How to Teach Using Games?

Why use games to teach?

"PLAYING SHOULD BE FUN! In our great eagerness to teach our children we studiously look for "educational" toys, games with built-in lessons, books with a "message." Often these "tools" are less interesting and stimulating than the child's natural curiosity and playfulness. Play is by its very nature educational. And it should be pleasurable. When the fun goes out of play, most often so does the learning."- Joanne E. Oppenheim (Kids and Play, Ch. 1, 1984)

Why use games to teach?

•Games Engage People

•Learning from Mistakes

How to teach using games?

•Define Objectives

•Decide what sort of game and storyline

•Break Objectives down into Challenges

•Design Rewards

•Build Game

•Test Game

•Run Game

What makes a good game?

•Continuous Challenge

• Interesting Storyline

•Flexibility

• Immediate, useful rewards.

•Combining Fun and Realism

Things to consider in playing:

•Competition in the Classroom

•Focus on Winning vs. Focus on Learning

•Students at a Disadvantage

Students at a disadvantage:

•Physical and Learning Disabilities

•Public Scoring

•Domination by Teammates

•The Same Players

Winning (or Losing)

all of the Time

What to do to avoid these disadvantages to occur?

•Assign Balanced Teams

•Reward Good Work with More Work

Sources:

http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/games/howtogbl.html