Skip to main content

Launching Game-Based Learning

As a teacher, the challenge is how to make learning accessible, engaging and to make it memorable for our students. It is a quest for every teacher to consider the ways that our lessons will be structured to meet the needs of our students and make sure that it moves their learning forward.

This year as part of our Professional Development at my school, we are engaged in an Action Research Inquiry Learning Plan. The Action research model uses the spirals of inquiry to determine the needs of our learners and researching further into one area of interest. John Spencer explains it very well in this video:



What is Game-Based Learning? 

The area that I have chosen will be centred around game-based learning. Game-based learning borrows ideas and principles of competition and engagement to real-life situations. While students play they engage in concepts and feedback that are designed with an educational endpoint (Game-based Learning definition, Annie Pho and Amanda Dinscore 2015). It allows students to practice skills without feeling that they are at risk of being judged. They can teach resilience and persistence in a way that is supportive. This infographic shows the impact game-based learning can have on students:

The information that is presented in a game will stick with students not only because they are engaging, but they immerse them in mastery, decision-making and a range of different senses. 
A good resource to look at Piloting a Game-based learning program is John Spencer's Seven steps to Pilot a Game-based learning Unit.


Can Game-based learning improve the learning outcomes of my students? 

The first step in this process is to start finding out more about Game-based learning particularly in the area of Mathematics, as there are many children who find the concepts overwhelming and don't know where to start with problem-solving. 

Triangulating the data from a range of Maths tests has helped to establish which students need greater support in this area, but also which students have mastered strategies and concepts. This has been a beneficial process in getting an overall idea of the range of abilities that exist in my classroom. 

My next step will be to start to research about Game-based learning. My goals are as follows:
  • How has it been used successfully in Classrooms?
  • What are some good first strategies to start implementing Game-based learning?
  • How will I know if game-based learning is successful?
I am looking forward to learning more about using Games within my classroom as I believe students will grow academically and socially through this type of learning. 

Are there any resources on Game-based learning that I could try? 






Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Using ClassDojo in the Classroom

Awards are given when points are earned As a teacher, you are always looking for something that is easy and effective to use as a behaviour mangement system in our classrooms, that allows that flow to happen in the classroom. I have been using ClassDojo for a year and for me it has been a good way to manage behaviour in my classroom in a way that the students respond to as well. The one big advantage I have found is that all the behaviour is recorded of each student. At the end of the day, when the opportunity or necessity arises, feedback can be given to students about their behaviour. This year I started the year off with all of my students using the same avatar. It seemed to be a great incentive to earn points, particularly after showing them the range of avatars that there are. I have prizes for each 10 points they achieve. The prizes include changing avatars, sweets, free time etc. which my students have really enjoyed and are always reminding me when they have reached ...
1 comment
Read more

Using Explain Everything for Feedback

The current trend in education has been moving away from the pass or fail mentality. It is no longer enough to give a grade or a brief comment at the end of an assessment task and feel that the task is done. One thing that has been something that I have found to be something of a weakness in my teaching is giving effective feedback,  the sort of feedback where students will take note of it and act upon it. Feedback helps provide direction so that they can move forward and grow. It should also affirm our students towards the best achievement that they have within them, while also continuing to seek their engagement in the learning process. Communicating feedback requires a greater effort to reach our students and meet their needs. At a recent teach meet, the App "Explain Everything" was used  as a way of providing feedback to students. The way that the app was used was to annotate the work of the student, while recording the thoughts of the teacher as they were annotat...
Post a Comment
Read more