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Three video case studies on teaching with games

Part of the American Medical Associations' attempt to increase engagement in medical education.

Shares 28 case studies of innovative tech-based education initiatives supported by EETT.

Scroll down on this page to download the final report and case studies from a study that "examined the use of social software in the UK further and higher education sectors to collect evidence of the effective use of social software in enhancing student learning and engagement" (p. 9 of final report). For anyone considering boosting engagement through social media, this is a gold mine.

Hi Stephanie - Thanks for this! I just wrote in my mid-semester assignment that I need to find research about engagement through crowd-sourcing and social media in education! I've downloaded the report and can tell that with sentences like, "The results highlight the different pedagogical roles of social software: communication, nurturing creativity and innovation, and collaborative learning," you've definitely found great resources. ~ Leslie

Kosslyn's definitive text on mental imagery. Shaped my views on the subject. Please "Like" this!

Research paper on "recreational learning objects" in this case a math-based computer game, which was shown to increase motivation in Mexican high schoolers.

This SOB used Facebook to explain his reasons for taking his son's and his own life. Make no mistake this guy has some serious issues. Still, it is noteworthy that Facebook and other social media outlets (youtube, flickr) have been used by the public and authorities to intervene and prosecute people that broadcast their criminal actions and intent. Think about it, George Orwell's vision of the future had the authorities constantly policing and monitoring citezens, but this has not been the case. Instead, we the people, ourselves are the ones monitoring each other via ubiquitous content creation and social media sharing.

ny times' column contest asks readers play the role of a doctor and provide correct diagnosis for a medical case

This article provides a great overview of the new technologies profiled at SXSW and makes the case that it's now cheaper than ever before to bring prototypes to market. The author notes, "The dropping costs of designing and building inventive new hardware products has prompted a wave of creativity and innovation that echoes the software boom a decade or two ago in Silicon Valley." Makes me wonder... what's next?

Within five years, Yale-designed robots may be helping teach children. A Yale-led team of researchers from across the country received a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation on April 3 to pursue the creation of "socially assistive robots" to help young children learn basic skills and in some cases overcome cognitive disabilities.

Game on!

Definition of "digital games" probably too broad... but three video case studies of teachers using "games" referenced in article worth watching: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA3C69D48D4FFE87E

Agreed about the definition. However, "Almost all the teachers surveyed who said they used games reported that they used ones specifically designed for education, and the games most often corresponded with literacy and reading (50%) and math (35%).", which is encouraging. Kurt Squire is correct in that the data may include a good number of 'trivial games', but that is probably to be expected since the biggest barriers seems to be cost (50% respondents) and technology (46%).

This article indicates that in seeking to engage students via networking tools, many boundaries need to be drawn...

More "ipads in education." There is also a point in her about customization for student needs which relates to UDL.

This article discusses play in virtual worlds (focusing on World of Warcraft) with an emphasis both on the learning that takes place and the engagement. You'll have to log in with your Harvard ID to get the article, FYI. "Our observation showed that players are motivated by the game's scope, rules, and scenario to create and participate in virtual communities, and share their knowledge with others, while newcomers are encouraged to engage in collective actions, and develop their skill base. We also found that although current MMORPGs have not been designed as instructional tools, they provide an excellent fantasy environment for intrinsically motivating learning, where players can experience the elements of challenge, curiosity, and control [30]." "People engage in pervasive games that use the best of two worlds, the virtual and the physical, in order to offer to its players the sense of maximum enjoyment."

This paper makes a case for learning games grounded in principles of good fun and good learning, explores the commercial games market, gleaning lessons from this rapidly growing and diversifying place, analyzes the downfall of edutainment in the 1990s and establishes how the current movement differs. Then, this paper lays out the ecology of games with a purpose beyond play and establishes principles and best practices for moving the field forward in a positive direction.

Interesting article about how certain features of video games (gaining experience points, forming guilds, etc.) are being incorporated in unexpected ways in our lives.

Supreme Court of the US of A weighs free speech vs: violent video games despite absence of any definitive research.

behaviorist view on videogames and learning