Powerpoint accompanying a talk I gave at Hack The Classroom, Loyola Marymount Unviersity, Sept 28, 2013.

1. Hack The Classroom
Loyola Marymount University
September 28, 2013
David Mullich
@David_Mullich
davidmullich.wordpress.com

2. About Me

3. Game-Based Learning
Using analog or video games as core
sources of learning material or cognitive
action.

4. Serious Games
Games that have a purpose beyond
entertainment, such as learning, training,
or marketing.

5. Benefits
 Engagement
 Attention Span
 Mental Flexibility
 Competition
 Collaboration
 Urgent Optimism
 Social Fabric
 Blissful Productivity
 Epic Meaning

6. Letter Grade Distribution
Blunt, Richard, Ph.D. (2009)
Does Game-Based Learning Work? Results from Three Studies
trickdunn.squarespace.com/storage/blunt_game_studies.pdf

7. Additional Studies
University of Colorado
Professor Traci Sitzmann
2009 Meta Analysis of 65 Studies
Lee, J., Luchini, K., Michaiel, B., Norris C
& Soloway E (2004), More than just fun
And games: Assessing Educational Video
Games in the Classroom

8. ChicagoQuest
A middle school where board games, card games, Minecraft
and portal all make space for students to learn.

9. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Authoring Platforms
Game is used to
produce an artifact, be
it another game, a
model, visual text, or
written text. Students create ancient city using
Minecraft

10. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Content Systems
Games deliver content
about a particular
subject area.
Students gain knowledge of
Caribbean history by playing
Pirates

11. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Simulations
Students use games to
test theories about
systems and tinker with
variables.
Students gain a systemic
understanding of engineering
problems by working with a
limited budget and available
materials in Bridge Builder

12. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Trigger Systems
Games are used as a
jumping point for
discussion.
Dungeons and Dragons is used
to explore probability.

13. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Technology Gateways
Students use games to
familiarize themselves
with technology.
Instead of taking a class on how
to use PC’s or mobile devices,
students simply engage in their
favorite game.

14. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Exemplars of
Points of View
Games allow students
to take on different
identities.
Students learn to think like a city
mayor in SimCity.

15. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Documentary
Students use games to
document their learning
process and reflect on
it.
Students reflect on their playing
to recognize patterns in their own
performance and decision-
making.

16. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Texts to be Critiqued
Students critique the
ideology behind the
game.
Animal Crossing is analyzed as
an expression of late 20th century
capitalism.

17. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Texts to be Critiqued
Students critique the
ideology behind the
game.
Animal Crossing is analyzed as
an expression of late 20th century
capitalism.

18. How Games Can Be Used In Schools
Research
Assignments
Students design games
themselves and in
doing so, research the
subject matter of the
game.
Students decide to make a game
about the Great Depression and
learn history in the process.

19. Other Ways To Utilize Games
 Have Students Play Them At Home
 Watch Others Play
 Read Developer Diaries and Walkthroughs
 Reimagine Them
 Design Them
 Actually Make Them
 Mash Them With Other Media

20. Free Online Educational Games
 www.roomrecess.com
Developed by an elementary school teacher, Room Recess
offers games that focus on math, language arts, spelling,
reading, and basic problem solving with fun titles like
“Zombie Paint” and “Tic Math Toe”
 www.mathchimp.com
Aligned with Common Core Standards, this site offers over
200 free math games, printable worksheets, and videos for
students from 1st to 8th grade
 www.smart-kit.com
Great for all ages, this site offers fun games that focus on
quick thinking, logic, math, brainteasers, physics and more

21. Creating Your Own Games
 Game play is more important than
atmospherics
 Define rules for success
 Require player to take constant action
 Aim for flow

22. Assessment
Challenges
 Less emphasis on rote memorization
 Measuring teamwork and leadership
 Simulations with open-ended solutions
 What is cheating in this context?
Techniques
 Completion Assessment
 In-Process Assessment
 Teacher Evaluation

23. Lesson Plans for Popular Games
 Minecraft
http://minecraft.gamepedia.com/Minecraft_in_education
 SimCity
http://www.simcityedu.org
 World of Warcraft
http://wowinschool.pbworks.com/w/page/5268731/FrontPage
 Games and Impact
A database of games (both educational and entertainment) plus
guides on how to use them for learning
http://gamesandimpact.org/about/teachers/

24. Final Points
 Mentoring is at the heart of using games in
the classroom
 Games must make failure fun and
acceptable
 Treat classroom games like a “lab”
 Teachable moments will arise naturally
 Close observation is necessary to track
progress
 Careful planning is required

25. Thank You!
Session Survey
http://goo.gl/nNkJ9b
My Newsletter
http://bit.ly/1agkGrj
David Mullich
@David_Mullich
davidmullich.wordpress.com