q2t training

1. Quest2Teach
Leveling up the digital literacy of teacher candidates
ANNA ARICI
DIRECTOR OF QUEST2TEACH
LEARNING SCIENTIST, CENTER FOR GAMES & IMPACT
MARY LOU FULTON TEACHERS COLLEGE
TEMPE CAMPUS, FARMER 140

2. www.quest2teach.org
Quest2Teach is a series of game-infused 3D virtual learning curricula and
socio-professional network designed for teacher education, to help bridge
between educational theory and classroom practice.

3. In Quest2Teach, students create a professional avatar, play out roles, solve
complex problems, fail safely, and see the impact of their decisions while
gaining fluency in theories-in-action. Pre-service teachers evolve their
professional identity in a variety of narrative-based 3D role-playing
scenarios, each with a particular theoretical focus.

4. Why Immersive Games
for Teacher Education?
• Initially arose out of our game curricula for middle
schools
• Most teachers seeking out these games were 10-
20 year veterans, not digital natives
• Goal to instill these digital skills and pedagogies in
pre-service training
• Teaching, like medicine and law, is a professional
practice lends itself to immersive simulations
• The game curricula serve as a bridge connecting
coursework theory and its application in the field
• Allows future teachers to try out new roles, fail
safely, and see the impact of their decisions

5. ‘Games for learning are not just
software, but game-enabled curricula,
meant to be guided and optimized by
the instructor …’

6. Curricula for Each Game

7. Teacher Toolkit & Dashboard

8. Scope & Sequence of Q2T Game Curricula
• One game per semester, embedded in a
relevant MLFTC class, guided by instructor
• 1200 students play one of these games
each semester across all majors and terms

9. Players start by creating an Avatar

12. Protagonist in a nuanced
and authentic Narrative

15. Pursuit of Professionalism (PoP)
Problem Scenario: Pedagogical
Differences with your Mentor

16. Fantastical mentoring, Just-in-time

17. Choices: Balancing
personal time and
class preparation

18. Teachers Lounge

19. Consequences of your Decisions

20. What you do prior to class largely determines the
success of your students

22. Students get Immediate Feedback

23. Q2T Socio-Professional Network

24. Network Reflection
• Write your Post
• Pay it forward with Props

25. Quest2Teach International Network
for Pre-Service Teachers
Mary Lou Fulton
Teachers College, ASU,
Arizona
Dublin City University,
Ireland
University College
Copenhagen,
Denmark
University of Bari,
Foggia, Italy
The Joan Kanz
Cooney Center,
NYC

26. Research Findings
Our Teachers College demographic data
showed:
• Most common use of computers was for
homework or social networks.
• Only 9% said they played video games 1-5
hours/week. (Compared with 70%
nationally, across all majors)
Digital natives are Not always Gamers
Fortunately, being a gamer does not matter, as these are smart
students, who readily took to the 3D immersive experience…
N= ~800 pre-service undergraduate students

27. Positive Results
In addition to significant gains in learning and engagement:
• 99% said the activity was engaging
• 92% found the game challenging to some degree, with the mode
being ‘moderately challenged’
• 98% felt successful in this game
• 98% felt the game was meaningful as preparation for teaching
Identity: 95% reported that the game helped them to see
themselves as a professional teacher more than they did
before.
92% of students said game
increased confidence in their future
teaching ability.
94% of students said game
increased their commitment to their
future teaching.

28. Research Findings
Students appreciated the ability to play out roles as a
professional educator:
• Solve authentic problems
• Fail safely
• Gain fluency
• Deeply invested in the game
• Better equipped to handle real world
• Identity shift to professional
• Active learning as 1st person protagonist
– Comparison study showed they’re learning ‘skills’ and
‘language’, rather than passively ‘learning about’ the theory.

29. Other Findings
Some students initially need more support with Technology
• We built in a lot of explicit supports in the 3D worlds
• We call it a simulation or game curriculum, rather than a ‘video
game’
Scope and Sequence in Program:
Very different reactions from students in their 1st semester vs
Student teachers when playing the Professionalism game.
First semester student: “I would never have a
conflict with my mentor. I’m just going to roll
over and do whatever she says.”
Student Teacher reaction:
“I don’t think if we played this last semester or
last year, any one of us would have taken it as
seriously, but now we know, this is for real!”

30. Two years later…
• “The last time I played, I have to admit, all the choices all
looked the same. I was like, ‘I guess I’ll just click this one
and see what happens!’ But this time I was like, ‘Wow!
This is really common sense!’ I could tell I had grown as a
professional, it was so second nature.”
• “The first time I played the game and my virtual mentor
didn’t like my lesson plan. I quickly backed down and
said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry! I’ll change it, or just go with yours’.
This time around though, I had the confidence to stand
up for myself, and even the experience to say how I felt
the students were learning well with my plan. I was able
to chose professional ways to support my own plan.”

31. To Do List:
To set up your class:
• Send me your name, course and roster
– Download ‘.csv file’ from Blackboard
– anna.arici@asu.edu
• I’ll send you login to Game/Teacher Toolkit and all materials
To teach the game curriculum: 2 weeks prior
• Read the Curriculum Guide
• Play the Game in preparation
• Post a guiding question in the Network
• Try logging in AT YOUR SITE (you may need to VPN)
• Send out Student Handout so they can download and bring laptops
with game installed to next class
• Then facilitate in class
• Log in to the Teacher Toolkit to monitor progress and to give
feedback as they complete missions

32. Possible Lesson Plans
• One day: 2 hours, do it all
• Two classes: See Curriculum Guide for details
– Class 1: (45 mins)
• You lead intro to game and goals (in guide)
• Make the connection to where they are in their studies and your class
• Students login and play for 30-45 mins
• You lead debrief (suggested questions in guide)
• Students finish game as homework (about 45 more mins at home)
– Class 2: (20-30 mins)
• You lead debrief of the virtual experience and tie to theory and your class
• Students enter network and post to your question.
• Students comment on peers’ posts, give props. (20 mins)
• Short version: (not recommended, but fallback if there are site issues)
– Class 1: Limit intro and gameplay in class to 20 mins (or not at all if no access)
– Students play and finish game at home
– Students post to network at home
– Class 2: Debrief for 15 mins at next class

33. Handouts
You will receive links to all needed materials:
• URLs to download game and login to network
• Game Curriculum (lesson plan)
• Network Guide
• Teacher Toolkit Guide
• Student handout (with download instructions)
• How to download .csv file roster from
Blackboard
• How to VPN (if your site blocks access to ASU)

34. Curricula for Each Game

35. Diving into Data: Player Quote…
“The ah-ha moment for me was when in the game the
teacher was blaming the kids for the chaos, and how ‘they
just don’t care’. Which is exactly what I hear at my site. All
the teachers, and even the principal, say that there’s really
nothing we can do because these students are so
challenging. And in the game I found myself agreeing with
that teacher, it’s the kids fault. But then the game stopped
me and my game mentor popped in to explain that there
are a lot of things I can do, and within my control. I was so
used to ‘it’s the kids, it’s the kids, it’s the kids’, but now,
after experiencing this (game), it makes me want to go
back and try something new with my kids. I’m starting to
wonder if it really could be all the kids as a collective, or if
we as teachers need to do something different.”