Presenter: Ora D Tanner
Why I chose this:
I am very interested in seeing different ways to incorporate gaming into various disciplines. I am hoping to learn some fun ways/games to share with teachers.
What we covered:
Rationale/Background
Game Development Process
Pilot Study Results
Rationale - Why Games? Big buzzword, but why should we care?
#1 Passive, unmotivated and disengaged (PUD). Lecture-based presentations, reading book, cookbook labs - not working. Causing students to disengage. Students find science boring.
Gaming creates learning environment for problem-solving. Take roles of scientist/engineer.
CHANGE Project. Climate Change Narrative Game
Piloting in 4 HS this year, 25 next year - marine biology high school curriculum.
What features do students find engaging?
What features do students see as helping with learning?
Water Gauge Warrior - game created for project. Tied into school curriculum and also university objectives.
Graphics make or break a game.
Needs a goal and a challenge. Use of role play.
Rules and interactivity, easy to understand, easy to navigate.
StoryLine2 used to create the game.
FlamingText.com used for font/logo in game.
Used public domain images for game. Pixabay.com used for the game.
Characters in game come from characters in story that the students read (eBook).
Earn money, build rain gauge.
Interactive labs/powerpoints during lessons
Students asked questions, gain money based on correct answers.
Students can always check answers.
Added real photos in places to help dispel misconceptions gained from clipart-style graphics.
Uses the design cycle to help guide students.
Lots of work with real-life people in order get accurate functions, pricing, etc.
Students get info about incoming storm (fictional) and use that to build/design their water gauge.
Students paid a lot of attention to budgets while choosing pieces and parts.
Evaluate the water gauge they built. After storm, they get a gauge report. Uses 16 possible combinations, so gauge either succeeds or fails. Students talk about why they got certain scores.
Game is played in one 50-minute class period.
Study took place at 2 HS. 51 students. Used an observation form and focus groups. On task? Behavior? etc. Questionnaire with open-ended questions, likert scale items, etc.
Having the game made the topic interesting. Fun to play. Liked the graphics. Liked role playing, etc. Students were better able to discuss engineering practices and design cycle.
Didn't like - too simple, too hard, too long, too short
Liked that THEY got to build and compare to other students' results.
Also created a geology game.
Explicitly let students know when they are doing certain scientific practices so they can relate gameplay to learning.
Game has a backend for teachers to monitor student progress, results, etc.
Students enjoyed competition and collaboration, especially when student(s) failed initially.
Students who were disengaged were found to be logging into the game at home to play/practice.
http://bit.ly/CHANGE-USF
Can use Powerpoint with Branched Scenarios to create game.
This is a session I would have attended. I've done some game activities in the past, but the time it takes to build a game is a downside. The students seem to enjoy the games and do better with these activities.
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