Garrett Zimmer of MineGage (@PBJellyGames on Twitter) and co-founder of the Co-Founder #MineCraftEDU Chat took time to sit down with Aryah and Geoff and discuss some of the dynamics of successful edgames. It was a deep discussion about Minecraft and teachers’ ability to make it work, as well as the dynamics of what makes a successful edgame. The conversation was great with Zimmer delivering masterful insights. Have a listen.
Few blended learning studies exist to date, but those that do highlight some best practices. Legends of Learning’s own GBL study, “Substantial Integration of Typical Educational Games into Extended Curriculum,” identifies several elements essential to overcoming challenges found in blended learning environments. They include the following three:
1. Student choice from a set of teacher-curated games
2. Competency-based game mechanics
3. Strong teacher instruction
A Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation RAND study, Interim Research on Personalized Learning, notes an additional four attributes common to successful blended learning environments. Jamee Kim and Wongyu Lee name two more characteristics in their study conducted at Korea University. The six cumulative characteristics are:
1. Learner profiles
2. Personal learning paths
3. Peer interaction
4. Competency-based progression
5. Flexible learning environments
6. High levels of teacher support for the digital material
The qualities further detail the three identified by Legends of Learning and Vanderbilt University in their collaborative study. The six also recall James Paul Gee’s 16 tenets, suggesting they build upon the best practices of the past while encountering the present and looking forward to the future.
However, true success with GBL cannot be limited to engagement alone. Games must help educators deliver lessons for them to have long-term value and impact. That means they must connect to the curriculum in some way, as well as support other learning goals related to the subject matter, lesson plan, or grade level.
Robert J. Marzano, who conducted a five-year study of game based learning, makes the argument in his findings. He says, “If games do not focus on important academic content, they will have little or no effect on student achievement and waste valuable classroom time.”
European researchers Venera-Mihaela Cojocariua and Ioana Boghiana also believe that games need to have a clear and understood role in the classroom. They state, “In order to exploit the advantages of using game-based learning in class, there is a clear need for standardization and regulation on the use of games in teaching-learning-evaluating.”
Legends of Learning and Vanderbilt University similarly tie GBL success to the rigors of learning. Their study shows that GBL efforts integrated with the classroom curriculum cause quantitative and qualitative improvements in content mastery as well as engagement.
Balancing engagement with content mastery remains a challenge. If students aren’t interested in the teacher-approved games, they won’t play them. Gee and other researchers note that games must be interesting and fun, while delivering educational content, for them to produce results.
In a productive GBL environment, learning and engagement operate hand-in-hand. One cannot succeed without the other.
As a result, educators will need to carefully evaluate games to make sure they both engage students and support the curriculum.
Welcome the the Legends of Ed Games Podcast! We have several episodes queued up for educators who are interested in game based learning. Our guests range from educators and thought leaders at the forefront of game-based learning to game developers and technologists.
Episode 1 of the Legends of Learning podcast series features #games4ed chat hostess Melissa Pilakowski. Melissa is a thought leader in game based learning, and offers her insights into what makes game based learning successful.
Melissa is also a Google Certified Educator. She is a teacher of 11-12+ language arts, and a writer of young adult literature. She describes herself as lover of language & technology.
We’ve got great news, Legend! Our first set of curriculum-based science games is now available for demo. If you want to try the games for yourself, create an account today.
The sample games have been built out for the following learning objectives:
Remember, this is just the beginning. In March, we roll out hundreds of games for 90 lessons across Earth and Space, Life, and Physical Sciences. After completing the science games, Legends of Learning will expand into other subjects and grades.
Even if you are not a science teacher, you might want to refer colleagues, right?
So what are you waiting for? Spread the word, and become a Legend of Learning!
Game-based learning (GBL) resources offer proven benefits for student engagement and academic performance. But convincing some educators to include GBL resources in their curriculum can sometimes feel like a clash of the titans—the teen kind, not the ones who dared to defy the Olympian gods.
(more…)When it comes to Game-Based Learning (GBL), few names are as influential as James Paul Gee. Often considered the godfather of GBL, Gee’s research has shaped how educators, game designers, and cognitive scientists understand how video games can foster deep, meaningful learning.
In his groundbreaking essay, Good Video Games and Good Learning, first published over a decade ago, Gee outlines 16 key principles that make video games powerful learning tools. These principles explore how games motivate learners, create problem-solving environments, encourage critical thinking, and promote deep engagement—all elements that are crucial to effective education.
The essay is featured in his seminal book of the same title, Good Video Games and Good Learning, now in its second edition. In this work, Gee breaks down how the design of well-crafted video games mirrors the best practices in pedagogy and cognitive development. His insights have influenced both educators and game developers, shaping how games are designed not just for entertainment but also for learning and skill-building.
In this blog, we’ll explore Gee’s 16 principles of Game-Based Learning, examining how they apply to education, classroom engagement, and skill development in both digital and real-world learning environments. Whether you’re a teacher, game designer, or simply interested in how games shape the way we think, these principles provide a fascinating look into the intersection of gaming and education.
Let’s dive in! 🚀
Here are the 16 principles of good video-game-based learning outlined in his text.
What do you think of James Paul Gee’s 16 Principles of Good Video Games and Good Learning? How might you incorporate them into your teaching style and curriculum?
Want to explore a real teacher platform including game-based learning as its main core precept? Start Exploring Legends of Learning Today! 🎮📚
Create your free Legends of Learning account now and unlock a world of engaging, standards-aligned learning games designed to support rigorous learning objectives.
Aligned with U.S. educational standards, these games make learning fun and effective for students of all levels.
Sign up for free and bring the power of game-based learning to your classroom today!
Interested in learning more? Get the 31 Game-Based Learning Resources or read the 7 Advantages of Game-Based Learning Strategies and discover how to leverage this powerful tool to ignite student curiosity, boost engagement, and ultimately improve academic performance.
Stories can impact people whether they are read, sung, or yes, played via a video game. Bob Dylan’s recent award of the Nobel Prize for Literature provided an unprecedented affirmation for the transcendence of disparate forms of media as storytelling mechanisms.
The Legends of Learning marketing team attended the North Carolina Science Teachers Association (NCSTA) PDI conference and the New Jersey Science Convention in the past two weeks. Both conferences featured outstanding keynotes on underwater exploration; National Geographic’s Erika Bergman discussed becoming an aquanaut and Titanic Explorer David Gallo delved into the mysteries of the sea.
After making more than 1000 teachers sing If You’re Happy and You Know It (we kid you not, Legends, see the below picture), the American Mid-Level Educators 2016 Conference (AMLE) kicked off with a general session featuring Derek McCoy, Debbie Silver, John Bernia, and Marlena Gross-Taylor, all educators and administrators working in Middle Schools. Each had a mini keynote, and here are some of their legendary comments.
Who doesn’t like a good movie or novel, especially when it features a super hero?!? But even though we love our heroes at Legends of Learning, sometimes we begrudgingly tip our hat to a story that carries incredible weight, particularly if it is in our sector. Ender’s Game is such a book (see Common Sense Media’s review), in spite of the author Orson Scott Card’s rather odd personal politics.
