#games4ed Archive
#games4ed discussions cover ways in which gaming can be used in education. Games mirror the way the human mind was designed to learn. They motivate players to take risks and actions, persevere through failures, set and achieve increasingly difficult goals, and devote attention, time, and effort to acquiring knowledge and skills. All this while the game is tracking the player’s actions and assessing the player’s achievements and skills. Isn’t this what we want from education?
Thursday January 7, 2016
there's a chat! 8pm. Starting now
It's time everyone! Can we breakout of this chat in less than one hour? Let's talk with !
Name, Location, Position: Melissa from Nebraska, 11-12 ELA.
I see what you did there :)
Jon Spike, Tech Integrator from Green Bay, WI. Been loving my thus far. Looking forward to learning from others!
Are you ready to be locked into a tweetchat for an hour talking about escape games in classrooms?
Seriously, the husband just asked if dinner was ready. Doesn't he know it's time??!!
So far, I've escaped every breakout room I've come up against! I'm ready! Let's DO this!
GarrettZimmer,from Ontario Canada, Founder of avid gamer / game-designer and passionate educator.
Matt / Teacher, Author, blogger & host / NJ
Steve from NJ - I teach video game design and development t to middle / high school students
Wendy from San Jose State University, Social Science Teacher Preparation,
Yes!! Lock us in, Scott!! We're at your mercy!
hey Jonathan! Good to see you.
Jeff from NS, Canada joining in! I teach Grade 5
Lori, VT, 7-8 ELA & fellow. Looking forward to learning more about the art of gamifying escape!
Hey & - how did the Webinar go today? I had another engagement, but I plan to watch the recording!
Hi, checking in from Pittsburgh, Spanish teacher,great topics tonight! Such fun!!
Scott Nicholson, professor of Game Design & Development and director of the , Wilfrid Laurier University, Brantford, ON
Jared, high school teacher for the Deaf, here in NYC.
hey I may get to add radio host to my intro soon too :)
Conor/WI/Preservice Teacher. So glad the chat is back! Happy New Year all
Good evening, all! I've got two small videos I will point you to, as this will help you understand what we are talking about.
Hi , I'm intrigued by escape rooms. Tell me more.
Kyle from La Verne, CA tuning in for
Carlos Diaz, Librarian in an international school in Maracaibo. All into gamification
it was pretty great. Thanks! Definitely check out the replay!
Hey Garrett! Good to see you!
I don't know how to break this to you, but you're in one right now... *dun dun dun*... https://t.co/eTQeUNNZwJ
Hi , I'm intrigued by escape rooms. Tell me more.
I want to roll out some game jams in Green Bay, so I will be checking out the recording!
And here's the second video (with mild spoilers to my own BreakoutEDU game) to give you a feel of it: https://t.co/YNOhExZY5a
Hi everyone! Glen here from MN! Escape rooms?? Awesome!!
hi Steven! Good to see you!
LOL! Stick around , and is going to lead us...or send us to solitary, one of the two ;)
Well, - I am going to avoid that video so I can try your room out someday!
I didn't know about it, but I just might now that I do!
Q1: If you have played a recreational escape room, tell us about your impressions and what struck you.
great video! My students need to create an escape game!
A1 We were FULLY immersed. In our room, there was a fake "bomb" about to go off, and we actually backed away from it at one point!
Looks so cool, I need to try the Spanish one, and create one, have space on laptop for a sticker :)
Jean, university librarian in California. Hi, Steve!
thanks Melissa. I'm checking it as you tweeted me lol
And if you haven't played in an escape room, here's a great resource for finding one nearby: https://t.co/0Zp5MKQy00
My sister is attending one in Niagara in a couple weeks so I'll have more info than.
Guy is completely winning the GIF contest tonight!
Hi - I'm Lynne from Lincoln, Nebraska. Loving the work with Breakout EDU!
Q1 I haven't, but I think the striking thing about them is the challenge, and deep thought that they require.
I had my Brit Lit kids do one...they realized it's a lot tougher than it looks!
A1 I had to miss, but friends loved the teamwork/prob solving/collab/ was so real/immersed in scene
A1 Only in digital spaces, but I'm planning on doing one this spring! I love the narrative that ties to problem solving
Hello everyone! Genise, Administrator in Birmingham.
I haven't been to a commercial escape room, but I got to participate in a game at a PD session in Dec. Very engaging!
a1. We did one in Boston a dozen years ago wth Egypt theme. My kids had a blast! As an adult, we didn't want to look dumb!
Escape rooms come various sources: live-action games, haunted houses, point&click adventures, reality TV, interactive fiction
Hi s, Todd Beard, K12Tech Teacher Flint MI on sabbatical with Microsoft, excited to and w/
so cool!!! Scott Nicholson for president!
Engagement, problem solving, communication and collaboration are cornerstones of the classroom escape room experience!
A1: I've always planned them, never participated :( But Ss love it...working together, throwing out ideas, great energy!!
A1. I am struck by how unique each room is & how each requires collaboration, focus, communication & resilience.
Agree with the immersion factor. It's what makes playing any game enjoyable for me. I want to be in moment
A1: I've done several escape the rooms and I love the collaborative element. You MUST work together to get out.
Hi Sorry I am late… Just finished up dinner and ready to escape with all of you.
Michael Matera
Milwaukee WI
please do! Would be great to meet f2f
A1 It reminded me of the game Gone Home. All of the artifacts in the room told a story about the narrative. Great symbolism!
dean from Michigan, hello all!
I've never planned one but always been in one. Wanna swap? :-)
Don't be put off by the term "escape rooms". About 30% of escape rooms have nothing to do with escaping.
A1 Different games/scenarios allow educators to hone in on certain aspects of content or skills that they wish students to learn!
Agreed about the uniqueness of the rooms - very cool how each "designer" thinks differently about the puzzles.
did they create their own?
That's something I've considered too... Sometimes you may find a clue too early, and it breaks the progression
Welcome fellow Nebraskan!! Glad you're here!!
Great chat as always with great educators
Open Source - I like this
Q2: Have you had any experience with escape games in schools? If so, please talk about what it was used for and the impact.
Such an amazing group! So honored & lucky to have tonight!
the games I've created in the part fall into this. One game Ss were even trying to break IN!
A1: 1st impressions of escape room, LARPing is way cool and fun. Toys R’us had it right. I don’t want to grow up…
As escape games are live-action games, it's easier for many people to create them, and thus, reflect their own design ideas.
A2 Designed a Romeo & Juliet Escape Room for 9th graders. LOVED their moment of excitement when they found that ONE clue they need
A1 the problem solving aspect of it that drives enjoyment, full engagement and processing ideas at an in momment level.
haven't used breakout room, but intrigued by critical thinking and problem solving involved
I love that uniqueness...and how you can tailor it to fit your content and kids!
I've been on a team where a clue was overlooked, but we found a way around it. Games are unpredictable.
The group-based experience gets eyes off of the screen and onto each other. The shared physical experience is important.
A1: Incites interest, engagement and demands problem solving.
a2. I ran with the Rudolph rescue game before x-mad at school and kids have demanded MORE!
A2: My first was to reveal that we had a class set of Chromebooks!
I need to try this out, but I need an example for history before I do it
A2. I discovered & was inspired to create a history-based game. It worked great for engaging students in the content.
not YET but would love to get my kids creating them and think it would be great for PD
Another key (ha!) to escape games is that they are facilitated experiences. The game master can help the players stay on track.
A2: Not yet experiences one in school, but I really want to create one for my midterm and one for my final exam.
For those that have used escape rooms in EDU, what kinds of things do you think your Ss got out of it most?
Games where a facilitator can be involved in adjusting the game to the player work much better for learning experiences.
À2b: Ss were asking for days after when we'd be playing the next one!
A2: I first tried on Halloween, more for fun. Later had Ss plan one for intro to Beowulf.
Can I ask how difficult it was to create? Was there a lot of prep? Did you have to gather many objects? ie: locks?
Q3: For those who have played or run escape rooms, what things emerged from the players/Ss that you didn't expect?
Darn, I must leave early! thanks for moderating this sry to miss the rest, I'm very interested in what you're doing!
I have used with students, staff and admins. I have found adults and children have very different approaches to them!
I think A LOT of the students had never experienced that much failure in a short period of time. Good for resilience.
A2b. Another set I did where clues had literary/language techniques.Teams had to match clues up correctly with terms b4 final clue
critical thinking and teamwork were what my kids loved the most, as said, the play is what is important!
In my research on escape games, one pleasant surprise is that it is a form of gaming that is played equally by males and females!
Teacher as game master/DM
Was just thinking about its use for inservice days. Anyone ever done it for PD? https://t.co/lLLrUMqcgO
not YET but would love to get my kids creating them and think it would be great for PD
Very much unlike most game companies, there are many women involved with the design and business of running escape rooms.
. Builds great culture! But also they really retained the concepts/content from the clues in
A2 Students seem to attack problems at face value while adults look for something deeper. Both end up finishing at similar times!
Escape games are being used heavily for corporate training, so they can also work well for professional development.
a3. Best thing I noted was seeing my "alphas" take a backseat to my deep thinkers and metacognative s's
A3. Ss tend to surprise me with their ability to think outside the box and their unique take on puzzles.
I see just post about using it for PD!
Why shouldn't we use it for PD? Teachers love to play too!
Escape games are also starting to appear in museums, libraries, and other learning spaces as a family activity to explore a topic.
Agree. Encourages critical thinking.
A3 I think almost ALWAYS, the quiet, bright kid finally speaks up with the clue that BREAKS OPEN the game (which is awesome 2 see)
A3: Non-traditional Ss, show us the power of seeing the world differently as they quickly, and almost effortless solve a problem.
“: Teacher as game master/DM ” too true! We do it every day, why not make it fun & engaging
Q4: What topics could you see working well in an escape room? Would it a be formative or summative experience?
A3. Many Ss realized how bright an insightful our introverts were. So glad to see Ss open their eyes to their colleagues!
I don't know anything about this topic but I'm enjoying sitting in the back of the room, listening & learning.
Totally agree, - I actually completely missed your tweet and posted a similar sentiment, heh. You said it better, heh
It is always great to see students escape and say 'Wow, we actually did it'. That post game self belief inflation is great!
Definitely the attributes needed for student success.
The great thing about the platform is that there are many free games available, and a place for you share yours!
Sounds something like National Treasure
Congrats, - super pumped for you! My only worry is that I have NO idea what GameMaker Programming is!
A3: students advocating for others that aren't getting a chance to be hands-on with the locks and clues
Agreed Nick. It is powerful to see a group succeed and even better, see them reflect on that success.
I'd love to know more about your research on this. Any particular resources you would recommend?
A4. I like to use it for a formative assessment. Gives me a chance to see my students problem-solving & collaboration skills.
. I'm loving all these ideas...using it for PD, too! Very cool! Get Ts excited about games!
a4. With the setup the whole escape room is now portable for any content area, using pretty much the same materials
Yup. I think I'm going to try an EscapeRoom in my library.
And our very own has his Mathematician's Code on the Breakout EDU Games page!
Congrats buddy! That is awesome. I am proud of you. No easy task but it will help others so a huge thanks.
Escape rooms are formative and summative experience. Depends on content/skills. What do you wish for participants to take away?
It's amazing how often that happens! The more outspoken ones aren't the ones who usually solve it!
I did a study where I surveyed 175 escape room facilities from around the world - the results are at https://t.co/vpgXoZECzh
I'm currently designing a game to teach about chemical and physical changes for grade 5 science. My past games have been reviews
The 'Aaah' moment when students 'get it'. Isn't this why we are educators?
That's the power of coop games: Pandemic, Hanabi, Telltale's LEGO coop multiplayer,
A4:I plan to use it for summaries assessment, but it could easily be formative as well. I don't see a topic it can't handle!
Q5. If you have created an escape room, either recreational or educational, what are some of the biggest challenges you've faced?
A4: I've used it for formative assessmt, but also for introducing a new unit like Beowulf. Ss made clues based on content
A4 We did Romeo & Juliet as review before a summative. I would say my Google Advanced Search was really a Formative check of sorts
My Lead Learner had all the staff do a break out room for inservice at the start of the year.
Read your article and found it very interesting. Inspired me to play as many escape rooms as I can.
I really like the idea of students creating a Breakout Room in either groups or individually! How fun!
That sounds so cool! I want to do that.
I love coop games. Have you guys played ESCAPE! Just did this one at Game club. AWESOME!
I've created an escape room for a military fort in the US. We ran it in Madison at Games, Learning, and Society last summer.
a5. Working on one right now just trying to align standards to "prove" awesomeness to admin
maybe this book is for you then :)
I'll check it out!! Been playing a lot of One Night Ultimate Werewolf with Ss
A5 For a spring conference, my team and I are going to be making an EtR, and we've never done it before
A5 The biggest challenge is keeping the game design focused on overall learning goal. For me that is historical thinking skills.
To make an escape game for classrooms, you want to start with the learning outcomes and setting, and keep true to those throughout
A5: The importance of beta testing! :) Need a tester to make sure everything is laid out and ready
A5: finding the sweet spot for clues that are challenging but not frustrating. The ones I think will be obvious aren't at all.
A5 I think it's hard to know how people will "process" a clue. I have written limericks that have completely sent Ss the wrong way
A5 This is the first time I heard about this, but as a DM I've created dungeons and the main problem is graduating the difficulty.
hopefully you will escape soon!
TOTALLY agree with this, - the clue I thought was "easiest" actually was the last clue solved for nearly every group!
A5: Building something that could be used outside my classroom. It would be easier if I attached it to things in my book & class.
It was. I divided them into two gps, then they solved each others'. It was cool--not perfect, but learning all around!
I am lucky - my fiance usually is willing to try out my rooms first, heh!
Do I really want to escape, though? This is fascinating!
Love 2 rooms and a boom. Best buy of 2015 for me… And that includes my new car & mac
Q6. The concept of giving hints is unusual in game design. Talk about giving clues or receiving good/bad clues as a player.
Agreed. Some clues throw them for far off loops but seem so obvious to me. Others they nail immediately!
Agreed - it's hard to have others do my Romeo & Juliet room EXCEPT ELA teachers and students who read it, heh.
I agreed it'd be fun to just sit and observe others during the experience
If a teacher wanted to get into Escape Rooms, but had no idea where to start, what readings would you recommend?
One way to design for specific content is to have references available in the game. It will take time away but force searching.
A6 I am completely unfair when it comes to clues. If a team is WAY behind, they get a big clue. Teams crushing the room get bad 1.
A6: most of the time the clues I give is walking them through what they have already found. This calm approach helps them see more
Did you know that many recreational escape rooms lie about their success rate? They want players to feel good about winning.
A6: Timing is important. I've had hints offered too early and it stifles my desire to explore. Too late builds frustration.
join the Facebook community for . Lots of great conversation there!
A6 Oh I love clues, hints and Easter Eggs in my game design.
It's good to be game master, right? https://t.co/m5XWq4bSSI
A6 I am completely unfair when it comes to clues. If a team is WAY behind, they get a big clue. Teams crushing the room get bad 1.
The Memori escape room (at the archives of Western Australia) allowed players to have a good ending, no matter how far they got.
A6: I've had to give clues, hot/cold "Stacy's on the right track" "Listen to Cory." As mentioned, keeping it a "good" frustration
And review is such an essential life skill. What a great way to discover new information!
Absolutely! Except I find it more nerve-wracking than BEING in the escape room!
Giving hints and clues is a valuable option. We give them to students to help them learn content/skills, so why not in games?
Really? Makes sense, but never considered it before...
One of the advantages of the escape game design is that it can require many different skills to win, so everyone can get involved.
Agreed with on this - I like to give "Shoutouts" in-game to players who are close to what they need.
Q7. What is more exciting than playing escape games is have your students MAKE escape games! How could you see using this?
A6: hard not giving hints with my reactions/facial-expressions. Ss can tell when I get excited that they are on the right track...
The concept offers two hint cards. Some group use both, one or none. Depends on the group/game but a great option.
Completely agree. Competition is what keeps energy up! I never claim that the gamemaker is fair ;)
So true! I actually had one team assign a player to watch me for any reactions I had that might show they were close..
Great idea! I'm going to use this one in the future! https://t.co/pKt0kVZ5K1
One way to design for specific content is to have references available in the game. It will take time away but force searching.
Just finished 's book so in my head, big clues are life jackets thrown to those who need it. I prefer to let Ss explore.
A good escape room facilitator uses the concept of flow, and tries to keep the players engaged, a little frustrated, but not upset
Q6. I agree with the idea of giving hints when teams request them. This lets them control their own game play.
A6 clues help skills, guide the story, and increase good clues lead to , a bad clue? hmm
A6b: playing more often Ss get better at holding off on using clues. 1st time hints were used up in 10 min. Last time, none used!
. I watched videos at to get me started. Designers explain how to set up games and get you going
A7 I cannot think of a better way to show your KNOWLEDGE of a topic than being able to create an EXPERIENCE about it! Ss can do it
One way to put clue giving in the game is to have a protagonist character that the teacher plays in the game.
Heck no! Jump right in! We're trying to break out of this that has locked us in! ;)
A6 I actually pretended to be trapped in Google Man's lair, and Ss had to break me out. Claimed I could Google Hangout two "hints"
In my fort escape game, the players found someone chained up in the room. This person was their cluegiver to keep them on track
Yay!!!! Ooooo sounds so fun !
Q7. My teacher preparation students would really enjoy designing their own games.
In the escape room experience, users decide a) does the group really need a hint? b) what part of the game do we need a hint with?
A7: Love Ss creating escape rooms. 1 must really know the content in order to build a chamber that some can get out & others can’t
tips- good, I'm not too late
https://t.co/KZFybACmxm
The concept offers two hint cards. Some group use both, one or none. Depends on the group/game but a great option.
If you are ready to make an escape room, I am running a BreakoutEDU game jam this weekend.. and you can participate from home!
A7: Ss created games when starting Beowulf. They researched & made clues based on AngloSaxons, vikings, language of the period.
A7 Great chance for students to understand having good "Flow" to their games, right ?
Awesome! Did you get pictures of this???
A7: I love the idea of having kids design their own escape rooms! Sharing the resources between groups would be tricky...
I will be sending out instructional videos to those registered, and running a Twitch channel for the jam with hourly updates..
. I love this added layer of metacognition and collaboration for students! I need to do this in my games!
That is right! Flow is key with this sort of thing. Working to the point of frustration can be a good thing.
Ooh! Tell us how to get involved, please!
Tell us more! https://t.co/ri08rfIFsp
If you are ready to make an escape room, I am running a BreakoutEDU game jam this weekend.. and you can participate from home!
If you want to sign up as a site, which can be just you, to make a BreakoutEDU game this weekend visit https://t.co/TOs81w9tF3
Thank goodness I just read the "Flow" section of EXPlore Like a Pirate last night, heh.
I am new to this... What exactly is am escape room game?
ooo- I like this. I did this w/ documents on labor & demographics in LAmer. I like the https://t.co/vdPJs1qKBX
A1 It reminded me of the game Gone Home. All of the artifacts in the room told a story about the narrative. Great symbolism!
The Twitch chat will be running with our livestream, I'll be answer questions, and you can make a game on your topic.
Both staff & students should create games! To either engage learners or demonstrate learning! Then share their work with others!
Q8: If you are interested in making a BreakoutEDU game this weekend, what will your topic be?
Details, please? https://t.co/jqfthY3wi9
If you are ready to make an escape room, I am running a BreakoutEDU game jam this weekend.. and you can participate from home!
Shout out to and for inspiring us to teach outside of the box.
Again, the URL with more information on the game jam this weekend and how you sign up as a site - https://t.co/LNqcMzK5lj
A8 My next Room will be for To Kill a Mockingbird - SUPER excited! Already collecting artifacts & clues!
A8 I'm running it past my team! I'd love to be a part of this!
A8: I'd love to build a game around literary elements or, dare I say it? Grammar.
A8. Working on a US History game for 4th/5th graders on the Transcontinental Railroad!
is there...like.. a fav for newbies cause I only hear of this yesterday
Making escape rooms can be great activities to do with families as well. As it's an analog game, everyone can be involved!
I agree. So often they are SO close, and just need to be reminded of what they already know.
This would be awesome as I am pretty sure that it would be a lesson learned. Totally get on this one Jared!
I'm hoping to join in for a bit! I'd love some input from others.
A8: Ooohh...Canterbury Tales, methinks.
Would. Play. Immediately.
A8: I'll be working on my grade 5 science game on changes in matter!
You are an Escape-Room-Creating Machine, sir!
Thx! Also working on setting up a game using your book! Maybe a breakout could help them discover their houses/guilds.
Q9: So, what excites you the most about trying an escape game in your classroom?
I have earned no such title.. Haha this will be my 3rd!
A9 Student engagement and motivation
I did it. Made clues with jargon, alliteration, allusion, etc. Ss had to match up with term b4 earning final clue
A9: Seeing my Ss excited about discovery. Having an immersive and interactive classroom.
A9: I love imagining and planning. Thinking what Ss need to know most, creatively integrating it into clues
A9 The most exciting parts of escape rooms is engagement, team building and of course, the LEARNING
Q9. Getting students up and learning through movement and collaboration.
I hope that you'll consider making escape games, and then sharing them with the world through !
I think the only VT escape rm running right now is Burlington trying to escape Trump shenanigans!
Jared, I love this as it truly brings kids to new heights… They didn’t even know possible. https://t.co/1Whk8ZhKE7
A9: Seeing my Ss excited about discovery. Having an immersive and interactive classroom.
It's on my calendar! :-) Also handing your book to my supervisor and CEO. They need to get aboard.
A9: getting Ss excited about school and learning! Offering them learning experiences they haven't had before.
Thanks to and the team for a solid chat this morning! Hoping we can stay connected!
Yes! I do have that and pics of the matching poster I used! Let me get it together and I'll blog it this wknd!
A9 The reactions of the students. The squeals of joy when they break open the game or decipher that tough clue. Irreplaceable.
And the Amazing Matera will be leading a couple of chats next month! ! I'm gonna be there for both! https://t.co/TXMsge1TOg
Great chat everyone! Great to connect with all of you at ! Let's stay connected!
And I hope to see some of you this weekend online making your own BreakoutEDU game! More info at https://t.co/kFuB5sJM0t
