#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?
Let's start and introduce ourselves!
Melissa from Nebraska, 11-12 ELA. Super stoked to learn more about #AR and #VR and #mixedreality tonight!
#games4ed
Hey #games4ed N from 🇨🇦, #edtech creator and enthusiast. In the middle of a deep dive on some game mechanics / mastery metrics, so will be checking in and out.
Matt from southern Illinois, 5-8 ELA. Looking forward to hearing more about #AR and #VR and #mixedreality in the classroom or after-school program.
#games4ed
Took my nephew this summer to check out a local VR place. So so so much fun. Although I was so sore the next day after 2 hours of bows and arrows. #games4ed
A1: This looks so fun--I could definitely see how much fun kids would have with this. Active play just activates all kinds of thinking, and some students really do learn better this way #games4ed
Not a teacher, but I will. 🙂 The whole time I was playing all I wanted to do was make a VR game. Too many things to do, not enough time/money. #games4ed
And I think you're so right. Even though this happens to be rote, you still have to hit the DOK1 to be more fluent and reach the higher DOKs. #games4ed
Yippee!! Jon is here! Right now do you do a lot of #AR#VR work with your pre-service teachers? Is it something they're familiar with or new to them? #games4ed
A1 I may have to be a contrarian here and wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze with the #AR app shown... not sure what the technology adds besides novelty, as @MrRoughton mentioned. #games4ed
Q2 #AR Portals allow your students to walk into other places such as this example using AR Portals @TeliportMe. Similar to Dr. Strange, students can walk into other dimensions. How could you use #ARPortals in educational gaming?
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/Zs2sGDud61
Q2 #AR Portals allow your students to walk into other places such as this example using AR Portals @TeliportMe. Similar to Dr. Strange, students can walk into other dimensions. How could you use #ARPortals in educational gaming?
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/Zs2sGDud61
I wonder this about a *ton* of edtech. So much relies on the novelty factor, and very little has been studied over long term use. From what I've seen, the ones that last long time are usually tools (like google docs) and not so much content delivery (like games). #games4ed
The novelty matters though. I played a ridiculously stupid game at the movie theater preshow the other month that was literally an ad. It had AR though so I played it. Twice. #games4ed
A2 I think the Portals app becomes really powerful when you have students designing galleries of interesting experiences based on what they find significant in their research & learning and share it with others #games4ed
A2: This is such a powerful way to introduce students to new places. Could you set up two different portals to two different places? Then have students compare the two places? #games4ed
Q3 Here's a fun game using #AR Portals called AR Moon. Students would "walk" on the moon & hop into the rover & collect specific items. What do you believe is most appealing about this type of activity for students?
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/zkExmyAUsY
Definitely novelty, but to add another layer is that my daughter @ellianabee is able to retain spelling words that she couldn't otherwise. Getting up and moving, seeing the words all twisted and having to work hard to correct the spelling was hard 4 her, but helped. #games4ed
Novelty is great to get people to try something. It just can't be counted on for long term effect. And, I worry about using novelty sometimes, as it can result in a "this is it?" and turn people off from trying it again (when it's better). #games4ed
The last part is something I try to emphasize a lot--games are great and effective, but so much more power when students can create and synthesize. The same applies in both the analog and digital worlds #games4ed
In reply to
@MusingsOnEdTech, @Mr_JSpike, @MrRoughton
Totally agree. I love love this use of technology, especially with students who don't have the opportunities that other students experience, such as traveling and the arts #games4ed
A2 I think the Portals app becomes really powerful when you have students designing galleries of interesting experiences based on what they find significant in their research & learning and share it with others #games4ed
Yes, and it's so fun to see the story in your cube. I think it can be the start of a writing project or an extention of the story. So much! #ARVRinEDU#games4ed
Yes, just as with all technology - we must put teaching and learning purpose at the forefront before tech and apps. It is not about tech for tech's sake but must think about how to help Ss learn best for input & output #games4ed
In reply to
@mpilakow, @MusingsOnEdTech, @Mr_JSpike, @MrRoughton
Novelty is a factor for sure, but depending on the customization of the game and the ease of implementation, etc, I could probably whip up a vocabulary game that's every bit as engaging & collaborative. This one feels like a stretch to incorporate right now as is. #games4ed
Q4 I love that learning about content can be fun such as this example. @arCircuits let's you learn by trial and error until you learn the different components of a circuit board.
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/Zf8HMsgQz8
Just to clarify, I didn't find value in this game initially, until I gave it to my daughter (dyslexic) who couldn't remember her spelling words. One game is all it took for her to remember and for the long term. She spoke about it at #ISTE18 in Chicago this summer. #games4ed
In reply to
@MusingsOnEdTech, @MrRoughton, @Mr_JSpike
A3: Understanding true size. I remember the first time walking under a rocket at Space Camp when I was a kid and not realizing how massive it was. This is how we could bring it to all our kids #games4ed
Q3 Here's a fun game using #AR Portals called AR Moon. Students would "walk" on the moon & hop into the rover & collect specific items. What do you believe is most appealing about this type of activity for students?
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/zkExmyAUsY
That's an important point. What's valuable is in the eye of the beholder. We need to remember that - just because something isn't useful to *us* doesn't mean it's not *useful*. #games4ed
In reply to
@JaimeDonally, @MrRoughton, @Mr_JSpike
In my daughters case, the letters that we twisted made her brain work extra hard to understand (dyslexic). In addition, getting up and moving activated her brain. Last, the rearrangement of letters to make the word was hard for her. It mattered for her #games4ed
Absolutely about proportionality. In addition, feeling like your actually on the moon makes the learning more relevant. Although I didn't show all the challenges in the video, it demonstrates walking in #VR. #games4ed
Q5 Did you know that students can be creators of the games using #ARVRinEDU? Here are some examples of creating #AR for our students. Have you ever tried any of these tools? If so, what was your students responses?
#games4ed
I've never seen this before. So cool! Love how this could teach connections...connecting vocab words with synonyms, connecting characters of a story, sequencing events, etc. #games4ed
Q4 I love that learning about content can be fun such as this example. @arCircuits let's you learn by trial and error until you learn the different components of a circuit board.
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/Zf8HMsgQz8
Ah, this is an interesting angle... I was thinking from a 1:1 or whole class perspective, but I like this activity as targeted practice for individuals who might learn best in this manner. I just don't know that I would have 30 students do this, heh! #games4ed
A4 I really like this kind of learning, where students experiment with various parts that influence the entire system at work. Testing hypotheses in real time by trying new components... good stuff! #games4ed
That would be awesome! I know there are other examples out there, such as Abe Lincoln, but with science and earth, it's especially powerful since they may never get the chance in real life! #games4ed
I know practically nothing about circuit boards, but using @arCircuits made it fun and engaging. Definitely exciting to learn content in an exploratory way. #games4ed
Q5 Did you know that students can be creators of the games using #ARVRinEDU? Here are some examples of creating #AR for our students. Have you ever tried any of these tools? If so, what was your students responses?
#games4ed
It's also good for people like us who know nothing about circuit boards to do it in #AR, as it greatly reduces the chance we electrocute ourselves, heh. #games4ed
A3. I'm gonna fly something else up the flagpole to see who salutes. This is very neat and can spark curiosity but is this an effective vehicle for delivering content? Without an effective lesson plan supporting it, I wonder how effective this particular application is #games4ed
Q3 Here's a fun game using #AR Portals called AR Moon. Students would "walk" on the moon & hop into the rover & collect specific items. What do you believe is most appealing about this type of activity for students?
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/zkExmyAUsY
Q6 Of course, I can't leave out #VR. Here are some resources for your students to create #virtualreality games. Why is this important for our students to create #ARVRinEDU content?
#games4ed
A5 We did a @MetaverseApp to find various places around our college with hidden items... it was kind of fun to have them search around for the key they needed to "solve" the tour! #games4ed
Love that you had a chance to "play" with @wallameapp! There are #AR#VR apps that haven't seen the benefit of using the resource in education yet, but I'm hoping they do soon. #games4ed
A4 now this is more like it. Not quite immersive but offers the opportunity to explore and discover new skills and material. Here, the AR makes otherwise scarce manipulatives a little more tangible. #games4ed
Q4 I love that learning about content can be fun such as this example. @arCircuits let's you learn by trial and error until you learn the different components of a circuit board.
#games4ed#ARVRinEDUhttps://t.co/Zf8HMsgQz8
Depend on your content. If you're a science teaching with content on the rover and the moon surface, then it would fit nicely. I think AR Moon represents a change in "walking" through portals. This is so much more realistic than just putting on a headset. #games4ed
A6 I really like students being able to not only build 3D experiences in @cospaces_edu but also block code their experiences to be interactive based on user actions. Really powerful creation tool for unique demonstrations of understanding! #games4ed
A6 I really like #VR experiences like SculptrVR and Blocks where students can design and print their creations. Here's a student in Blocks for a project #games4ed
Q7 If you're interested in getting started with #ARVRinEDU, here is a resource to get you started. What would you say is most important when using #AR & #VR with gaming?
https://t.co/pSdZV69w2g#games4ed
So the real activity is, what's wrong with this moon?? haha! There are more activities in the app, but I was showing that the surface tracking allowed mobility in the experience. You should check it out. Also, I'm not a fan of the ads. #games4ed
Q7 If you're interested in getting started with #ARVRinEDU, here is a resource to get you started. What would you say is most important when using #AR & #VR with gaming?
https://t.co/pSdZV69w2g#games4ed
A7 As has been mentioned before, make sure you are utilizing #ARVRinEDU because it helps enhance the lesson, extend the learning beyond the classroom, or engage the students in new ways. If it does not achieve these goals, consider why you are using it. #games4ed
A5. I'm skeptical of AR as an educational tool but love that these tools exist to let educators push the boundaries of its applications. Perhaps I'm in Gartner's "Valley of Disillustionment". I look forward to the plateau of productivity ;) #games4ed
Q5 Did you know that students can be creators of the games using #ARVRinEDU? Here are some examples of creating #AR for our students. Have you ever tried any of these tools? If so, what was your students responses?
#games4ed
Q8 Final #ARVRinEDU resource (for tonight)! I love #games4ed using #AR & #VR, such as breakouts, competition, challenges. One of my favs is #AR scavenger hunts. @waypointedu is fantastic. How can this type of play work in your classroom?
Definitely lends itself to the #STEM courses because they can solve problems using math, engineering, etc. I would also throw #ArtED in there too... I've seen some GORGEOUS 3D designs in both SculptrVR and Blocks. #games4ed
A7 As has been mentioned before, make sure you are utilizing #ARVRinEDU because it helps enhance the lesson, extend the learning beyond the classroom, or engage the students in new ways. If it does not achieve these goals, consider why you are using it. #games4ed
A8 Love this idea for #BreakoutEDU experiences. Using #ARVRinEDU as another layer to hide clues and solve parts of mysteries opens up a lot of unique puzzle potential! #games4ed
I do like the idea of having one student walk through the portal and cruise around on the moon, then have students critique the experience based on what they know about the moon. Where's the moondust? Gravity? Other celestial bodies? THAT would be neat! #games4ed
And I would say that not all students will be attracted to it which is okay. But I can see potential in using merge cube as a way to publish short writing or student created meta verse journeys to demonstrate learning #games4ed
I’ve wanted to do geocaching for a while now, especially in conjunction with outdoor play. I haven’t tried this app before...may have to try it with my kiddies this weekend! #games4ed
Yes, THANK YOU to @JaimeDonally for the great insights and resources, as well as being a good sport with all of my "Devil's advocate" comments, heh. Thanks @mpilakow for hanging in there during your son's game too! #games4ed
I think you're not the only one skeptical tonight 😄 Maybe next time I can showcase some other apps that are more content heavy. I hope you still have some interest in digging in #ARVRinEDU further. #games4ed
