G B L[Game Based Learning]

Martin Sillaots

What is GBL?

Game Based Learning Digital Game Based Learning Serious Games Edutainment Gamification

Serious Games

• Games for serious purpose• Not only for entertainment• E.g.: education, defense, health care, scientific

exploration, emergency management, city planning, engineering, religion, politics, …

Other Definitions

• Game-Based Learning (GBL) – branch of serious games that deals with applications that have defined learning outcomes

• Digital Game-Based Learning• Edutainment – entertainment + education –

form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse

• Gamification – application of game elements in non-gaming situations

Challenges

Why GBL is not widespread?

Challenges

• Mentality - gaming is not learning• Availability - where to find educational

games?• Implementation - how to use games in

learning?

Mentality

• Learning is serious - Games are fun• Game development is a game industry

business• Teachers, parents and decision makers say:

playing game is a waste of time• Students say: it's quality time• What you say?

A: Jump, B: ShootWhat more could you need

Very Demotivational.com

How to Change the Mentality?

• Edutainment - learning goals are hidden behind the entertainment

• Develop serious games - games with learning goals

• Show that games can increase interest in learning

• Simulations can be cheaper then real experiments

Who SaysVideogames don’t pay off in real life?

Motifake.com

Availability

Where to find educational games?

e.g. Math games www.mathplayground.com

Implementation

How to integrate game and learning?

Implementation

• Make connection between game and learning goals

• Use commercial games for educational goals e.g. Harry Potter game in literature

• Design new games based on educational goals e.g. Time Mesh in history

Harry Potter Game

• Play the game at home• Select one character• Write essay• Have you played Harry

Potter kind of games?• Have you seen

educational value in it?

Time Mesh History Game

www.timemesh.eu

Game for teaching history of Europe

Goals of the History Curriculum

• Rise the interest• Understand main terminology of history• Acquire chronological framework• Know the map• Understand the connections between present and past• See the connections between different historical events• Understand that one event can be interpreted differently• Develop skills needed for justifying personal opinion• Put learners in the position of people lived in the past

Important Processes that Shaped Europe During Last 600 Years

• Reformation• French revolution• Industrial revolution• The born of nation based countries• Maritime History and Colonial countries• I World war• II World war• Cold war• European Union• Collapse of the Soviet Union

Goal of the Time Mesh Game

• The present time in the game is different from the reality e.g. kids are not in schools but working

• Some important events have not taking place• Player has to go back in time and fix the history– to influence important historical actors– to ensure that historical events will take place

• At the same time they learn important issues from that period

Time Mesh - Industrial Revolution - Scene 1

Strategies

How to integrate playing activities with the learning activities?

Strategies

• Introduction to the courser – e.g. Gazzilionaire• Bonus material in the end of the course• One topic from the curriculum as a game based

lesson• Entire curriculum based on game or simulation –

e.g. Titan• Game activity as home work• Game based recreation• Students designing educational games – e.g. iTEC

Gazzilionaire as Intro or Bonus

• http://www.lavamind.com/gaz.html• Game goal: fly in space, trade, make gazillion

kubars, win the game• Business education goals: buy low, sell high,

earn profit

Gazzilionaire

Titan as Lesson or Course

• http://newtitan.ja.org• Business education goals (supported by Titan):– Demand and supply and market balance– Productivity– Marketing– Research and development– Budgeting

Titan

Students Designing Games

• Project based learning• iTEC project - itec.eun.org• Learning scenarios - itec.aalto.fi/scenarios• Students Developing Educational Games

Students Developing Educational Games

• Introduction of educational games• Defining evaluation criteria for games• Selection of the curriculum topic• Game design• Develop e.g. with <eAdventure>• Involve experts• Publish games• Evaluate games• Younger students test games

Games Introduced by Students

• Estonia board game• Listen CD dame for learning words• Domino board game• Professor Layton adventure http://professorlayton.nintendo.com• L.A Noire detective http://www.rockstargames.com/lanoire• Sims 3 http://www.thesims3.com• Little Big Planet puzzle http://www.littlebigplanet.com• NBA 2k12 sports http://www.2ksports.com/games/nba2k12• FIFA11 sports http://www.ea.com/soccer/fifa• Portal 2 puzzle http://www.thinkwithportals.com

Game Designs Created by Students

• Escape from the Zoo• Angry Dog• Dog board game

e-adventure.e-ucm.es

Obstacles

When educational games are available and they are meaningful to use why

they are rarely implemented?

Obstacles

• Time - teachers don't have time to learn and test the game

• Money - commercial games• Technical - internet speed, different hardware

and software platforms• Organizational – is the computer lab free? Is

the software installed?• More?

Our Job in Two Words …

Demotivational.com

… Not!

• Gaming is part of reality• Students like to play• Let’s use students weapons against them

More Information

summerschool.tlu.ee/design-of-serious-gameswww.facebook.com/groups/segan

seriousgamesnet.eu

Game Over

Demotivational.com