“Playful Learning: Opening the Black Box to Games in Your Classroom”
Why don’t great games get used more? In this session we address the barriers and needs to game use in the classroom, and explore Playful Learning—an online knowledge base designed to serve as the hub and platform to organize key information and resources to support teachers in GBL.
6. A Teacher’s Perspective
The barriers to using games in the classroom
Breaking the Barriers
A walk-through the Playful Learning platform
A Deeper Dive into Playful Learning
Why build a knowledge base?
Expanding the Network
Playful Learning events around the country
Next Steps
How can Playful Learning help you?
TODAY…
8. PETER STIDWILL
peter@lgam.es
@stid42
@LGamesNetwork
• Finding quality games
• Lack of experience/confidence
• Pedagogy: What is the teacher’s role?
Where does the learning happen?
Finding quality support resources to ‘get’ how to use it
• Assessment
• Lack of peer support
• Convincing administrators and parents
• Technology
• Cost
• Timing and curriculum – fitting it in
BARRIERS
11. • Who is it for? Age Platform Accessibility
• What is it for? Learning Goals Standards Skills Subject
• Where will it be used? Location Platforms
• What kind of game? Learning curve Length Modality Genre
• What kind of reporting, if any? Assessment
• What support material will you provide? Instructional aides
Game trailer Other videos Implementations
• Who is it for?
• What is it for?
• Where will it be used?
• What kind of game?
• What kind of reporting, if any?
• What support material will you provide?
MAKING A GAME?
Let Playful Learning help!
12. PETER STIDWILL
peter@lgam.es
@stid42
@LGamesNetwork
WHY A KNOWLEDGE BASE?
A dynamic platform that organizes
information into deeper knowledge that
facilitates its use.
Not just another community.
Not just a list or database of games.
15. PETER STIDWILL
peter@lgam.es
@stid42
@LGamesNetwork
THE NETWORK
Cultivating a national network of GBL educators and innovators who engage in
peer-to-peer mentoring.
• Playful Learning Summits
• Workshops & colloquia targeting over 2,500 educators
Analyze data collected from workshops & platform to enhance educator
resources.
The field of learning games has come far in the last decade, yet we still have a long way to go in getting quality games into classrooms of learners everywhere.For many educators, GBL in the classroom is still an unopened box, and even for those educators who both advocate and are comfortable implementing GBL, new games can still be quite a challenge.
To address this challenge, the Learning Games Network has been planning for a long time, andrecently launched, Playful Learning - a national initiative to support and empower educators to use GBL.The initiative is comprised of two parts: 1) The platform:An online knowledge base of games and GBL materials, to make finding, using and sharing information and resources for using games in the classroom much easier; and to organize and support the discussion and development of key concepts and structures in the field of learning games.A national (and we hope eventually an international) network of educators, who participate in regional events and workshops we host and co-host.The platform launched in June at the GLS conference with funding provided by NSVF, and along with it, we started our physical outreach program which is funded by Gates for two years.
So here’s the plan for this session…
Our starting point is teachers and the specific needs they have. Here are some sample needs - questions - that a teacher might have.(Might not be looking for a game at all to begin with. Might want to find a new or fresh way to approach a subject.)
Let’s convert some of these needs and questions into a more structured list of barriers that teachers face, and add some extra meat.
Whether educators come to Playful Learning to target a particular instructional challenge, or help students achieve a specific learning goal, or whether they come to explore the vast set of resources and share their perspectives, an important goal is to raise the level of awareness and conversation among practitioners.
User journey through the knowledge base – switch to live siteGame Search page, filtersGame Detail page, gestalt, all the metadata info in teacher-friendly format and chunksImplementationUsers will be able to favorite games, implementations and other content
If you’re developing a game, then the Game Page is a great reference tool. Much of he metadata should be defined at the start of early development, or at least should be nailed down at the start of production.
Facilitatescapture, sharing, organization and application of information and knowledge.It is a dynamic space, where the active participation of individuals, working together over time, helps to grow, develop and curate the information that develops into knowledge over time. Aim to help organize thefield of researchers, designers, practitioners and other stakeholders to not only make better use of what we have already, but set a foundation upon which we can more strategically and more expansively impact learning and education.
EARLY MAJORITY: “As a teacher new to GBL, I can easily find a few games that fit my needs, and get basic information about how I use them.”EARLY ADOPTERS: “As a teacher who has used a few games in the classroom, I can learn more about how to improve my GBL and learn from others about what else is possible and best practices with games in the classroom.”INNOVATOR: “As a seasoned innovator in this space, I enjoy being able to share what I’m doing, lead others, and help curate and build this space.”LATE MAJORITY: “As a teacher who doesn’t understand games, I need to easily find resources that fit my need—I don’t see how a game can do that.”
Researchers: Understand how teachers are using games, and recruit teachers for studies; also to get a deep overview of games – new ways to categorize/sort?Designers/Developers: See what is already out there; more directly interface with teachers and their needs, challenges and successes; recruit alpha/beta testersAdministrators: Understand what tech they need, feel more confident about the use of gamesParents: SimilarlyStudents: More in a moment…
Gates funded $500K over 2 years.Spanning a range of activities, including:in-service teacher professional developmentpre-service teacher educationplay-testing gamesgame design jams, etc
APIs w/ Cooney Center’s Games and Education website (policy makers, developers, publishers) AND Institute of Play’s Play Force (players)
We have an inspiring and passionate set of educators on our advisory board.