Blog — University XP

I’m a big proponent of gaming and games-based learning for improving the work of educators and student affairs professionals. I use a lot of board games in my practice like Pandemic and Hanabi to build teamwork with my student staff through cooperation and synergy.

games-based leareningDave EngFebruary 22, 2017rules, key terms, rule booksComment

Start Using Games-Based Learning Today!

Games are just one of many ways to teach and educate students. Specifically, games are very useful in three areas: they provide a shared experience where students work cooperatively to solve a common problem; they provide a structure to explore creativity; and they also provide a framework for understanding how complex systems work. In this post we’ll explore all three ways educators can make use of games-based learning for their students.

experiential learning, game design, games-based leareningDave EngDecember 30, 2016experiential learning, experience, creative, modelsComment

Higher Ed Social XP, HP, and Crits

I took advantage of the great opportunity to be interviewed by higher ed social. Higher ed social is a podcast for higher education. Lougan Bishop who is the Social Media & Digital Marketing Specialist for Belmont University along with co-host Jackie Vetrano, the Web and Social Media Coordinator at Genesee Community College grilled me about all things games.

podcast, games-based leareningDave EngSeptember 25, 2016Higher Ed Social, Lougan Bishop, Jackie VetranoComment

Student Player Type: Socialize, Achieve, Explore

There are definitely different types of people in the world. And like people, there are different types of gamers. This post will explore the characteristics of those players and how games cater to and challenge these players. Student affairs professionals will be able to connect this to their work by understanding how player motivation can help motivate them through the gamification of learning.

games-based leareningDave EngSeptember 9, 2016gamification, player types, socializer, achiever, explorer, killer Comment

Your Achievements List

Most student affairs professionals I’ve met are a competitive bunch. We strive to do more, see more, learn more, and achieve more. That’s not unlike many modern games where we are awarded for the little steps along the way known as achievements.

games-based leareningDave EngAugust 3, 2016achievements, Flow StateComment

Experiential Learning: GAME ON!

This post will go into greater depth as to HOW learning in a games-based learning environment happens. It all starts with constructivism.

experiential learning, games-based leareningDave EngJune 17, 2016constructivism, experience points, get invovledComment

Games-Based Learning here we come!

Every day more of my attention has to turned towards my dissertation. This blog was originally created as a way to explore games-based learning through my work as a student affairs professional in higher education. So the following post outlines what I plan to study through my dissertation as well as how it will add to education’s body of knowledge.

games-based leareningDave EngJune 1, 2016higher education, games based learningComment

Conversation Points

If you’ve ever seen a DIE HARD movie (or really any action movie) you’re going to remember some memorable and tense hostage negotiation sequences. The title game Hostage Negotiator by Van Ryder Games has all of this and more. Its tense nature kept me and my students on the edge of our seats the entire time we played.

Blended High Impact Experiential Learning (BHIEL)

This past February 12, 2016 I was honored to present at the annual NYU Student Affairs Conference at their Kimmel Center of University Life on my work in Blended High Impact Experiential Learning for my staff trainings. Below is the program abstract and outline. If you weren’t able to make the presentation I have provided both the Prezi and Blended Versal Course so that you can share the presentation out with your staff. Enjoy!

experiential learning, games-based leareningDave EngMarch 12, 2016blended, high impact, experential, learning, games based learningComment

What’s your system?

Big systems, small systems, fast systems, slow systems. Pretty much everything, everyone, and everybody that we work with is part of system: large or small. But how do those systems work and how do they affect you? What does my work on this committee mean for the university? What does buying Marvin Gardens mean for the long game of Monopoly? Will selling off my AMEX stock really affect the London Stock Exchange? This is SYSTEMS thinking and there are four main ways to think about them: big (macro), small (micro), simultaneously (synchronous), or linearly (asynchronous). You got to have a system to navigate a SYSTEM, right? Keep reading to find out how.

systems, games-based leareningDave EngMarch 4, 2016systems, systems thinking, micro, macro, Synchronous, AsynchronousComment

Hard Fun

What is fun? What is hard fun? Is there easy fun? Gaming and games-based learning uses the fun of games, the joy of engagement, and the thrill of overcoming challenges as powerful motivators to get students to meet learning outcomes.

games-based leareningDave EngJanuary 21, 2016hard fun, fun, motivation, easy funComment

Wait your Turn

A few days ago I had a conversation with an old student of mine that was having trouble staying focused after graduation. “There’s just not much for me to do,” my former student said when discussing time spent after college.

games-based leareningDave EngSeptember 25, 2015professional developmentComment

Baby you’re a Firework

Hanabai is a cooperative card game designed by Antoine Bauza. Players are dealt a series of cards face down. These cards are never revealed to their holders. Instead they can only provide information to teammates around the table. Each card comes in one of six colors: green, blue, red, yellow, white, and rainbow. In addition each card has a rank: 1-5.

experiential learning, games-based leareningDave EngSeptember 11, 2015hanabi, games based learning, cooperativeComment

“Red Cubes in Taipei” Pandemic & Games-Based Learning

Recently I applied Games-Based Experiential Education concepts through the use of the board game Pandemic. I did this for a student staff development in order to meet the learning outcomes to develop cooperative teamwork, critical thinking, strategic decision making, and identify group diversity. Pandemic is a cooperative board game designed by Matt Leacock. The game’s theme is based on the premise that four diseases have broken out throughout the world. A team of specialists from the Center of Disease Control (CDC) need to work together and apply their specialized abilities in order to stop outbreaks from turning into turning into a worldwide Pandemic.

What is Games-Based Experiential Education?

Games-Based Learning and Experiential Education are two concepts that are the heart of this blog. But before we take a look at both, we should first define what each of them are.

games-based leareningDave EngJune 29, 2015experiential learning, games based learningComment