Archive of ‘gaming’ category
How to Determine if Student Engagement is Leading to Learning
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/01/14/how-to-determine-if-student-engagement-is-leading-to-learning
Here are some questions that will assist in determining if engagement is leading to actual learning:
• Is the technology being integrated in a purposeful way, grounded in sound pedagogy?
• What are the learning objectives or outcomes?
• Are students demonstrating the construction of new knowledge? Are they creating a learning product or artifact?
• How are students applying essential skills they have acquired to demonstrate conceptual mastery?
• What assessments (formative or summative) are being used to determine standard attainment?
• How are students being provided feedback about their progress toward the specific learning objectives or outcomes?
• Is there alignment to current observation or evaluation tools?
Visualisation and Gamification of e-Learning and Programming Education
Read full-text
Electronic Journal of e-Learning Article · January 2016
Marie Olsson, Peter Mozelius, Jonas Collin
This paper presents and discusses visualisation as a channel to improve learner’s control and understanding of programming concepts and gamification as a way to increase study motivation in virtual learning environments. Data has been collected by evaluation questionnaires and group discussions in two courses partly given in the Moodle virtual learning environment. One course is on Game based learning for Bachelor’s programmes, the other is a course on e-learning for university teachers. Both the courses have used progress bars to visualise students’ study paths and digital badges for gamification.
Mobile: Best Apps, Games and Sites of the Last Year
https://thejournal.com/Articles/2016/01/05/Best-AppsGames-and-Sites-of-the-Last-Year.aspx
GameMaker: Studio
Grades: 5–12
Pricing: Free, paid
Concepts: Digital creation, programming and coding, game design
GameMaker: Studio is a robust game-making tool that appeals to both entry-level novices and game-development pros alike.
The Orchestra
Grades: 6–12
Pricing: $13.99
Concepts: Music theory, memorization, listening, part-whole relationships
The Orchestra is an interactive iPad app for exploring classical music, the orchestra and orchestral instruments.
WonderBox
Grades: 2–8
Pricing: Free
Concepts: Design, geography, curiosity, imagination, making new creations
As its name suggests, WonderBox is an app that piques kids’ natural curiosity through video, drawing, taking pictures, messaging with family and friends and engaging in multistep challenges.
A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy Online
Grades: 9–12
Pricing: Free to try, paid
Concepts: Anatomy, biology, memorization, part-whole relationships
A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy Online is a 3D visualization and curriculum-development tool all about the human body. Teachers can select and create assignments that allow students to manipulate 3D images of the human body.
Construct 2
Grades: 7–12
Pricing: Free, paid
Concepts: Digital creation, programming and coding, game design
Construct 2 is a Web-based 2D game-creation tool for students and teachers who want to get into game design without the need to know programming languages.
Fruity Fractions
Grades: 1–3
Pricing: $2.99
Concepts: Fractions, part-whole relationships
Set in a tropical jungle full of brightly colored fruit and animated birds, Fruity Fractions teaches fractions concepts to kids in first through third grades.
Three really real questions about the future of virtual reality
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jan/07/virtual-reality-future-oculus-rift-vr
- How mainstream is this technology really going to be?Facebook sees VR as the next big computing platform, but that will depend on it becoming a truly mainstream device
- Will VR really be about more than gamesSome of the educational projects already unveiled – the British Museum’s use of VR to transport visitors back to the bronze age; Irish startup VR Education’s VR app based on the Apollo 11 moon landing; David Attenborough’s work with a special VR exhibit at London’s Natural History Museum; and NASA’s PlayStation VR demo of how VR could help its operators practise using robotic arms on the International Space Station – are among the more convincing arguments for modern VR being about more than just games or gimmicks.
- Can our bodies and minds really cope with VR?
More on Oculus in this IMS blog: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=oculus&submit=Search
VR is the future and it’s officially here
http://www.businessinsider.com/vr-is-the-future-2016-1
A gesture-controlled drone makes the pilot look like a Jedi
http://www.businessinsider.com/gesture-controlled-drone-2015-12
Will 2016 be the year virtual reality gaming takes off?
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/28/virtual-reality-gaming-takes-off-2016?CMP=share_btn_link
Short link the information below on the IMS blog: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?p=4441 and even shorter one: http://scsu.mn/1RsQErr
Weds 6th–
Session I 10-11:15 Voyageurs North (Atwood)
Title
Engage your students: connect CMS (D2L) to social media to enhance the learning process.
Plamen Miltenoff and Emil Towner
Join us online via Adobe Connect: http://scsuconnect.stcloudstate.edu/ims (please login as a “guest” and use your real name)
Outline
In this rapid succession of examples, one can experience a showcase how to enhance students’ engagement by modernizing D2L experience through connection with social media. Bring your own examples and participate in a discussion, which aims finding the right tools for your class and field of study.
Audience:
beginners to advanced
Prerequisite:
come with your own social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, the participants will have an idea about peculiarity of each of the social media tools: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine
By the end of the session, the participants will be familiar with the integration of each of the social media tool into D2L
By the end of the session, the participants will be able to asses to what extent each particular tool fits their field of study
By the end of the session, the participants will be able to compare the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of the social media tools compared to D2L
Useful links to contact us via social media:
IMS blog: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims
IMS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InforMediaServices?ref=hl
IMS Twitter: https://twitter.com/SCSUtechinstruc
IMS Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/scsutechnology/
IMS Instagram: http://instagram.com/scsutechinstruct
IMS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_UMIE5r6YB8KzTF5nZJFyA
IMS Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115966710162153290760/posts/p/pub
IMS LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/scsuinstructionaltechnology
Plan – Plamen Miltenoff:
Please consider the following survey about your opinion regarding social media in education:
*http://aidemoreto.polldaddy.com/s/social-media-in-education*
please have the short link: http://scsu.mn/1Z8EFFx
most recent contemplations about blogs and social media in general:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2016/01/01/4507/
- D2L and Facebook
What is the problem with D2L? https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/04/09/lms-as-a-concept-under-scrutiny/
Facebook in a learning environment MUST BE conducted using a Facebook group.
Unless the instructor is SPECIFICALLY using h/er FB account strictly for educational reasons and there is no personal content, the instructor can create a class-related group, with their personal FB account. While the account is personal, the FB group has NO access to the personal FB account.
Facebook Page is different from Facebook Group. The first is commercially oriented and thus, not recommended and to a great degree not suitable for educational purposes.
Facebook Provides New Admin Tools for Managing Page Communication
Facebook Improves News Feed for Slower Network Connections:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/12/13/improvements-in-social-media-tools/
Facebook group account can be used for: discussions, sharing materials / visuals, calendar
D2L Discussions compared to Facebook Group discussions – http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/facebook-groups-pages/313736
D2L content compared to Facebook Group Wall
D2L calendar compared to FB calendar
D2L news RSS compared to FB Group alert.
- D2L and Twitter
microblogging of 140 characters is often viewed as limiting. However, it can be the ultimate test how well students understand the learning material: making someone sum up in 140 characters what they learned this particular week in their class can take a lot of rewriting.
D2L allows a widget on its main page, where students can view and tweet. Students also can view and tweet from their mobile devices.
Tweeting during class is becoming mainstream in K12, also called “backchanneling.” Harnessing peers help to understand a concept discussed in class can save both time and efforts on the instructors’ side
Twitter is “making your twitter.com timeline more immersive by uncropping photos, so you can experience and present them as they were meant to be viewed.” https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/12/13/improvements-in-social-media-tools/
- D2L and Instagram
Instagram is a social media service, which allows both still images and videos (15 sec).
The bottom-line to evaluate if fitting your field of study is: can the content be narrated or is it much better if visualized. If the latter, Instagram can be your salvation for quick and dirty way to bring imagery, instead of trying to explain by words.
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/10/14/instagram-apps/
Instagram can be shared vertically across Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other platforms.
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/09/25/pinterest-and-instagram/
Instagram in the classroom
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/09/15/instagram-in-the-classroom/
Master Instagram in 8 Simple Steps https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/09/11/how-to-master-instagram-in-8-simple-steps/
- D2L and Pinterest
QR codes are used by Lorie Crane from Nursing as a gamification techniques for students to learn human bones. The disadvantage of the QR codes is that they physically are placed in the classroom. Pinterest can provide the same gamification environment, but the students can access it anywhere/anytime with their mobile devices. The links to the pin[s] can be provided in the D2L : content area (as learning materials/readings), discussion area, News area. They can be also used as part of the D2L quizzes
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/09/25/pinterest-and-instagram/
Instagram defines and shapes brands while Pinterest sells brands.
Pinterest is about curating and discovering information.
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/09/25/pinterest-and-instagram/
Using hashtags: https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/07/13/3-things-you-didnt-know-you-can-do-on-pinterest/
16 Ways Teachers Use Pinterest https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2014/02/10/16-ways-teachers-use-pinterest/
Free Pinterest-Style Education Service Hosts Common Core Teaching Aids https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2013/11/20/free-pinterest-style-education-service-hosts-common-core-teaching-aids/
Teachers on Pinterest – A Great Resource for Teachers ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2013/11/02/teachers-on-pinterest-a-great-resource-for-teachers-educational-technology-and-mobile-learning/
- D2L and Vine
Vine is a social media services, which provides the ability to share 7 sec videos. Vine is becoming more popular then Instagram (15 sec videos), with the simplicity to create short videos. Students can take sequence of short videos, which amount to 7 sec to reflect the main points of a project. E.g.: chemical reaction, biology dissection, progress of engineering planning, solving a math formula.
URL to the vine can be posted in the D2L discussion area for further collaborative effort or for peers’ and instructions evaluation
Vines are a click away from a FB group page or, with the right handle and hashtag, to a Twitter discussion
The bottom-line to evaluate if fitting your field of study is: can the content be narrated or is it much better if visualized. If the latter, Vine can be your salvation.
How to Create Social Videos With Your Smartphone https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/01/10/social-videos-with-your-smartphone/
- D2L and YouTube, EdPuzzle (https://edpuzzle.com/), etc
YouTube Unveils New Trending Tab
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/12/13/improvements-in-social-media-tools/
Per SCSU IT disclaimer: MediaSpace (Kaltura) is a free, cloud-based video repository solution for campus that allows faculty and staff to upload and distribute video and audio content for academic or administrative purposes. Facilitators will discuss potential uses of MediaSpace for campus, demonst rate how to create Webcam and screen recordings, upload audio/video, and embed or link to MediaSpace content from D2L or a web site. YouTube is owned by Google and the integration, including statistics and analytics by Google are way beyond MediaSpace. The only selling point of MediaSpace is the FERPA requirement by MnSCU to host privacy data on a MnSCU owned server
- Google+
Google+ is indirect competition with any CMS, D2L included, with its GOogle Classroom platform (https://classroom.google.com/ineligible). K12 and higher institutions are outsourcing to GMAIL and with Google Hangouts (Skype also), one can share video, audio and desktops, which makes Adobe Connect + D2L way behind in integration even before Google Drive is mentioned.
Google Introduces Shared Albums in Google Photos:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/12/13/improvements-in-social-media-tools/
8 Ways to Use Google+ Hangouts for Your Business https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2015/09/23/google-hangouts/You can record hangouts directly to your YouTube channel for future use.For private Google+ Hangouts, choose Google+ Video Hangouts, which allow you to have up to 10 participants in a video chat that is accessible only to the people invited.
Plan – Emil Towner:
- General stats on integrating social media and things to consider
- Integrating LinkedIn Assignments
- Integrating Facebook Groups
- I will show a couple of groups that I have used
- I can also come up with an “exercise” that participants can do, just let me know: (1) if you want me to and (2) if participants are suppose to have a Facebook account that they can log into during the session
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Session K 2-3:15: 2PM Wed, Jan 8. Location: CH455
Title
Engage your students: gaming and gamification in the learning process.
Outline
As part of the broader discussion, a short discussion segment to form and agree on definitions and terms regarding games and gamification. Another short segment to seek consensus if this SCSU campus is ready to departure on the path of gamifying education. After several examples, of how games are used in education and gamification techniques, a discussion on how gaming and gamification can be streamlined amidst shrinking budget and increasing workload. More details and information about gaming and gamification at: http://scsu.mn/1F008Re
Audience:
beginners to advanced
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, the participants will have a working definitions on play, games, serious games, game-based learning, digital game-based learning, gaming, gamification and badges. (more at http://scsu.mn/1F008Re)
By the end of the session, the participants will be familiar with the possibilities for integration of games in the educational process and for gamification of the educational process.
By the end of the session, the participants will be able to asses to what extent games and gamification fit their field of study
Plan:
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Friday 8th
Session M 10-11:15: CH 455
Title
Present and be presented: engage your students with modern ways to share information
Outline
Two trends plague education: the swamp of PowerPoint presentations and the lack of visual literacy. In this rapid succession of examples, one can experience a showcase of various cloud-based tools, which brings visual presentations way beyond PowerPoint and align with the Millennials demand for current social interaction. A discussion on how relevant these tools are to various disciplines and details on improving the interaction among instructors and students during the presentation. Ongoing discussion about design as part of visual literacy and the difference between blended learning and technology integration.
Audience:
beginners to advanced
Outcomes:
By the end of this session, the participants will have understand the movement “Death by PowerPoint” and will understand the advantage of cloud-based presentation tools to MS PowerPoint
By the end of the session, the participants will be familiar with several tools, which successfully replace PowerPoint and well beyond.
By the end of the session, the participants will be able to asses to what extent games and gamification fit their field of study
By the end of the session, the participants will be able to discriminate between technology integration and blended learning.
Plan:
Why Identity and Emotion are Central To Motivating the Teen Brain
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/12/10/why-identity-and-emotion-are-central-to-motivating-the-teen-brain/
There’s heightened awareness of social status, especially as they realize that acts of courage can earn them higher social status among peers.
My note: Badges can be the perfect materialization of channeling the social status notion among teenagers.
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
Amazon Wants To Beam Augmented Reality Into Your Living Room
Aaron Tilley, Dec 1, 2015 @ 10:42 PM http://www.forbes.com/sites/aarontilley/2015/12/01/amazon-wants-to-bring-augmented-reality-into-your-living-room
Amazon has built up a nice little collection of devices at its Palo Alto, Calif.-based hardware division, Lab126.
=== higher ed ======= higher ed ======= higher ed ======= higher ed ======= higher ed ======= higher ed ====
Colleges begin to take virtual reality seriously
http://www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/colleges-virtual-reality-941
the power of VR goes beyond simply recruiting. The University of Michigan uses the technology as a learning tool, and by instituting a virtual reality “cave” they’ve allowed engineering students to interact with virtual structures as they “come together, buckle and collapse.” Instead of relying on physical models—which tend to be large, expensive, and slow to build—a student using the MIDEN VR cave can fly around a virtual structure to study mechanical connections.
============== K12 ================== K12 =============== K12 =============
http://k12.wiki.nmc.org/Augmented+Reality
Will Virtual Reality Stake Its Claim in K–12 Classrooms?
As the cost to install and support enabling technologies continues to fall, VR-based instruction will likely become a reality in K–12 schools.
More on virtual reality in this IMS blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=virtual+reality&submit=Search
