In this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Dr. Michele Haiken, an experienced literacy educator, and middle school English teacher, discusses her journey into gamification for teaching literacy. She shares how an educational conference sparked her interest and how students, especially gamers, played a crucial role in implementing it in her classroom, emphasizing student buy-in, motivation, and creativity. The conversation explores aspects like student agency, competition, and cooperation within gamification, along with insights from Michele's book, "Gamify Literacy." A case study from her dystopian unit is provided, highlighting literacy skill development and empowerment. The discussion also addresses the balance between traditional and innovative teaching methods in both middle school and higher education. Michele teaches various classes, including English methods, literacy development, and middle school literacy, and her blog, "The Teaching Factor," shares insights and resources.
Read MoreIn this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, host Dave Eng interviews Jenny Varrichio, an associate director of training at United Healthcare with expertise in instructional design, particularly gamification for adult learners. Jenny shares her 15 years of experience, focusing on integrating gamified elements into corporate environments. The conversation covers her diverse design experiences, her doctoral research on formative game-based activities for workplace learning, and the launch of her consultancy, "Learning Mechanic." The episode concludes with Dave Eng announcing the upcoming launch of Learning Mechanic and encouraging listeners to explore a free course on gamification.
Read MoreIn this episode of the Experience Points podcast, host Dave Eng interviews Terry Pearce, founder of Untold Play, a games-based learning expert. Pearce discusses how he helps trainers, educators, and designers incorporate gamification into learning programs. He highlights his work with organizations like HSBC and the NHS, adapting complex topics like project management into interactive games. Pearce shares his process of tailoring existing materials using gamification principles, mentioning frameworks like Octalysis and Lazzaro's Four Keys to Fun. Listeners can connect with Terry Pearce through his website www.UntoldPlay.com or on LinkedIn for more insights into games-based learning and gamification.
Read MoreIn this episode of "Experience Points" by University XP, Dave Eng and Naomi Pariseault discuss the educational value of the board game "HerStory." They explore its gameplay mechanics, the connection to learning design, and its potential as a tool for teaching and learning. The game allows players to become authors, writing a book about remarkable women in history. They delve into the game's abstraction of research and its tight connection to the goal of publishing. Both Dave and Naomi also discuss the game's accessibility, its potential for serious games in education, and how it inspires players to tell women's stories.
Read MoreOn today’s episode we’ll cover Playing Serious Games. Serious games are games created from the ground up for teaching and learning. These also include games created for a social purpose outside of the more tradition paths of games for entertainment.
Read MoreGamification is a buzz word that has made it around the world several times. It’s one of those ideas, concepts, or strategies that everyone from business leaders, academics, and the general public have either applauded or denounced. But what is gamification? What makes something “gamified?” How can gamification be used strategically? What are the pitfalls of gamification and how can we avoid them?
Read MoreUsing games as a medium for learning is called games based learning. Often times these games are created from the ground up to be used for teaching and learning. These are usually simulations or serious games. However, games can also be adapted for educational purposes. These are called learning games.
Read MoreOn today’s episode we’ll answer the question: “What is Games-Based Learning?” Games are pretty ubiquitous. You can find them in most places. I tend to really love my table top game collection; but there are other gamers who are as easily attached to their mobile phones; tablets; PC’s or consoles.
Read MoreOn today’s episode we’ll cover Game-Based Learning vs Gamification. Both gamification and games-based learning have entered popular culture. That means there’s been debate and misunderstanding about what they are; what they’re used for; and what differentiates them. Some people want to use games-based learning when they mean gamification. Others want to use gamification when they should use games-based learning. Just what is the difference between games-based learning and gamification?
Read MoreGamification is supposed to be fun. That’s why businesses, organizations and individuals use it on a daily basis. Why else would someone play games? But what are the ethics of gamification? What stops one business or organization from doing something nefarious? Is there a limit to gamification? Who should govern gamification? Should it be up to academics, the government, or individuals to police how gamification is used?
Read MoreI connected with my friend and colleague Dustin Staats from Board Gaming with Education on his program Remote Adventure. In this episode we cover Games-Based Learning versus Gamification. There are some similarities and some differences. We also covered some tools that we like to use for integrating games into our teaching, training, learning, and education.
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