Game-based+Learning



The Education & Tech blog looks at the new U.S. Common Core standards for math, noting that “the spirit of inquiry and curiosity is back” and that game-based learning is one way to support this educational paradigm. As author Nigel Nisbet states, “…To build true conceptual understanding during the learning process, students will need considerable practice at being challenged to make sense of mathematics for themselves … A game is inherently about challenge.” “Learning” doesn’t mean rote memorization—it means acquiring the skills and thought processes needed to respond appropriately under pressure, in a variety of situations. > In other words, it will become a **repetitive behavior transferable to his learning environment**.
 * The big challenge is to ensure that your learning objective is integral to game play.
 * Once you've done that, you can use games to:
 * Engage reluctant learners
 * Liven up your classroom
 * Motivate your students to learn outside the classroom
 * Game-based learning uses competitive exercises, either pitting the students against each other or getting them to challenge themselves in order to motivate them to learn better.
 * Games often have a fantasy element that engages players in a learning activity through a storyline.
 * Games support and access the multiple learning styles.
 * If the game takes place in a scenario similar to the context of the student's learning, he understands that what he has used in the game would have a similar response in real life.
 * In order to create a truly educational game, the instructor needs to make sure that learning the material is essential to scoring and winning.
 * An effective game Immerses students in the material so they learn more effectively.
 * An effective game encourages students to learn from their mistakes.
 * **Learn from mistakes** in a safe and simulated environment.
 * Learn **other ways or more effective techniques** to carry out something in particular.
 * The context of a game is generally more **engaging** because at every stage there is a **challenge** to achieve that keeps the learner motivated.
 * When the gamer receives a **positive output** by using his knowledge, it is more probable he will use it again in the game.



Nintendo Wii [|GoogleDocs Presentation] with ideas and tips for incorporating Wii games into curriculum - from manipulating 2D vs. 3D objects, to measuring golf putts and using the data to subtract and study mean, median, mode and range.



[|ReflexMath.com] Math fact fluency game. This is a subscription site, with games that focus on math fact fluency (either addition/subtraction or multiplication/division). This site is AMAZING - it is highly individualized, there are several games and methods of practicing, the students are motivated to practice each day, and there is individualized coaching. The program rewards effort as well as progress, and provides exceptional feedback for teachers. This was a valuable tool in terms of providing data for parent conferences and for student intervention meetings. My students gained more math fact mastery in 6 weeks than they had in more than in the previous 18 weeks of school. On the last day of school, they were begging to be allowed to continue using it at home over the summer, and I've gotten several emails from them/their families updating me on their newest math accomplishments on Reflex. The company has a wonderful Facebook page that facilitates teachers supporting other teachers and sharing ideas, and their tech support is great. (Whew - I'm feeling a little bit like a Reflex program representative now, but I am truly sold on this tool!)



[|Gizmos] www.explorelearning.com This website is an amazing math and science tool. It allows students to perform virtual experiments and manipulations that are either too dangerous, too large, take a long span of time, or are difficult to manage in a classroom setting. Using this site, my students have manipulated habitats to see the effects on deer populations, experimented with changing variables on seedling growth, shot clowns out of cannons to measure the distance based on trajectory, and learned about how many pulleys it would take to hoist a grand piano up to a second story window. Older students can learn about collision theory, solve linear equations, and cell dehydration, to name a few. I know that technically, this site isn't a game site, but my students perceive the activities as games! Again, this is a subscription site, run by the same company as Reflex Math. Your students can take pretests, post tests, and work through fantastic lab guides. The site provides lesson scripts and related materials for teachers, as well.



[|Spelling City] This site has free components and "premium" components that only paid subscribers can access. The free components allow adults to upload spelling lists, and give students the option of about 12 different games to play using their spelling words, as well as pretest, practice test, and post test options. The one thing that is not accessible without a paid account is tracking of whole-class post test scores (the site doesn't save scores if you are using the free version).



[|FunBrain.com] My students BEG to play on this site, and I hear quite a bit from parents about them using it at home. I often tell them specific games (math and some reading) they are allowed to play on a certain day to pertain to a specific topic, but I have found that it requires some consistent monitoring, as it is very easy to click over to another game within the site.



[|Math Snacks] This site provides games and short videos designed to be highly motivational for students. This site is geared toward middle school, but has some content for grades 3-8.



Links to Blogs about GBL