AI and Mixed Reality Drive Educational Gaming into ‘Boom Phase’
By Dian Schaffhauser 09/16/19
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2019/09/16/ai-and-mixed-reality-drive-educational-gaming-into-boom-phase.aspx
Artificial intelligence and mixed reality have driven demand in learning games around the world, according to a new report by Metaari. A five-year forecast has predicted that educational gaming will reach $24 billion by 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 33 percent and a quadrupling of revenues. Metaari is an analyst firm that tracks advanced learning technology.
Alternate Reality Gaming Spices Up Professional Development
Saint Leo University uses a game-based storyline to invigorate professional learning.
By Dennis Pierce, 01/27/16
https://campustechnology.com/articles/2016/01/27/alternate-reality-gaming-spices-up-professional-development.aspx
Borden and his colleagues teamed up with Edchat Interactive, a company that is working to transform online professional development into a more interactive experience that reflects how people learn best, and Games4Ed, a nonprofit organization that brings together educators, researchers, game developers, and publishers to advance the use of games and other immersive learning strategies in education.
“People don’t learn by watching somebody discuss a series of slides; they learn best by interacting with others and reflecting. Great teachers always have people break into groups to accomplish a task, and then the different groups all report back to the group as a whole. That should be replicable online.”
Adult Learning Through Play
Using simulations for professional development is fairly common. For instance, in SimSchool, a program developed by educational scientists at the University of North Texas and the University of Vermont, new and pre-service teachers can try out their craft in a simulated classroom environment, doing the same activities as actual teachers but getting real-time feedback from the simulated program and their instructors.
Christopher Like, a science teacher and STEAM coordinator for the Bettendorf Community School District in Iowa, developed a game-based model for ed tech professional development that has been adapted by K-12 school districts across the nation. His game, Mission Possible, has teachers complete 15-minute “missions” in which they learn technology skills and advance to successively higher levels. “It engages teachers’ competitive nature just like Call of Duty does with my eldest son,” he wrote in a blog post.
Pursuing Quests: How Digital Games Can Create a Learning Journey
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/12/04/pursuing-quests-how-digital-games-can-create-a-learning-journey
December 4, 2015 Paul Darvasi
Completing missions for rewards is a core mechanic in many video games, including best-sellers like “World of Warcraft,” “Grand Theft Auto,” “Fallout” and “Skyrim.” Quests are diverse and optional, and players can undertake them on their own schedule.
A good quest-based curriculum meets the needs of many students by offering a multiplicity of choices that cover standards
We began looking for ways to meta-game curricular activities,” said Haskell. “We built 3D GameLab to allow us to deliver any curriculum with game-based mechanics
When he first waded into quest-based learning, Isaacs created one central quest path that his students followed at slightly varied paces, and he added some optional side quests that could be completed for extra credits.
“Reluctant or disenfranchised students are very likely to demonstrate renewed interest and engagement when presented with the game-infused option,” she said. “Once the kids were granted some agency in the trajectory of their learning, they really wanted to succeed.” But she also recognizes that games may not be for everybody.
More on Minecraft in this IMS blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=minecraft&submit=Search
Gamification: It’s Easier than You Think!
https://desire2learn.adobeconnect.com/_a707373752/p3mhvdh5gfb/
BONUS: several cool infographics on gamification of education: http://elearninginfographics.com/tag/gamification-infographic/
this is a recording of a webinar, which took place yesterday, September 3, 2014. The presenter is Canadian. Sean Isles
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=ontario+sociology+gamification+sean
Gamification versus game based education
Gamification is application of typical elements of game play to unconventional areas
Game based is learning that takes place withing a game simulated environment itself
D2L offers options for gamified education
Leveling / Gating: turn off/on content modules by weekly increments.
Bosses/Challenges – simple quiz at the end of each module (training quizzes, open to take unlimited times)
Celebration of successes – emails from intelligent agents, short funny video, etc.
Intelligent agent send an email not only to student, but to an office, where top scoring students can get a gift.
Game-based
simulator. used Unity to create the game
Shaun Iles: shaun.iles@mohawkcollege.ca and Brian Gould: brian.gould@mohawkcollege.ca
Leaderboard – Brightspace.com – Brightspace by D2L. needs to be purchased, but allows modify and customize with HTML and CSS
Badges: meaningless if the entire institution is not on board. google and mozilla badges platforms. D2L is about to roll out badges, only if the entire institution and the business recognize them. otherwise, the badges are dead upon exit from class.
make discussion interactive through upvote: http://www.reddit.com/r/upvote/
Scavenger hunt mentioned. Bluetooth info beacons used across campus to enable scavenger hunt. Across mobile devices.
Librarians and instructional designers mentioned.
His D2L home page has twitter widget and skype widget. He says the Skype widget enormously used. When will my proposal for Adobe Connect Widget will be addressed, am asking I for years?
Game Design Finds a ‘Sweet Spot’ with Education
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2014/06/game-design-finds-sweet-spot-education
\three areas that generally get neglected in school: architecture, animation and game design.
students create their own games using these concepts. They may choose from several programming platforms, including Beta, Kandu, Flowlab, Unity, Atmosphir, Gamestar Mechanic and Game Maker. Some of these require knowledge of coding; others are almost purely visual.
Game Design Toolkit Available
http://education.mit.edu/blogs/carole/2014/11/05
https://gamestarmechanic.com/
http://gamesandimpact.org/
A brief history of video games (Part I) – Safwat Saleem
http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-video-games-part-i-safwat-saleem
