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Learning Games
What is it? 
Learning game refers to games such a board games, card games, video games, and computer games that are designed to teach while the student plays the game.
Learning Games
What are the educational uses and benefits?
Motivation:
- The presentation of information in conjunction with gaming provides hands on activities that motivate students to participate.
- Learning games usually includes multiple media sources such as audio, video, and text as well as kinesthetic opportunities.
Distance Learning Considerations:
- Provides a just in time medium for distance learning students.
Scaffolding of Information:
- Games can be structured to provide information that builds on previously learning information.
- Students must continually adjust and grow in their competence as the game progresses or becomes more difficult.
- In initial game scenarios the learner must learn critical information, ideas, or generalizations that will affect their performance as the game progresses.
Learning Games
Can I see an example?
View an example of learning games developed by the CITT:
- Feast or Famine: Using interactive gaming technology, students apply their knowledge to successfully provide the food needs of a biome.
- PKU: Children with Phenylketonuria interact with Poe and Parker to learn about nutritional management.
- Simbasin: Students experiment in a simulated river basin to assess land use and how it affects flooding.
View an example of other learning games:
- Learning is Phun: View a video of a phsyics-based sandbox game in which students create their own physics scenarios.
- Learning is Phun Download: Download the Learning is Phun sandbox.
Learning Games
How do I get started?
There are many learning games available for free on the internet at sites such as The Education Arcade which is a website dedicated to the development of learning games.
There are many ways to build custom learning games using software and tools such as:
Learning Games can also be built using simple web design tools and the inclusion of well structured activities. For an example of how to design effective learning games visit The Instructional Design tutorials that were developed for the Partnership in Global Learning at the University of Florida.Learning Games
Where can I learn more?
- The Education Arcade: A site dedicated to the development of educational games.
- Games to Teach: A study on the potential of interactive digital games as an educational medium.
- Games-to-Teach to Games-to-Learn: An article discussion the educational potential of electronic games.
- Learning is Phun: View a video of a phsyics-based sandbox game in which students create their own physics scenarios.
- Learning is Phun Download: Download the Learning is Phun sandbox.
- The Oregon Trail Game: An example of a successful educational game including development history, gameplay, and links.
- What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy: PDF.
- Wikipedia - Educational Games: Detailed explanation and examples of educational games.
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