Why should we use game-based learning?

In this video, we talk about five reasons why we should use game-based learning. This is important to understanding when applying game-based learning to our teaching practice. As you watch the video, I would suggest considering what reasons are important to your teaching philosophy and student demographic.

Notes and Sources from the Video

[1] "There is also evidence that games allow students to focus well enough to learn better. Lepper and Cordova, 1992 have found that rewriting a lesson with a story context combined with a challenge for the student to overcome (in other words, making it into a game) significantly improves the learning performance of children."

https://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/games/whygames.html#:~:text=Games%20Engage%20People,to%20learn%20outside%20of%20class.&text=There%20is%20also%20evidence%20that,well%20enough%20to%20learn%20better.

[2] Flexible Grouping

https://www.franklinschools.org/cms/lib2/IN01001624/Centricity/Domain/101/Flexible%20Group%20and%20Differentiating%20Instruction.pdf

[3] Plass, Homer, & Kinzer

"In Playful Learning: An Integrated Design Framework, Plass, Homer, and Kinzer point out that successful games tend to aim toward a player’s zone of proximal development, where a player can succeed, but only through effort and some struggle. Games therefore have to measure player skill, and then provide an appropriate response (feedback, consequences, next actions) based on that information.

Games need to allow for graceful failure; game designers embed failure into the game mechanics without a lot high-stakes negative consequence to encourage balanced risk taking and exploration."

https://mytechdecisions.com/mobility/game-based-learning-is-where-vygotsky-meets-dweck/

[4] My Tech Decisions

"There is little knowledge on the most effective ways to produce games “the reliably yield pre-specified instructional objectives.”

There is also little knowledge on the most effective ways to produce games that reliably yield pre-specified learning objectives. It’s hard to know in advance if students will master a specific standard through X hours playing any one game.

However, games that are intended to support learning (edugames) were especially effective when combined with other instructional methods, which argues for games being integrated with multiple methods of instruction. “Integrating games into the curriculum improves transfer from games to school learning tasks.”

Games, combined with other instructional strategies, may be the solution to Blum’s two-sigma problem."

https://mytechdecisions.com/mobility/game-based-learning-is-where-vygotsky-meets-dweck/4/