In recent surveys, middle and high school students have consistently ranked U.S. history as their most boring subject. The Woodrow Wilson HistoryQuest Fellowship brings to bear games, play, and digital tools to transform standards-based teacher practice to increase student engagement. Developed by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and the Institute of Play, HistoryQuest turns public school teachers and their students into game designers. This session looks at what works/what doesn’t in bringing game-based learning to U.S. history classrooms.

1. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Program:
Games-Based Learning
for U.S. History
July 2018

2. History PD: Urgently Needed
Public
• Demands greater awareness/
understanding of U.S. history
Students
• Rate history as “most boring subject”
Educators
• Move beyond “anyone can teach it”
approach
• Seek high-quality professional development
(PD) opportunities for current history teachers

3. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Overview
• Marshals WW expertise in learning
design, OST, professional development/
mentoring
• Addresses critical national need—
U.S. history

4. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Principles
• Game-based/game-like learning
for U.S. history teachers, grades
6–12 (CT, MA, NJ, PA, NYC)
• Focus on tying games to
curriculum, integrating into
classroom, creating games,
teaching history through game design,
and assessing learning outcomes

5. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Format/Timeline
• Summer institute (one week,
Princeton NJ)
• in-school follow-up
• supplemental workshops
• access to TeacherQuest database
• Pilot in July 2015;
now in third round

6. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Participants (2017)
• 48 middle and
high school teachers
• 37 schools
• 29 districts
• 31 cities
• Range of experience:
1–27 years (average 5)

7. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Impact
• From pre- to post-survey,
teachers gained confidence in
ability to
• enact game-based learning
• assess student learning using
games
• design game-based learning
experiences
• Over 97% saw themselves as designers by the end
of the institute

8. The Woodrow Wilson
HistoryQuest Fellowship
Partners
• Institute of Play—selected
competitively by WW
• Mentors: Fellows from
prior years
• NYU assessment
• Privately funded by
two WW Trustees

9. WW HistoryQuest as PD
“[HistoryQuest] has encouraged and motivated
me to remain in the teaching profession longer.
Through this experience I regained my passion
for and love of teaching! Thank you!”

10. WW HistoryQuest as PD
“This was definitely the best professional
development I’ve ever been to, and it was
genuinely fun and helpful, with plenty
of support.”
“This was one of the
most meaningful and helpful
experiences I have participated in.
I am so grateful that I had
the chance to be a part of it!”

12. The Institute pioneers new models of learning and
engagement. We are a non-profit design studio, founded
in 2007 by a group of game designers in New York City.
We are now home to an interdisciplinary team of
designers, strategists and learning practitioners.

13. Our purpose is to
transform education
through play.

14. ©InstituteofPlay2017
SCHOOL BASED
SUPPORT
Support the
developmentofnew
schools aligned with
our vision as well as
helping existing
schools launch
innovativeprograms.
PRODUCTS /
CURRICULUM
Developgame-like
learningresources
and tools to
supporteducators
and curriculum
designers.
CORPORATE
TRAINING
Facilitatehands-on
trainings to help
organizations
leverage thepower
ofplayanddesign.
TEACHER
TRAINING +
RESEARCH
Lead research-
based,designand
play-focused
teachereducation
and professional
development
programs.
What We Do

15. Everyone is a Participant
Learning Feels Like Play
Everything is Interconnected
Learning Happens By Doing
Failure is Reframed as Iteration
Feedback is Immediate and Ongoing
Challenge is Constant
GAME-LIKE LEARNING PRINCIPLES

16. HistoryQuest Program Goals
The program
• Explores game-based learning for U.S. history contexts
• Leverages best practices that connect to design, games, play
Educators
• Develop expertise in using game design processes to design
and facilitate game-based US history learning.
• Are empowered to bring processes and actual designed
products/curriculum back to their classrooms.
• Create curriculum that places students in assessable design
spaces that emerge from educator-designed game-like
contexts

17. Summer Program Overview
Introduction to Games & Learning (1.5 days)
Educators focus on game-like learning, the design process, and
how to bring games into the classroom in meaningful ways.
History Game Design (1.5 days)
Educators work in teams designing, playtesting (on each other
and real live students), and sharing U.S. history learning games
that they’ve created.
Student-Centered Design Challenge (2 days)
Educators experience and create their own student-centered
design challenges to bring back to their schools.

18. DEFINE
BRAINSTORM
PROTOTYPEPLAYTEST
APPLY
REFLECT
EMPATHIZE
The
Design
Process

19. Deliverables
Game or Game-Like Activity
Educators collaborated in teams to create and playtest a game
the focuses on a major concept or skill in teaching U.S. history.
History Game Design
Educators collaborated in teams to create a hands-on design
project for students that relates to U.S. history curriculum.
Student-Centered Design Challenge
At the end of each day, teachers reflected on their work as a
group in our online platform, TeacherQuest Online.

20. WHY DO WE
TEACH
U.S. HISTORY?

21. Attributes Employers Seek on a
Candidate’s Resume
77.8% Leadership
77.8% Ability to work in a team
73.4% Communication skills (written)
70.9% Problem solving skills
70.4% Strong work ethic
68.0% Analytical/quantitative skills
67.5% Technical skills
67.0% Communication skills (verbal)
66.5% Initiative
62.6% Computer skills
62.1% Flexibility/adaptability
Source: Job Outlook 2015, National Association of Colleges and Employers

22. Attributes Employers Seek on a
Candidate’s Resume
60.6% Interpersonal skills (relates well to others)
57.6% Detail-oriented
42.4% Organizational ability
35.0% Strategic planning skills
29.1% Friendly/outgoing personality
25.1% Entrepreneurial skills/risk taker
23.2% Tactfulness
18.2% Creativity
Source: Job Outlook 2015, National Association of Colleges and Employers

23. Beyond WW HistoryQuest
New WW initiative
• Meets national call for U.S. history
• Responds to interest in open-
source/online games and
simulations
• Requires developers who are
serious about history content
and K–12 needs
• Features larger role for
game design in pedagogy

24. Questions/Comments
Stephanie Hull, Executive Vice President/COO
The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Rebecca Rufo-Tepper, Co-Executive Director
Institute of Play