This document discusses the use of instructional technology in English classrooms. It describes tools like audience response systems that can be used for formative assessment and allow students to provide peer instruction. Interactive whiteboards are also mentioned. The document then focuses on gamification and how game mechanics like levels, points, and badges can be applied to educational contexts to increase student motivation and engagement when learning content or skills. Specific educational games are discussed, as well as the idea that games can incorporate elements of fun and play into learning.

1. Instructional
Technology in
the English
Classroom
Jeff Everhart
Instructional Technology Trainer
Digital Education Collaborative

2. What is Instructional
Technology?

3. Technology should be
used to support objectives

4. Bloom's Taxonomy

5. Audience Response
Systems
Clickers
Mobile Polling (Poll Everywhere, Poll Daddy)
Built in Polling Systems (Interactive White Boards)
Targets knowledge and understanding levels of
Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Allows for formative assessment and peer instruction
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6. Interactive Whiteboards

7. Gamification and GamesBased Learning
• 77% of American households own a videogame
system
• Average age of gamers: 37 years old
• 55% of gamers play on mobile devices

8. The Three Levels of
Games
• Dynamics
o By which rules does the player interact with the game?
• Mechanics
o What is the point of the game?
o What conditions need to be met for success?
• Aesthetics
o Does this look and/or feel like a game?
o Does it possess the conventions of a game? (ie. Levels, points, badges,
etc.)

9. Oh, what’s in a game?
• Possesses game mechanics. In other
words, governed by rules.
• Constant feedback
• Rewards at unpredictable intervals
• Some element of competition
• Some aspect of non-productivity (fun or play)

10. Gamification
• Application of game aesthetics to a non-game
setting
• Examples include badges and leader points
• Typically used to increase motivation or
engagement

11. Applications of
Gamification
• Gamification has been widely applied in noneducational contexts
• Cash-back rewards
• Customer loyalty

12. So, what role can games
play in education?

13. The Idea of “Play”

14. Games to Learn Content
• River City Project, Harvard University

15. Hero 1
• Teaches English language skills to Arab students

16. Games to Learn Skills

17. Lumosity, cont.

18. Where to next?