Slides from University of Michigan 4 T Virtual Conference Teachers Teaching Teachers about Technology K-12 Version of Introduction to ARGs from ARG Academy educators at P2PU https://p2pu.org/en/groups/arg-academy/

1. VIRTUAL 4T
CONFERENCE
Teachers Teaching Teachers
about Technology

2. ALTERNATE REALITY GAME
ARG ACADEMY
K-12

3. RABBITHOLE

4. PUPPETMASTER

5. CURTAIN

6. TINAG

7. What is an ARG?
 An unfamiliar term for a familiar concept?
 ARGs consist of case studies, role play, or
scenario based instruction that may or may
not use mobile technologies.

8. Key Attributes
 Movement
 An essential part of the ARG
 Players must move around game (your
classroom, hallway, school or even websites)
to collect data and clues as they progress
through the game.

9. The ARG Family of Games
 Augmented Reality Game
 Augmented Reality Simulation
 Pervasive Game
 Location-Based Game
 Murder Mystery

10. A “real” ARG also has:
 Fiction
 Interactive Narrative – player actions change
the game
 Claim to be real
 Alter the World…don’t step into the Magic
Circle
 Transmedia

11. Basics
 Subject
 Students
 Purpose
 What do you want them to learn? Skills or
knowledge?
 What is the conflict/challenge?

12. Lesson plan or Instructor notes
 Unit Goals
 Learning Objectives
 Objectives & Standards from your Common
Course Curriculum
 Technology requirements
 Field trip permissions
 Accessibility

13. Rabbithole
 Structure the Door
 Door for students/educators
 First artifact that draws the player in……..
instead may be the first bit of information
 Immersion

14. ARG Design
 Narrative
 Game Design
 Challenges
 Transmedia
 Tech Tools

15. CHALLENGES

16. Challenges
 Flow/Fiero
 Solving a puzzle
 Picking up clues to a mystery
 Dealing with a character

17. Challenge
 Puzzle
 Mathematical Formula
 Message to Decipher
 Problem to Solve

18. ARG’S IN K-12 EDUCATION
ARG’s are an integral part of a well differentiated classroom
that provides all students an individualized learning
opportunity at their current level of mastery and
understanding.

19. ARG’s in K-12 Education
Some commonly used ARG’s in the K-12 curriculum
include Scavenger Hunts, Virtual Field trips,
Learning Centers and Independent Study Projects.

20. ARG’s in K-12 – Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger Hunts can be a fun and educational experience for
the student and the teacher. While there are many ways to
design a scavenger hunt, there are a few things that you must
consider when designing and implementing the hunt that will
ensure success for the student and the teacher.
1. Make sure your information and facts are current and up-to-
date. This would include ensuring that all url’s and web-links
are active and current if you are using an Internet Scavenger
Hunt.
2. Make sure your directions are simple, but comprehensive. Do
not expect the students to read you mind, but a the same
time do not make the directions so easy that the students are
not challenged to determine the clues and in the end the goal.

21. ARG’s in K-12 – Virtual Field-Trips
Virtual Field –Trip have become a staple of the 21st Century
classroom. With the phenomenal rate at which technology is
changing and shaping the world around us, and the budgetary
constraints hitting public education many teachers and districts
are employing Virtual Field-Trips to provide their students with
a vast array of educational opportunities and experiences.
Again, it is vital when using the internet to ensure that the URL’S
and web-links are current and active before assigning the Virtual
Field-Trip to the students.
There are many excellent Virtual Field-Trips to be found at
reputable site on the web. Some of these include Scholastic,
Discovery Channel, Renzulli Learning, The History Channel,
Science Discovery, NASA.gov and NOAA.gov.

22. ARG’s in K-12 – Learning Centers
Learning centers have predominantly been used in early
childhood and elementary education classrooms and are an
excellent way to encourage students to make choices. The
centers enable students to learn to work independently as well
as cooperatively. Centers give the student more control over
what they do and offer teachers an excellent medium to address
student’s individual learning styles.

23. ARG’s in K-12 – Learning Centers
While EC-5 educators have embraced the Learning
Center, there are still many ways in which 6-12
educator can and do incorporate centers into a diverse
learning environment in the secondary classroom.
Learning Centers can function as an opportunity to
explore and develop a theme or concept, a progression
of processes and challenges in an academic area or
subject, or as multi-sensory, differentiated learning
that engages all students.

24. ARG’s in K-12 – Independent Study Projects
The objective of the Independent Study Project
(ISP) is to provide you with an opportunity for an in-
depth exploration of an area of study that greatly
interests the student. Students will acquire the skills
needed to conduct an in-depth investigation
following a specifically guided research process that
will help prepare them for future studies. An ISP gives
students a special chance to utilize their talents and
abilities in a uniquely productive manner.

25. ARG’s in K-12 – Independent Study Projects
The major objectives of an ISP are to obtain, process,
construct, provide and deliver content/subject specific
information using various forms/mediums of communication,
to learn and effectively utilize multiple components of the
research process, to develop motivation, curiosity, and the
ability to undertake risks in a structured environment; a sense
of self-sufficiency in learning, and the capability to make and
accept consequences of independent decisions, and to
increase each student’s capacity to think CRITICALLY and
CREATIVELY, integrating and analyzing information from a
variety of primary and secondary sources.

26. MORE EXAMPLES OF
ARGS IN EDUCATION

27. Our ARGs
 Setting the Table
 Restaurant Analysis
 D.B. Cooper
 Accounting Practices and Techniques

28. Examples to reference
 Ecomuve http://ecomuve.gse.harvard.edu/
 HARPS projects
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=harp&pageid=icb
.page69587
 Mentira http://www.mentira.org/
 Place Based Learning
http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/tenure-files/16-
squire-shelton-book.pdf
 7 Things You Should Know about Alternate Reality Games
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7045.pdf

29. TECH TOOLS &
WHY WE USE THEM

30. And Google ….Google Docs…Gmail…Presenter….
NARRATIVE &
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

37. STORYBOARD IT OUT

41. QR CODES

46. SCVNGR.COM

54. RABBITHOLE

55. http://bit.ly/4Trabbithole
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