Concept & Theories of GBL
Using gaming principles to get students engaged in educational materials.
What is Game Based Learning?
Game based learning combines play with learning activities. It is a way to get students motivated and interested in what they are learning. Game based learning can also bring real world applications into the lessons.
Pho, A., & Dinscore, A. (2015). Game Based Learning. Instruction Section. Retrieved from https://acrl.ala.org/IS/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/spring2015.pdf.
https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/35774/1/gamingreport_v3.pdf
GBL can be time consuming to create and if not done properly can be a waste of effort. Along with the investment in time, sometimes comes financial investment as some pre-made game or materials costs can be high.
Digital Pedagogy - A Guide for Librarians, Faculty, and Students: Game Based Learning - Why Do it: Benefits, Challenges. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=448614&p=3505475
What is a disadvantage of GBL?
Game based learning platform that can be used in the classroom setting & for online learning.
What is Kahoot?
Kahoot is a website where you can customize a slide deck and embed games right into the slides. These games include polls, quizzes, true and false & puzzles. Kahoot can be used to introduce a new topic, review content, teach a lesson, reinforce knowledge, collect student opinions, break the ice & reward students.
Where do I start?
What is implementing GBL in the classroom.
The below link provides the steps and tips to implementing GBL in your classroom.
https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/implementing-game-based-learning-in-the-classroom-examples/
Games provide opportunity for students to engage socially with their peers. When social interactions occur, learning is enhanced.
What is sociocultural foundation of GBL?
When social engagement is a main focus of the game, not only do students learn about the lesson materials they also learn social skills that will help them through their lives. Skills such as participating in groups, communicating, learning aspects of other cultural norms and identities, working together to meet goals, compromise & more.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of Game-Based Learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. doi:10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533
Sometimes teachers get so caught up in creating a fun game that they forget the main reasoning behind incorporating the game itself.
What is a disadvantage of GBL?
It is important that teachers make sure the material within the game based learning exercise actually addresses the intended outcomes.
Game where participants have to collect objects, pictures, or videos, or complete a certain amount of tasks before the other participants.
What is a Scavenger hunt?
Scavenger hunts can be used to get the students outside of the classroom and make real world connections to the concepts they are learning in class. Example, explore the school grounds and take a picture of an obtuse, acute and right angles explaining how they are being used and why. Or a book scavenger hunt (find two proper nouns, find two things that can be interpreted from the text, etc)
Goosechase https://www.goosechase.com/ and Scavify https://www.scavify.com/ are two apps that can help you create scavenger hunts for your classroom learning.
Tips & Tools to get started, games in the classroom, using games for learning assessment, games for social good, engaging students with innovative programs.
What is resources for teachers?
The link below has a lot of resources for teachers who want to incorporate game based learning into their classrooms.
Games that students enjoy playing overall motivate them to engage in the course content.
What is motivational foundation of GBL?
When partaking in educational games, students generally want to succeed. This motivates them to engage in the learning materials, fosters cognitive processing and overall improves learning.
Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of Game-Based Learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258-283. doi:10.1080/00461520.2015.1122533
When students enjoy the assignments they overall learn more of the content and take initiative to do better.
What is an advantage of GBL?
When Becky Koza incorporated game based learning into her classroom she noticed students wanting to redo the games because they knew they could get a better score. They also explained how much fun they were having. The result being that between pre and post assessment students scores improved by over 400%.
Schaaf, R., & Kozza, R. (2017, January 12). Leveling Up in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.solutiontree.com/blog/leveling-up-in-the-classroom/
General trivia game show that was hosted in Canada by Alex Trebek.
What is Jeopardy?
Playing Jeopardy is a great way for students to review class material before a test or it's a game that can be used as a diagnostic assignment to assess students prior knowledge of new topics for an upcoming unit.
Jeopardy Labs is an easy, and time saving tool for teachers to use & create jeopardy games for student learning. https://jeopardylabs.com/
Ways to integrate technology into the classroom while keeping students engaged in learning concepts.
What is Apps & Websites for educational games?
In the link below you will find 50 apps and games for students K-12 which teachers can use in their classroom to combine game play with learning materials.
The four factors that need to be taken into consideration when selecting games for learning.
What is context, learner specification, representation, and pedagogic model or approach.
Context - The overall environment which the game will be played in. This has a direct correlation with the game effectiveness.
Learner Specification - Need to know your students and which game will be appropriate for their age, demographics, experience, and knowledge.
Representation - The representation of the game itself needs to be at a level of fidelity that coincides with students ability. It should be something that the students are already familiar with.
Pedagogic model or approach - Must make sure the game is being used in learning contexts instead of as a leisure activity. Debriefing after the game/activity is also crucial in the learning process as it gets students to make connections to the lesson and real world applications.
De Freitas, S. (n.d.). Learning in Immersive Worlds- A Review of Game Based Learning. JISC. Retrieved from https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/35774/1/gamingreport_v3.pdf.
Game based learning allows for students to experiment, take risks and fail without having any consequences in the real world. They provide opportunity for students to practice their skills and become confident in their ability/knowledge which in turn increases student learning.
Pho, A., & Dinscore, A. (2015). Game Based Learning. Instruction Section. Retrieved from https://acrl.ala.org/IS/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/spring2015.pdf.
What is an advantage of GBL?
Ways to be active while playing video games.
What is Wii Fit, Just Dance, & Ring Fit Adventure?
Not all students enjoy playing sports in physical education class. Introducing these video games to your non-athletic students may be a way to get them interested in physical activity and become more active inside and outside of the classroom.
Image sharing website which allows for finding various information and saving resources to pinboards.
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest has a lot of resources for applications of game based learning in the classroom. Below are two Pinterest boards which are designated to these resources and can be used by other teachers.