Dr. Leigh ZeitzUniversity of Northern Iowazeitz@uni.eduDrzreflects.com

What is it?

Who does it?

Does it make a difference?

Things to consider

thefuntheory.comTinyurl.com/UNIbottlebank

Rule-based

Variable and Quantifiable Outcome

Diff Outcomes = Diff Points

Player works to control outcome

Game provides timely feedback

Player cares about the outcome

Mastery = Leveling up

Xperience Points Leveling Upunited.com

games Gaming

tinyurl.com/TheMathBlaster

An organized social system using positive

and negative feedback to direct a player towards a desired goal.

microsoft

An organized social system using positive

and negative feedback to direct a learner towards a desired goal.

iclipart.com

Optimal Experiences

Clear Goals

Immediate Feedback

Challenges/Skills Balance

Action/Awareness Align

No Distractions

Failure Not a Problem

Activity is its Own Reward

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Trends in Serious Gaming for Education

Young et al (2012)

Reviewed 300+ articles

Math

Science

Language Learning

History

Inconclusive findings

Mixed results

Gamers more engaged

Useful in achieving deeper learning

More successful when learning and gaming

objectives aligned

Language acquisition, composition, language arts

Games as learner-centered environments Immersive experiences Kindergarteners learned language faster than

control group Language pedagogy more aligned with gaming

History-based video games engaging Useful in middle school economics Useful to integrate SimCity, Age of Empires

and Civilization into history curriculum Instead of requiring outside reading, include

the content in the gaming situation

Transfer requires reflection

Difficulty level needs to align with skill level

Poor design can’t be hidden in game world

Boys communicated about the game

Girls communicated more generally

Instructor must scaffold as necessary

Can gaming be useful in the classroom?

Is it worth the time?

What does gaming teach besides content?

What’s cheating?

What is the diff btwn Gamification and Game-

based Learning?

If we teach today

as we taught yesterday,

we rob our children of their tomorrow.