whiteboards, another directs.
Discussion concerning what gameplay is. Comparison
of the grammar of gameplay and film.
Analysis of visual and verbal language.
Teachers in Birmingham, UK - Grade 6
Spatial thinking skills, fiscal skills, numeracy, and social
awareness.
Student teams constructed their own school within a
budget to produce a final school with financial and
academic results.
Results were print-screened and collected for group
analysis. Group discussion concerning why some
schools worked and others didn’t.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Ages 18 -20
Integrated with Western Civilization II Course.
Educate students in Napoleonic battle tactics and to
provide them with an understanding of tactics,
decisions, and strategies employed in the battle.
Historical scenarios were used and students were
divided into teams with varying responsibilities
(commander, individuals in charge of moving infantry,
cavalry, and artillery).
Occupies an interesting place in the development of
games for play in educational settings.
The game (like many others) comes with a game editor.
In NWN, this editor is called the Aurora Toolset.
With this editor, educators have started constructing
their own games using the NWN game engine.
Two of the most successful projects consist of:
• MIT - American Revolution
• Linconshire West - Learning
Created from NWN Aurora Toolset as a joint project
between MIT and Education Arcade.
Available and can be downloaded from the Internet.
Is played in a 45 minute session with students in a
networked environment.
Respond to events, improvise own stories, collaborate,
debate, and compete. Journals are kept.
Testing situations have been developed with results
forthcoming.
West Nottinghamshire College, UK.
Constructed using NWN Aurora Toolset
Built a game that allows learners to interact in a fantasy
setting involving teamworking & problem solving.
Teaches “Key Skills” - Language & Numeracy
Comes complete with Teacher & Student Learning
Guides.
Key Skills Results
Using this method of key skill delivery, results at NSW
Increased from a national benchmark of 22% to 94%
success rate.
Dave McDivitt - 110 students - 5 classes
Social Studies - Period of Western Europe just prior to
WWII.
Objectives - To teach about the causes of WWII and to
understand key events and political maneuvers that set
stage for global conflict.
He uses a variety of teaching models in his classroom.
All highly interactive and successful.
He conducted a research experiment using Making
History and control groups. He invited CBS to record
the activity.
The Research Study - 5 groups of 110 students
Non-Game Groups (control groups). They addressed
the material in traditional ways - textbooks, lectures,
reading assignments, and in-class discussion.
Game Groups - replaced all traditional material with the
video game. No textbooks. The video game and
discussions.
Students were all pre-tested with identical questions
before the study (geography, leadership, causes for
war.
Students were tested at the end of the game week.
Testing results of the post-game activity
Games do have educational potential according to how
they are used in educational settings.
Start playing some games of interest to you.
Seek out valid games and learn to process them for
your own situation.
Start demanding games that deal with content
pertaining to your situation.
Gain awareness by conducting a continuing exploration
of material available on the Internet.
Begin the adventure of using games as learning tools in
your particular educational setting.
www.creativeactivation.com/games