15 Games Based Learning Articles and News

This post is a collection of interesting articles about Games Based Learning.  Some of them are pedagogical, some are more practical; there should be a good mix.

Image courtesy of Kevin Jarrett on Flickr.

1. Video Games Becoming Required Coursework in Schools 
2. Building Social Skills and Literacy Through Gaming 
3. MIT Unleashes New Online Game for Math and Science 
4. The Pedagogies in Games Based Learning: A Case Study of Teacher Attitudes and Perceptions 
5. What Research Says about Game-Based Learning 
6. Designing the Future of Games, Learning and Assessment 
7. Teaching Empathy Through Digital Game Play 
8. Researchers See Video Games as Testing, Learning Tools 
9. Disruptions: Minecraft, an Obsession and an Educational Tool 
10. When to Teach Physics with ‘Angry Birds’ 
11. Making Games Based Learning Sustainable Outside the Classroom 
12. Teachers’ Quick Guide on the Use of Games in Education: Learn how to educationally integrate games into your teaching 
13. How to Use Games With Your Students 
14. Ed Tech Review: Game Based Learning in Education 
15. Success Stories – Compilation on Game-Based Learning Initiatives in Adults’ Education 

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12 Apps to Gamify All Aspects of Your Life

Image courtesy of cote on Flickr.

This is a list of apps which gamify different aspects of people’s lives.  The ways they do this are interesting and varied.  From encouraging children to help out around the house by it allowing them to win rewards and
level up their RPG character, to motivating you to go to the gym with the ultimatum of giving your money to other gym-goers.  From apps that help you reach your goals by completing quests and defeating your personal ‘bad guys’, to motivating your workforce to complete projects.  These apps are, in general, a very simplistic form of Gamification.  The form that people usually have issues with; involving badges and leader boards.  However, some of them are great uses of Gamification and show how varied its uses can be.


Self-Improvement/Task Management

1. SuperBetter – An app that helps you reach your goals.  You build strength in four areas: social, emotional, mental and physical.  The app enables you to complete quests (such as finishing a workout), defeat bad guys (such as the self-critic) and get the support of allies (real friends) to achieve ‘epic wins’.  The game is built on the principles of positive psychology and their aim is to make players feel better for playing, not keep playing. 
2. EpicWin – This app aims to help you to ‘level-up your life’.  It adds a role playing twist to to-do lists.  Completing quests (such as doing chores, sending an email, going to the gym) develops your character, gains experience points, earns riches and more. 
3. HabitRPG – This is similar to both apps above, but works on the principle that repetition builds habits.  You can choose what habits you want to develop or get rid of in several categories: ‘Habits’, ‘Dailies’ and ‘Todos’.  You get points for doing positive things and lose them for doing negative things or not doing positive things.  You can use these points to get rewards, which you can define or improve your weapons and armour. 

Housework

Image courtesy of teamstickergiant on Flickr.

1. Chore Wars – This is an RPG for completing chores.  Every chore completed earns the player experience points which cause the players to level up.  You can create groups for households and workplaces and assign different rewards for completing different chores (such as pocket money or choosing the film/TV show on Saturday night).  The character classes change to reflect the chores that have been completed. 
2. HighScore House – This works like Chore Wars, but without the fantasy RPG style.  It is also intended for parents.  Set up chores and rewards and the whole family can earn points, badges and stars.  The parents have their own dashboard, so they are in control of doling out points and rewards.  This one is still in beta mode. 
3. ChoreMonster – This is very similar to HighScore House - but with monsters!  Kids can earn points and monsters for completing chores that the parents define and verify and then spend them on treats.  It is also available now and not in the beta stage. 

Fitness

1. Gym-Pact – This app uses the GPS on your smart phone to check you are going to the gym.  Then it rewards you or punishes you with REAL money for going or not going.  You set up how much you are willing the app to deduct from your bank balance for not going, but this money goes into the pockets of people who did go.  On the other hand, if you are a regular gym-goer, you could earn money for something you would have done anyway. 
2. Nike Plus GPS – This one is for runners.  It allows you to log your distance, calories burned and so on.  You can also activate PowerSongs to help you reach the finish line.  Post your workout to Facebook and you will hear real-time cheers from likes and comments as you run.  You can also challenge yourself to beat others or your own personal bests to earn badges and achievements. 

Work (Performance and Project Management)

1. Work.com – A way for managers to recognise team and individual achievements, in real-time, socially.  They can give custom badges as well as ‘real’ rewards such as Amazon gift vouchers.  It summarises performance and managers can coach employees live. 
2. DueProps – Describes itself as a peer appreciation game for workplaces.  Co-workers can offer gratitude to one another, which could make them happier, more engaged and more productive.  Each ‘prop’ has a brief description and a number of points associated to it, which form a leader board.  You can also complete challenges.  Props include Einstein, for intelligence and originality and Class Act for handling a situation with professionalism, class and style. 
3. RedCritter Tracker – This app turns completing projects into a game.  When someone completes an important task, they earn a badge and reward points.  These can be spent in company reward stores to get gift cards, to lunch with executives.  They list the benefits of Gamification as being:

• Increases employee productivity
• Increases quality of work
• Improves employee morale
• Increases employee retention
• Creates an exciting work environment
• It's easy to get started just visit www.redcrittertracker.com

Personal Finances

1. Mint.com Personal Finance – This app aims to consolidate all of your financial information in one, user-friendly place.  It is useful to budget, track and manage your money.  You are scored on how financially fit you are and it gives you tips and tasks to improve this level.  You can see visually what you spend, what on and how often.  You can also choose goals and budgets and it helps encourage you to stick to them. 

Please follow @paulladley on Twitter, games-ED on Pinterest and like games-ED’sFacebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and interesting games based learning findings.

Our Blog Content by Category

We have written quite a lot of content on this blog so far.  We thought we'd give you an easy way to browse our posts by category, so you can easily find the topics that interest you most.

Design & Development

• What Can g-Learning Designers Learn from Commercial Games?
• Women and Game Design
• Research into the Brain: Implications for Game Design
• g-Learning: Is this the term that we have been looking for?
• A Games Based Learning Manifesto: 10 Thoughts for Discussion
• 10 Resources on Creating Your Own Learning Game
• Quick Guide to Developing a Learning Simulation
• Games Based Learning Integrated with Traditional Exercises
• How and Why Learning Simulations Work
• Three "Games Based Learning" Development Tools Explored
• Who are Social Gamers?
• Instructional Design, e-Learning and Games in Adobe Captivate
• 10 Tips on Getting Buy-In For Games Based Learning
• Best of Both Worlds
• Developing Games with Young People
• Six Key Principles of Collaborative Games Based Learning
• Games Based Learning (GBL): Review of the Research

Games Based Learning Theory - Why It Works?

• ICT in Practice - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice
• Video Games in School Infographic
• How and Why Learning Simulations Work
• 25 Games Based Learning Articles (and Infographic)
• Mistakes and (Games Based) Learning
• Learning Simulations, Retention and Neuroscience
• Six Great Games Based Learning Videos
• Adult Games Based Learning and sim-uni
• Games Based Situated Learning and Sustainaville
• Games Based Situated Learning - A Contradiction?
• Marrying up to Situated Learning Theory
• Games Based Learning Supports Multiple Learning Styles
• Motivation, Motivation, Motivation
• Ten Reasons Why Games Based Learning Works in Education
• The Fun Theory
• Digital Games in the Classroom
• Computer Simulations can be as Effective as Direct Observation at Teaching Students
• Sugata Mitra - For Implications for Games Based Learning
• Neuroscience, Stress and Games Based Learning
• Games Based Situated Learning
• Learn by Doing AND Learn by Being

Games Based Learning Practice - How it Can be Used?

• ICT in Practice - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice
• The Role of Learning Simulations in Learning & Development Strategies
• 20 Computer Free Games Based Learning and Gamification Resources
• How and Why Learning Simulations Work
• 25 Games Based Learning Articles (and Infographic)
• Games Based School
• Part 1 - The 70/20/10 Learning Model and Games Based Learning
• Part 2 - The 70/20/10 Learning Model: Lessons for Education
• Games Based Learning Integrated with Traditional Exercises
• Apps, Education and Games Based Learning
• Adult Games Based Learning and sim-uni
• Outstanding Lessons and Games Based Learning
• games-ED (Games Based Learning)
• Kinect Games Based Learning
• Unorthodox Uses of Games in Education
• Games Based Learning, Education Policy and Market
• Best of Both Worlds
• Proof of the Pudding Part 2
• They are OK, are you?
• Getting Started with Games in the Classroom
• When Will Educators Get Serious About Gaming?
• Boys Will be Boys
• Five Things to Think About when Using Games in the Classroom
• Is Games Based Learning More Effective than Traditional Methods?

Games Based Learning Benefits - What Skills/Knowledge can be Gained?

• Video Games in School Infographic
• 10 Serious Games with Serious Messages
• Summary of Games Based Learning Meta-Analysis
• Gamer Myths - Infographic and 10 Facts
• 25 Games Based Learning Articles (and Infographic)
• The Gamer Disposition and Education
• Games Develop Social Bonds and Communication Skills
• Apps, Education and Games Based Learning
• Six Great Games Based Learning Videos
• 11 Educational Games for Social Good
• Adult Games Based Learning and sim-uni
• 21st Century Skills and Games Based Learning
• Games are Good for You!
• Proof of the Pudding 3 (Learning Simulations vs. Games Based Learning)
• Developing Communication Skills via Games Based Learning
• A Nice Overview of Games Based Learning
• Proof of the Pudding...
• Boys Will be Boys
• The Art of Conversation

 Gamification

• 15 Articles That Show Gamification is Taking Over Our World
• Badges, Gamification, Employment & Lifelong Learning
• 20 Computer Free Games Based Learning and Gamification resources
• Winner of Best in Gamification Awards
• Motivating Generation X and Y with Gamification
• Gamification Blog: 5 Excellent Articles
• Games Based School
• Gamification In and Out of Education
• Gamification with World of Classcraft
• Games Based Healing
• Gamification in Education (Infographic and 10 Articles)
• Gamifying the Classroom: 10 Inspiring Articles
• Gamification - Different Types of User
• Gamification of the Workplace
• How to Bring Gamification to the Classroom: Best Practices
• The Fun Theory
• Sir Ken Robinson, Education and Gamification
• Gamification, Education and Behavioural Economics
• Gamification of Life
• Behavioural Economics and Education
• Gamification in Education
• Gamification and Behavioural Change

Education and Education Technology

• The Future of Ed-Tech and How to Get Started Now
• Part 1: Why is Teaching Children to Program so Important?
• Part 2: Learning to Program: An Easy Way to Get a Job?
• Part 3: What Skills Does Programming Impart?
• Part 4: How Can You Get Started with Programming in Schools?
• Part 5: Case Study - Code Club
• Part 6: Programming, Project Based Learning and games-ED
• 10 Benefits of Project Based Learning
• The Future of Learning
• The Past, Present and Future of Playing and Learning with Technology
• InformED
• The Future of Learning Technologies
• Michael Gove on Education and IT
• ICT Classes are Boring - It's Official
• When Will Educators Get Serious about Gaming?
• Developing Games with Young People

Please follow @paulladley on Twitter, games-ED on Pinterest and like games-ED’sFacebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and interesting games based learning findings.

What Can g-Learning Designers Learn from Commercial Games?

First of all, if you don’t know what g-Learning is, have a look at our post “g-Learning: Is this the learning term we have been looking for?”.  Then have a look at the infographic courtesy of topwebdesignschools.org and our insight below.


Source: TopCollegesOnline.org

So, what can we learn from the above infographic?  Does it contain any useful information for g-Learning designers?  We think so.  There are some useful reassurances about perceptions of games and some interesting demographic insight (average game player is 30 years of age).  However, we think that g-Learning designers should take note to the types of games and gameplay that feature on this list as the ‘top’ games.  The top games on the list can be split into several broad genres:

• Adventure (e.g. Assassin’s Creed, Halo)
• Sport (e.g. FIFA, Madden NFL)
• Strategy (e.g. Age of Empires, The Sims)
• Party (e.g. Just Dance, Guitar Hero)

This is useful in itself, as g-Learning designers could design their games around these genres/styles.  However, what interests me, is how most of these games are famously played cooperatively.  Obviously you can play most of them solo, people may only ever play them solo and some of them can only really be played solo (e.g. The Sims).  However, by and large, the top games seem to be the ones which allow cooperation and collaboration.

This is interesting, as it suggests yet again that gamers aren’t all anti-social loners and that this view of gaming is seriously outdated (see our article, “Gamer Myths: Infographic and 10 Facts").  However, for g-Learning designers, it suggests that perhaps we should be creating more collaborative learning games.  Perhaps these are the most enjoyable or engaging.  Click here for a case study of one of our collaborative learning games, to see how we do it.  Interestingly, our market for sim-uni is also adults.  Click here to see our “Adult Games Based Learning and sim-uni” post.

Please follow @paulladley on Twitter, games-ED on Pinterest and like games-ED’sFacebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and interesting games based learning findings.

ICT in Practice - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice

I recently wrote an article in ICT in Practice magazine - Games Based Learning: Theory and Practice.

I won't spoil the read too much suffice to say that it covers ground that we have blogged about here, but it is well worth a read as it works as a nice summary. The article introduces games based learning, discusses our design and development approach, the underpinning learning theory (situated learning) and goes on to present a case study of the use of our Sustainaville product in schools.

The article has got picked on twitter and other blogs. Ryan Schaaf at the Committed Sardine Blog does a particularly nice rewrite.

A demonstration of Sustainaville can be found at http://www.games-ed.co.uk/sustainaville-demo.html

Please follow @paulladley on Twitter, games-ED on Pinterest and like games-ED’sFacebook and Google+ pages for blog updates and interesting games based learning findings.