This document discusses using games in primary school education. It begins by defining what games are, noting they involve play, goals, rules, challenges, interactions and feedback. It then explores why games work well for learning, as they meet students in the digital world they are familiar with and provide different ways to learn and feel success. The document discusses using game-based learning and gamification to design games with explicit learning outcomes to practice, retain and apply knowledge on various subjects. It provides examples of online games for different subject areas and skills practice. Finally, it offers tips for educators on integrating games and experimenting with game-based learning ideas.

1. Games in Primary
School Education
Maritza van den Heuvel
Innovation Lab Director
Pearson
@maritzavdh

2. • Explore why games are so effective
• Review the positive impact gaming can
have on learners
• Unpack Key Concepts
o Gamification
o Game-Based Learning
• See examples of online games in action
• Play :)
What are we going to do?

3. What do we mean by Games?

4. Many definitions ...
"A game is a form of play with goals and
structure."
Kevin J. Maroney
What is a Game?

5. • play
• goals
• rules
• challenge
• interactions
• feedback
• problem-solving*
• characters*
Marc Prensky, 2006
What is IN a Game?

6. • play involvement
• goals motivation
• rules structure
• challenge adrenaline
• interactive doing
• feedback learning
• interactions* social groups
• problem-solving* creativity
• characters* emotion
Marc Prensky, 2006
Why do Games Work?

7. “ ... when you meet today’s students where they live, in the digital world
that has been theirs for as long as they can remember…and you give
them different ways to learn, and chances to perceive success, that’s
when you start to see them get really excited about learning.”
Bob Collins, Former CIO, Los Angeles School District
Why use them in Schools?

8. o Games designed and
created with explicit
learning outcomes
o Balanced gameplay and
subject matter content
o Practise, retain and
apply knowledge
Game-Based Learning

9. • Applying game
mechanics to non-
game experiences
• Improving outcomes
through game play
• Quests and
Adventures
• Small - A Subject
• Medium - A Phase
• Large Scale - A
School!
Gamification

10. • = Game-Based Learning
• Differentiates from games
for entertainment
• Sometimes used for open-
ended “game engines” or
“worlds” like SimCity Edu
“Serious” Games

11. • Primarily entertainment
• But …
• Problem-solving, strategy,
planning, organization,
collaboration, physical play
• Incidental learning outcomes
Commercial Games

12. Time To Play! :-)

13. Geography Genius:
https://www.tigweb.org/games/flag/
Games for Content

14. Typing Factory:
http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/typing_factory/h
ome-keys-typing-practice.html
Games for Skills Practice

15. Musical Notes:
http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/games/musical-
notes/
Games for Visual Recognition

16. UNESCO Car Race
Free, Downloadable Game
- Heritage Sites
- HIV/AIDS
Games for Social Sciences

17. Code.org - Hour of Code
http://code.org/
GBL Meets Gamification

18. Getting Started with Games

19. • Start small
• Clear Goals
• Integrate
• Involve Kids
• Experiment
• Observe
• Adapt
First Principles

20. • Educade
• Lesson Plans
• @fibeal @maggieverster
@clarkformaths @ICT_Integrator
Learn from Others

21. The game is only a tool.
It’s not the goal in itself.
Don’t use it as a gimmick.
The Kids Will Know ;)
And Remember …

22. Game-Based Learning Ideas from ISTE - EduTopia, see Educade and
SimCityEDU
Popular Video Games Integrated Into K-12 Learning - EdWeek
Geography Genius: Flags of the World - Taking IT global
Maths Games - Nrich Maths
16 of the best maths apps for kids from 2013 for iPhone / iPad - Apps
Playground
Learning Games For Kids - Learning Games for K12
Game Sites to Explore

23. How Gamification Works - 3D Game Lab
Serious Games Institute of South Africa (SGI-SA)
Make learning fun - teachers, are you game?
Games, Learning, and Assessment
Gamification vs. Game Based Learning in Education - Gamification corp
Digital Game-Based Learning - Marc Prensky
Mediocrity versus Mastery: The Case for Game-Based Learning - Forbes.com
Mario Kart in the classroom: the rise of games-based learning - The Telegraph
100 Great Game Based Learning and Gamification Resources - The Knowledge Guru
Quest to Learn
A pioneering public school in New York City that offers a promising new model for student
engagement through wide adoption of gamification
Research and Reading