Group items tagged

I came across this great question posted in Quora. One of the responders, Anne Halsall listed structured narratives, diverse hand- drawn animation, more difficult puzzles (less hints), and a single-player experience as hallmarks of 90s adventures games. The highlights of these adventure games are a stark contrast to the conditions, at least according to Gee, that make video games useful learning tools (e.g.,open-ended, immediate feedback, opportunities for socialization). This lead me to wonder, are the trends in contemporary game design driving engagement theory, or is the research driving game design?

Related to the Pew Foundation Study on Tagging we read earlier in the course... Topic models provide a simple way to analyze large volumes of unlabeled text. A "topic" consists of a cluster of words that frequently occur together. Using contextual clues, topic models can connect words with similar meanings and distinguish between uses of words with multiple meanings. Coupling the use of such tools with blogging allows students (plural) to spot trends in their collective writing. The key is to "share-out" their pieces in weekly class review sessions. This "ups" the level of engagement.

Piazza is a Web 2.0 tool that allows students to ask questions and engage in dialogue on the Internet with teacher and each other.

Thoughtful reflection by 8th grade teacher... enjoys experimenting with technology, but stresses the importance of questioning the pedagogical value of integrating tech in classrooms

Hi Leslie, Thanks for sharing. The article not only talks about the effectiveness of social media tools but a range ot technology which I found useful.

Commentary about the tools we use for our online participation

Resources for teachers, students, administrators to use/see educational benefits of web tools being used by the education community. Check out a long list of blogs including: Best class blog; Best student blog; Best ed tech blog; Most influential post; Best teacher blog; Best library / librarian blog; Best free web tool; Best use of media / podcast; Best educational use of a wiki AND MORE... And wikis: http://blog.wikispaces.com/2012/01/best-educational-wikis-of-2011.html

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."

Digital tools are helping students with learning and sensory disabilities gain academic confidence and motivation.

Emotion-sensing computer software that responds to students' cognitive and emotional states, including frustration and boredom. This tool seems to address all the issues we've been talking about in T545! Could this be the tool that replaces teachers?!

Once again, people are approaching social media as a cute distraction and not a powerful data minin tool. I purposefully keep my bday and other info wrong. A) I get to see who of my 'friends' knows me well enoughto notice and B) ...I like to keep the creepers guessing. Still, apparently your freewheeling posts might actually help you get a date...just make sure to meet in a public space and with mace!

Talk about high stakes tests! These soldiers in basic training are learning about the tools of the trade in simulations designed to evoke emotional reactions not dissimilar to the ones they may face if deployed to a war zone.

Using game creation as a teaching tool

Personalized learning through tech is described as "Creating a customized playlist for learning." A NYC middle school serves as experiment in engaging students one on one.

Good article about individualized, online tutoring using digital devices.

"Only a small fraction of students may count as true digital natives, in other words. The rest are no better or worse at using technology than the rest of the population."

Can Pokemon be used as a teaching tool?

Online games aid learning

NASA Resources Enrich STEM Curricula at Forest Lake Elementary Being a NASA Explorer School allows Forest Lake Elementary to deepen the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curricula with technology tools and resources.

WolfQuest, WhyPox are highlighted as tools for informal science learning.

formative assessment may be possible in SimCity, but how good its its validity in terms of authentic city dynamics?