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The Many Facets of Games: Types and Uses of Games in Online Learning Bonita Bray and Bob Boufford e-Learning Specialists, University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada Welcome Hello from Bonita and Bob Our Background Began using games almost 5 years ago
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The Many Facets of Games: Types and Uses of Games in Online Learning Bonita Bray and Bob Boufforde-Learning Specialists, University of AlbertaEdmonton, Canada
Welcome Hello from Bonita and Bob
Our Background • Began using games almost 5 years ago • Started with communication tools but quickly moved to other components • Taught e-learning games courses and workshops • Amazed by student reaction - ongoing excellent feedback • Enhanced and increased learning
Today’s “Play Time” • Explore why using games is a productive strategy now • Identify a number of game types • Show various ways to use games • Point you to course to see/play games • Wiki where you can discuss using games.
Twist A New • You can ask questions and make comments on presentation by using Wiki • Hyperlinks at bottom of some slides • Experimental • I’d appreciate reactions to both presentation and approach bonita.bray@ualberta.ca http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/pmwiki/index.php?n=IOC.IOCGamesHome
Why Use Games? • Games engage people • Games encourage active learning • Tell me, I will forget; • Show me, I may remember; • Involve me, and I will understand.
More Reasons to Use Games • Games provide a more comfortable environment to • Tryout things • Fail if necessary • Games increase the fun quotient
Literature Supports Playing • “A brain enjoying itself is functioning more efficiently". (Rose and Nicholl, 1998) . • Games increase motivation (Spectre and Prensky, 2003) • Games provide "active learning" and the "rich rapid feedback" (Chickering and Gamson 1987). • TopTen Reasons to Use Games in Learning (Prensky)
Games Useful Because….. • Different Types of Learners • Variety of presentation/drill • Review and reinforce basic course information • Individualized pace – played repeatedly until students “win” • Milestones • Awards for completing games
Now Is the Time • New generation of learners • Games Generation • Grown up playing games with visual elements, high stimulation and activity levels • Accustomed to learning through games • Traditional lectures/assessments may seem boring. • Games are one solution to this new reality
Our Main Focus for Games • Low Tech • Low Cost • Easy to Implement • Delivered Online – through a CMS • WebCT Campus Edition/Vista • Blackboard • Moodle and other Community Driven CMSs
Focused individual games • Review and reinforce basic information • Lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy • Knowledge • Comprehension • Played repeatedly until “win” • Awards for completion and score
Our Goal - Make it Easy! • Developed criteria to make it easy for instructors: • Games use quiz questions/glossaries already in hand • Games generators must be free or very inexpensive • Generators easy to use • Games run within CMS
What is a Game • A game is a recreational activity involving • a goal that the players try to reach, • some set of rules that determines what the players can do. • Games involve one or more players and are played primarily for enjoyment, but may also serve an educational or simulational role.
What Makes a Game • According to Mark Prensky, the essential elements of games are: • Goals and Objectives • Outcomes and Feedback • Competition/Challenge/Opposition • Interaction • Representation or Story • Rules
GAMES Goals and Objectives Outcomes and Feedback Competition/ Challenge/Opposition Interaction Representation or Story Rules Lets Compare… LEARNING • Goals and Objectives • Outcomes and Feedback • Challenge • Interaction • Information • Policies
TV quiz games Millionaire™ Jeopardy™ Concentration ™ Individual games • Email games • Card games • Tic-Tac-Toe • Hangman • Jigsaw puzzles • Crossword puzzles • Scavenger hunts (web quests)
Games For Review • “Millionaire” • Snakes ‘n’ Ladders • Challenge • Tic Tac Toe • Hangman • Crosswords • Let’s go and take a look http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=9 (When prompted, click on “Log in as guest”)
Games for Student Introductions • Building community online necessary but difficult • Concentration – matching images/names or names/interests. • Let’s go and take a look http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=9 (When prompted, click on “Log in as guest”)
Games to Introduce Content • Get students thinking about – • new material • what they already know? • Games include – • Jigsaw – games/animal puzzle • Crossword http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=9 (When prompted, click on “Log in as guest”)
Games to Apply Knowledge • Quandary • A Wiggley Story • Quandary Action Maze by Judy Gnarpe http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=9 (When prompted, click on “Log in as guest”)
Games Can Build Online Community • Gold Coins • Team Games • Games built by teams • Played by individuals • Played by other teams
Games for Team Projects • Combinations of Games • To Teach and Test Technology Readiness • “Surviving” an English Literature course • Extinction • Deep Learning Game -> Collaboration, Competition, Team Standings • More information and examples in the course. http://elearninggames.dyndns.org/moodle/course/view.php?id=9 (When prompted, click on “Log in as guest”)
Results of the games • Lots of enthusiasm and excitement during sessions • Evaluation comments of “awesome” to “kick-ass fun” • Learning enhanced • Participants integrated benefits of using games into their own teaching
Our Experience • We’re convinced that using individual games and longer team-based scenarios in teaching will: • Engage students of all ages • Enhance learning • For training workshops: • Will turn potentially boring events into positive, engaging sessions.
Conclusion • Games have potential to introduce active learning into almost all training and teaching environments. • We hope you’ll try it
Questions and Resources • Go to online course for examples • Remember to add comments or questions to the Wiki • Games Based Learning Resources at the University of Alberta: http://www.ualberta.ca/WEBCT/games/