Game Based Learning Videos

Brian TaylorMonday 26 May 2014 02:57

Reframing Failure as Iteration Allows Students to Thrive (2013)
At New York City's game-based learning school Quest to Learn, sixth graders take risks in the process of designing a Rube Goldberg machine, which enables more creativity, innovation, and engagement. Read the accompanying blog.

Constant Challenges Push Students to Strive for Success (2014)
Sixth graders learn math concepts in tandem with lessons about perseverance and stretching to achieve goals through a board game called Caterpillar. Read the accompanying blog and download the Caterpillar game board (PDF) andgame-play instructions (PDF) to use in your own classroom.

Creative Role-Play Encourages Deeper Science Learning (2014)
Learning how the body works becomes an adventure as sixth grade students embark on a biology-based narrative journey at game-based learning school Quest to Learn. Read the accompanying blog and download the Dr. Smallz curriculum (PDF) to use in your own classroom.

Building Formative Assessment into Game-Based Learning (2014)
In a sixth grade classroom at Quest to Learn, ongoing feedback is embedded throughout the course of a collaborative geography game called Galactic Mappers. Read the accompanying blog and download the Galactic MappersRules (PDF) and Game Cards (PDF) for use in your own classroom.

Using Commercial Games in the Classroom

Using Minecraft as an Educational Tool (2013)
Middle school students create their own 3D virtual worlds and learn lessons about communication, collaboration, and digital citizenship through the first-person sandbox-style game called Minecraft. Get tips for implementing Minecraft in the classroom.

Minecraft: Official website for the game
Mojang: Persson's (developer of Minecraft) independent game studio
The Minecraft Teacher: Joel Levin's blog about Minecraft and teaching
MinecraftEdu: Educators and programmers working to make Minecraft accessible for schools
MinecraftEdu Wiki: Tutorials, lessons, and resources
Minecraft Teachers Google Group: Community to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and find inspiration
Real-World Examples: Examples of Minecraft use in the classroom
YouTube Videos Featuring MinecraftEdu : Tutorials, interviews, in-class footage, and more
Minecraft Google Group: An active community of educators using Minecraft
Pixel Pushers: A project to create a MinecraftEdu toolset for teachers
Thesis on Collaborative Problem-Solving in Minecraft (PDF): a Masters degree project by Björn Berg Marklund

Game-Based Learning Brings the History of Civilization to Life
Middle school students learn social studies through Historia, a paper-based simulation game that incorporates a world cultures curriculum aligned to state standards. Learn more about Historia.

Histrionix Learning Company: Website for the creators of Historia
Historia Guidebook (PDF): Guidebook used by students to research history prior to game play
Historia Civilization Builder (PDF): Worksheets students use to build their own civilizations
Historia Interactive Presentation (PPTX): Presentation given by teacher to guide game play
"Designing a Classroom Game That Can Get Kids Excited About History," by Brian Waniewski: How social studies teachers Rick Brennan and Jason Darnell developed Historia to make history come alive for their middle-school students (from The Atlantic)

Fostering Creativity and Community with a Platform Video Game
Opportunities for student collaboration, peer assessment, and rigorous design challenges abound in the puzzle video game LittleBigPlanet 2, where users are given the same toolset as the game's creators to build and share their own levels. Get tips for implementing LittleBigPlanet 2 in the classroom.