This document provides examples of digital games that can be used for learning. It discusses how games like Wikipedia and multiplayer online games use good game mechanics like clear goals and feedback to encourage participation. Some games described are used for teaching topics like climate change, biology, economics and coding. Games are suggested as a tool to help students learn through repetition and to teach peace, survival skills and cultural topics. Overall, the document explores how digital games can support learning when designed with the right mechanics, feedback and meaningful educational goals.

1. Digital Games and Learning

2. Why does Jane McGonigal believe
Wikipedia is such a successful
crowdsourcing initiative?

3. McGonigal says:
• Like multiplayer games, Wikipedia is an epic built
environment
• It has good game mechanics
– Players actions have direct and clear results
– Unlimited work opportunities
– Escalating difficulty
– Players can take on quests
– Good feedback system
– A clearly defined enemy to defeat
• Good game continuity
Positive social interaction
Meaningful context for collective effort

4. How can games be enlisted for political
impact, social activism, or public good?
What are some criteria we might use to
assess how successful they are?

5. 21st Century Skills:
Games as preparation for life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hoeAmqwvyY&feature=share

6. Okay, so let’s practice those
21st century skills…

7. 1. Visit and assess the game you’ve been given. Then,
2. come up with a concept for your own ‘game for good.’
Breakout rooms: https://guertin-educ5405g.wikispaces.com/Games+for+Good
• Group 1: Against All Odds -- Amy, Alissa, Rahul
• Group 2: Ayiti, Cost of Life -- Joe, Peter, Pam
• Group 3: McDonald’s Video Game -- Vikki, Imran,
Ashley
• Group 4: Darfur is dying -- Derek, Del, Astra
• Group 5: PipeTrouble -- Matt, Carol, Rickesh
• Group 6: Karma Tycoon -- Tiffany, Shirley, Maria
• Group 7: Peter Packet -- L-A, Richard, Andrew
• Group 8: Sim Sweatshop -- Nic, Philip, David,
Michelle

8. Tonight…
• Game strategies for teachers
• Games for your classes
• Examples of games that teach

9. BBC’s Climate Challenge puts students into the shoes of the president
of the ‘European Nations’, tackling climate change through a
challenging combination of policy choices and diplomatic persuasive
approaches.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/index_1.shtml

10. Brilliant, prize-winning game from the Nobel Prize website lets students get up-close and personal
with medical and biological processes, learning about patients, treatment and blood-types. Two
settings enable students to choose between quick play or a longer mission-based game.
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/medicine/bloodtypinggame/game/index.html

11. SimCEO is an online game that allows students to create and manage
their own company, giving them a foundation in economic principles.
Teachers can customise complexity to adjust the game for different
classes and age groups.
https://www.simceo.org/action/welcome

12. Peace Doves is an immersive interactive game from the Nobel Prize
website. It combines puzzles and problem-solving skills with important
concepts around peace-building and nuclear disarmament.
http://www.nobelprize.org/educational/peace/nuclear_weapons/game.html

13. A hands-on management style game, Electrocity puts students in
control of their own virtual town or city. Helps them get to grips with
geographical and social problems like spatial planning, urban
development and ecological responsibility.
http://www.electrocity.co.nz/

14. Virtual Surgery Games:
EdHeads and Surgery Squad
http://www.surgerysquad.com/http://www.edheads.org/activities/

15. Mission U.S.
http://www.mission-us.org /

16. Play My Code a simple, user-friendly type of coding to introduce key concepts
and ideas. Creating a game from scratch is a great incentive to draw students
into the world of coding. Code, graphics and sound are all stored online, so
development can continue across several lessons, or from home for flipped
classrooms.
http://www.playmycode.com/build

17. 50 games that could help you
survive the apocalypse
http://ca.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/12/50-games-that-could-help-you-survive-the-apocalypse/dead-rising

18. Examples of Games that Teach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyzJ2Qq9Abs

19. Gaming the Training Manual
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjcxdSpzXRc

20. Rewards and instant feedback
(but privacy issues, so be careful.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaeNSYJvrn0

21. Playing for peace, World Peace
http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game?language=en

22. Repetition-based learning

23. Pervasive Learning,
Wilfrid Laurier University
http://www.slideshare.net/cguertin/gaming-thecity-telephone-city-and-social-spaces-of-transformation

24. Other pervasive games
• CityScabble: http://www.cityscrabble.gr/
• Frequency 1550 (Amsterdam):
– Game website:
http://www.futurelab.net/blog/2005/02/
frequency-1550-mobile-educational-game
YouTube Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hstVrxMdDI
• Uncle Roy All Around You:
https://www.blasttheory.co.uk/projects/uncle-
roy-all-around-you/

25. Not just for kids… Free Download
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/series/guide-to-games-and-learning/

26. Mozilla OpenBadges
Take the quiz now: http://openbadges.org/quickstart/

27. Interactive sites for teachers
http://interactivesites.weebly.com/teacher-tools.html

28. Create custom apps with:
iPhone, Android or HTML5
Android or iPhone
HTML5

29. G4C15: Reclaiming Culture
Through Game Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=322&v=80B581dIhUk

30. Further Reading
• Farber, Matthew. Gamify Your Classroom: A Field
Guide to Game-Based Learning.
• Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to
Teach Us About Learning and Literacy.
• Kapp, Karl M. The Gamification of Learning and
Instruction: Game-based Methods and Strategies
for Training and Education.
• McGonigal, Jane. Reality is Broken.
• Prensky, Marc. Digital Game-Based Learning.
• Shapiro, Jordan. Mindshift Guide to Digital Games
and Learning.