Educational Gaming

Gaming has really grown into a popular topic within the education world, primarily because of the wide
access we have to gaming technology in our every day lives and the growth within the gaming and technology
industry in the past few decades. The ways that teachers use gaming technology in classrooms has evolved
however, it really depends on the effort the teacher is willing to put in and the intention he or she has for his or
her class. The primary way that teachers used to use gaming technology in the classroom was as another way to
engage students in continuously practicing skills, such as foundational math skills. An example of this that I
remember from my childhood but that was also pointed out in research done by Morris Jong, Junjie Shang,
Fong-lok Lee and Jimmy Lee is Math Blaster!. Games like Math Blaster seem to promote memorization of
content, and are still used today in classrooms, likely because they are easy to implement and do not require a
lot of work to integrate into a lesson (Jong, Shang, Lee, & Lee, 2010). It is more challenging to bring games in
that are less straight-forward which integrate more gaming elements, such as intricate storylines, character
interaction, multiplayer modes, advanced graphics and soundtracks because many more variables have to be
considered. However, these kinds of games have the potential to offer students near-real life experiences and
allow for high engagement, thus they can be used as a way for students to create learning experiences, rather
than just another way to make students memorize content (Jong et al., 2010). I think, just as any other learning
activity or complex lesson plan, as long as the goals and outcomes to be met are connected well to the game
being used, they can be effective in the classroom. Below, I have provided an informative table created by
Nancy Nelson, Hank Fien, Christian Doabler, and Ben Clarke, which shows some important steps to consider
when trying to implement a game into a classroom. It is obvious that the planning stage requires quite a lot of
work, but I do believe it can be worth it if using gaming technology helps students engage meaningfully with
content. Finally, I think it is important to mention that the work put in goes beyond just planning which
outcomes will be met and the potential journey that students will take within the game, but extends to really
becoming familiar and comfortable with the game as a teacher. Obviously a teacher will be the main resource if
students are struggling, so troubleshooting skills will be required but it is encouraged that teachers become
familiar with the game from the student’s point of view before attempting to implement it (Warren, Dondlinger,
Stein, & Barab, 2009).
Strategies to Support the Implementation of Education Technology in Schools
Typeof
Strategy Resources
strategy

1. Determinea purpose: Identify the goal of using Standards, curriculum, schoolwide

the education technology tool; in other words, what intervention plans, IEP goals, student
you need the tool to be able to accomplish. performance data

2. Identify products: Identify and review available

Product website, Common Sense Media
resources that document expert opinion and features
and other Internet reviews
of the technology tool.

3. Do research: Review available evidence for use National Center on Intensive

of the education technology tool to improve student Intervention, What Works
achievement. Clearinghouse
Planning
4. Select a product: Obtain access to the education
Product manuals, scope and sequence,
technology tool. Review available manuals and
standards alignment documents, PD and
product-provided information and training
training sessions
materials.

5. Test theproduct: Test the education technology Product manual, product technical
tool prior to implementation in an authentic setting. support, school or district IT support

6. Preview theproduct: Examine education

Education technology tool and other
technology tool content prior to user access and
materials required for use
take notes as needed.

7. Prepareto use: Identify organizational

Storage space, schedules
structures for management of materials.

8. Teach users: Directly teach users how the Lesson plan, educational technology
Implement education technology tool works and materials tool, and other materials required for
ation management structures. use

9. Connect to instruction: Make connections to the

Preview lesson plans, other curriculum,
education technology tool in other contexts
and data sources
(ongoing).

10. Review progress: Examine data gathered using Item-level data, summarized data, data
the education technology tool (ongoing). reports, instructional recommendations
Data-
based 11. Assess outcomes: Use data sources to assess
decision the effectiveness of the education technology tool to Education technology tool data, other
making support the intended purpose and make adjustments data sources and trends
to implementation (ongoing).

(Nelson, Fien, Doabler, & Clarke 2016)

Educational gaming can be broken down into 2 main categories and both should be considered
when trying to bring gaming into the classroom.
Games in Education:
This category refers to games that are designed and
developed with the intention of students playing
the game and meeting curricular outcomes or
developing specific skills through their gaming
experience.
Pros:
 These games are developed with specific
outcomes in mind, thus they are usually
easier to implement as learning activities
into lesson plans
 Educators and game-in-education
researchers develop these games not only
with outcomes and curricular content in
mind, but often try to design games as a
way to create meaningful learning
experiences for students (constructivist
learning paradigms), so they have the
potential to be great resources for students
 In a constructivist view, these games often
provide students with near-real life
experiences they would likely be unable to
have otherwise, and show them the impacts
and consequences of choices they make
without any real harm being done (e.g. open
heart surgery, designing and building cities,
etc.)
 These games often do not cost a lot of
money because they are not
commercialized to the extend of
mainstream games
Cons:
 Even though these games have great
connection to learning and skill outcomes,
they often miss design elements that
account for the success of commercial
games due to the industry keeping these a
secret or held in patents, thus these games
are not always as interesting or motivating
for students
Places to find educational games:
 https://sites.google.com/site/gameonlearning/home
Education in Games:
This category refers to recreational games that
already exist in the commercial market, and using
them to facilitate meeting outcomes and developing
skills.
Pros:
 These games are developed by experts in the
industry and contain elements that allow for a
very fun and engaging gaming experience for
players
 Due to gaming elements such as an
immersive story lines, in-game reward
systems, soundtracks, graphics, complex
virtual environments, etc., many of these
games allow players to develop intrinsic
motivation to engage with the game, and thus
students may become intrinsically motivated
to participate in game play
Cons:
 These games often cost more because they
are part of the mainstream gaming market
 Applying outcomes to an already existing
game that was primarily made for
entertainment not curricula-coverage can be
challenging, and often only some parts or
elements of the game align with desired
outcomes
This is an interesting website created by Technology and Education students from the University of Illinois.
Although they compiled educational games based on the U.S. curriculum, they can still be used to supplement
lessons. Something I particularly enjoy about this website is that it is organized by subject and age.
 https://www.brainpop.com/
This website is super useful for finding games that are geared to specific outcomes within Science, Social
Studies, English, Mathematics, Arts & Music, Health, and Engineering and Tech. Once you click on a subject
area, you can continue to specify your search more and find applicable games.
 https://www.education.com/games/
This website has a lot of games that are geared towards elementary schools students. These games would be
useful supplementary activities for lessons since they are mostly simplistic games that allow for extra practice
of foundational skills.
 http://www.arcademics.com/games/
This website has simplistic games that might serve as an alternative to worksheets for younger students
practicing math, vocabulary, and language arts skills.
 https://www.silvergames.com/en/heart-surgery
This game is one that I used in my biology 20 class after students looked at the circulatory system and the
function of the heart. It is a great game that allows students to experience a fraction of the pressure that real
heart surgeons have to deal with when operating.

Ideas of commercial games that could be used in the classroom:

Minecraft: Many people have probably heard of Minecraft, a sandbox video game based on exploration,
creation, and collection, and that it can be used in classrooms. Here are some useful resources when considering
using Minecraft that could help you plan effectively to use the technology.
 https://education.minecraft.net/
This is the Minecraft Education Edition website. It describes how this educational version of Minecraft can be
used effectively in the classroom and even provides users with lesson plans. It’s a great first stop if you are
considering this technology.
 https://www.edutopia.org/blog/minecraft-in-classroom-andrew-miller
This is a blog by Andrew Miller, that lists many of the potential ways that Minecraft could be used to meet
curricular outcomes in differing subject areas. If you are unsure of how Minecraft could be used to help students
meet outcomes, this is a great brainstorming resource.
 http://lucyeportfolio1.weebly.com/ed-4769-gamification-blog/november-01st-2016
For a gamification in education class that I took previously, I played Minecraft for 10 hours and blogged about
my experiences. I have to admit that the game caused me a lot of frustration, so if you are going through some
challenges while trying this technology out, you could give this a read because I was able to find some solutions
along the way. As well, I have a few ways that I brainstormed about how Minecraft could be applied to different
subject areas.

Medieval II Total War: This game is a turn-based game that shows battles and allows players to choose tactics
in order to build a civilization and conquer all others. It takes place between the years 1080 and 1530, and
gameplay focuses on warfare, religion, and politics during this time period in Europe, North Africa, and the
Middle East.
 http://wiki.totalwar.com/w/Medieval_II_Total_War
This is the Wiki page for Medieval II Total War and would be a great place to start discovering some of the
intricacies about the game, including general information about the game and story behind it, factions that can
be chosen, and units that may be encountered.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGmT_0FaT6Y
This is a video made by Ben S., which goes through how he would use Medieval II Total War to supplement
learning of the Alberta Grade 8 Social Studies Program of Studies. He goes through how to get the game, how
to start a campaign, and the process he would use within the game to engage students.

Portal: Is a puzzle game that has a very intriguing storyline. It seems that the puzzle platform of the game
allows for many critical thinking and problem solving skills aligning with the math curriculum to be developed
through game play.
 http://foundry10.org/teach-with-portals/
This is a webpage made to store and share lesson plans that have been developed by using Portal. It includes
physics, math, game design, and language arts lesson plans and would be a great place to look for ideas if you
are looking to bring this game into your class.

Civilization: This game seems very similar to Medieval II Total War, in that it is a turn-based strategy game
that takes place in history and requires building a civilization that cannot be defeated. I struggled to find many
resources about connecting this game to curricula, but I think if one was interested in the game, they could
definitely find a way.
 https://sites.google.com/site/642toolbox/history-multimedia
This website has history and language arts lesson plans that are connected to using Civilization. They seem
quite helpful and would offer at least a great starting point in coming up with a plan of how to integrate this
game into lesson plans to achieve curricular outcomes.

Works Cited
Jong, M. S., Shang, J., Lee, F. L., & Lee, J. H. (2010). Constructivist Learning Through Computer Gaming. K. Klinger

(Ed.), Technologies shaping instruction and distance education: New studies and utilizations (pp. 207-222). New

York, USA: IGI Global.

Nelson, N. J., Fien, H., Doabler, C. T., & Clarke, B. (2016). Considerations for realizing the promise of educational gaming

technology. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 48(6), 293-300.

Warren, S., Dondlinger, M. J., Stein, R., & Barab, S. (2009). Educational game as supplemental learning tool: Benefits,

challenges, and tensions arising from use in an elementary school classroom. Journal of Interactive Learning

Research, 20(4), 487-505.