display. Badges may seem simplistic, but they have been used to recognize experiences at post-secondary institutions, and for job training and employment opportunities. Badges can be arranged online in databases such as
openbadges.org.
Game-based learning – Gamifying learn- ing is a little like chocolate coating. If the task is somewhat unpleasant, adding game ele- ments can make it easier to swallow. Howev- er, some of the greatest value of games comes from the games themselves. For example, co-operative games teach collaboration and social competence. The research on games has consistently shown that, in many ways, playing is learning! According to
pocketgamer.biz there are
over 100,000 educational apps available at the Apple App Store. Introducing education- al apps or online programs can supplement instruction and provide welcome opportu- nity to practise important skills. Video games already come preloaded with the kind of mo- tivational elements that foster development. Video games can even inspire innovation. Have you heard of Foldit? Foldit is a game
that made the news recently because its play- ers may have helped save the world. Foldit is a problem-solving puzzle game designed by protein scientists to provide players oppor- tunities to fold proteins. Folding proteins is an important component of bioengineer- ing, helping scientists to tackle problems in medicine such as disabling the flu virus. Over a span of 10 days, 60,000 people played the game and the top scores were analyzed. The players’ contributions led to new findings and were reported in a journal article. Not all classroom games have to be digi-
tal. When I was teaching Grade 4 measure- ment, I had a hard time teaching centime- tres and millimetres. I couldn’t persuade the students to practise until we created a game that required measurement. Pirate-themed movies were big that year, so we created a naval warfare game. My students created their own model ships and movement cards. Each turn in the game was planned ahead and when the ships were within firing range (10 cm, 5mm), they could fire on each other. Of course this meant that at every turn my students were measuring. Not only did they enjoy playing during math period, but I always had a group of students who would stay in at recess to play.
Game design – Up to this point, game ele- ments have come through the teacher’s influ-
ence. But what if the students were allowed to design games of their own? As I described in a previous Voice article (Fall 2013), my daughter used Minecraft to build a digestive system for her Grade 5 project. If you don’t know Mine- craft, it is a creative block-based computer building game that can be used to demonstrate knowledge. Schools have used the game-design elements of Minecraft to teach every subject from language and history to civics and art. If you are interested, look up
MinecraftEdu.com, a community of educators who use Minecraft to design interactive learning. For those students who aspire to be pro-
grammers, web-based programs provide op- portunities for students to create their own video games. (I would have loved that when I was in Grade 5!) For example, Gamestar Mechanic teaches users how to program video games. Students can log on, complete the training activities and design games to demonstrate their knowledge. Games can be used to model the water system, the 12 Labours of Hercules, problem solving or other curriculum-specific tasks.
YOU’VE DONE IT!
Having this article sectioned off into “lev- els” may not have been the main motivator to read to the end. But whatever the reason, you’re here now. You’ve read the entire ar- ticle. The truth is that accumulating points and reaching levels can be very effective for students who appreciate the consistent feed- back and achievable goals. Adding elements of games into our classrooms can help our most vulnerable students focus in class and demonstrate their best work. For those of you who were motivated by
the promise of great resource ideas, here are a few more:
• Flipquiz uses the model of game shows to structure response times:
flipquiz.me.
• Kahoot is designed to provide an engaging interface for quick responses:
getkahoot.com.
• Socrative is an audience-response game interface that allows for the creation of games filled with classroom content:
socrative.com. n
Jeffrey MacCormack is currently on leave from his classroom pursuing a PhD in Education at Queen’s University. He is conducting research on several topics including social skills interventions for chil- dren with autism, emotional well-being and rates of physical activity of school-age children, using interest-based programs to increase motivation, and the effect of morphological instruction on deciding abilities of elementary school-age children. He is a member of the Simcoe County Teacher Local.
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ FEDERATION OF ONTARIO 39
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INTRODUCING EDUCATIONAL APPS OR ONLINE PRO- GRAMS CAN SUPPLEMENT INSTRUCTION AND PROVIDE WELCOME OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTISE IMPORTANT SKILLS. VIDEO GAMES ALREADY COME PRELOADED WITH THE KIND OF MOTIVATIONAL ELEMENTS THAT FOSTER DEVELOPMENT. VIDEO GAMES CAN EVEN INSPIRE INNOVATION.
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