At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play -- with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn't).
Fun, interactive,
research-based simulations of physical phenomena from the PhET project at the University of Colorado mostly for middle school.
More information...
empowers kids to have fun while they explore their passion for games and game
Features
three fully integrated components: Quests, with exciting adventure games
that provide critical scaffolding for the core principles of game
design; a Player Workshop, featuring easy-to-use drag-and-drop game
creation tools; and Game Alley, a community where players can publish
their games, discover, play and review the games of their peers.
In addition to being a fun game, Gamestar Mechanic was also designed
as a learning platform to foster the development of 21st Century skills
while teaching the principles of game design.
design and
enter great game design competitions.
Puzzlemaker
Teachers, parents and students can generate puzzles. Create and print customized word searches, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.
Video: "Grading with Games" an Interview with Professor James Paul Gee
Professor James Paul Gee:
Good Video Games and Good Learning
Ewan McIntosh:
Terrific Blog About Gaming
Rubric:
Assessing Learning in Virtual Simulations and Serious Games
Anti-Villainy Math Interactive Game
Grade Range: 6-8
As a secret agent in the Anti-Villainy unit, you're charged with using algebra and geometry to thwart the plans of the evil Dr. Wick.
British Science Museum Games
Maths and Science
Their most popular game to date:
Launch Ball
Science and Maths Games and Simulations: Explore Learning
Research based games and simulations. Gizmos help students learn from their mistakes and through experimentation.
Playing History
There are tons of free historical games, interactives and simulations on the web.
Playing history aggregates info on these resources in a simple, searchable database making it easy to find, rate, and review historical games. There are currently 131 shared games.
Xenos
Xenos is a Logic game which is still in development. You can sign up and play.
http://xenos-isle.com/
Our Courts is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. Our Courts is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support.
http://ourcourts.org/
GAMBIT Game Lab, is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the government of Singapore created to explore new directions for the development of games as a medium.
Click here to play the games. Find out more about GAMBIT in
Campaign, download papers in
Read Me, and to play the games in
Load Game.
Lure of the Labyrinth is a digital game for middle-school pre-algebra students. It includes a wealth of intriguing math-based puzzles wrapped into an exciting narrative game in which students work to find their lost pet - and save the world from monsters! Linked to both
national and state mathematics standards, the game gives students a chance to actually think like mathematicians.
http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/
Whyville was launched in 1999 by Numedeon, Inc. to apply over 20 years of research in education and cooperative learning to develop new web-based tools for education.
Researchers have identified the middle school years as a time when children, especially girls, lose their interest in math and science. Studies suggest that exposure to engaging educational and in particular scientific activities during this critical period can substantially influence future academic and career choices.
Whyville is a virtual city, which engages young people in constructive educational activities while promoting socially responsible behavior. It is an outgrowth of the company's extensive research and practical experience related to learner-centered, hands-on, inquiry-based education.
Inside Whyville, citizens learn about art history, science, journalism, civics, economics, and really so, so much more. Whyville works directly with the Getty, NASA, the School Nutrition Association, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (to name just a few) to bring engaging educational content to kids.
Quest Atlantis (QA) is an international learning and teaching project that uses a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 9-16, in educational tasks. QA combines strategies used in the commercial gaming environment with lessons from educational research on learning and motivation. Participation in this game is designed to enhance the lives of children while helping them grow into knowledgeable, responsible, and empathetic adults. Explore our site and learn more about this exciting project.
iCue is a fun, innovative learning environment built around video from the NBC News Archives. Videos, games, and activities correlated to courses in U.S. History, U.S. Government and Politics, and English Language and Composition, and more. A community of friends and learners engaged in discussion around academics, current events, and important issues. A collection of Video Cue Cards, with thousands of video clips from the NBC News archives wrapped in a tradable, interactive virtual card.
http://www.icue.com/
More Games
A choice of games and topics: Filament Games
About Gaming in Education
What if a game's educational objectives are about exploring rather than formally assessing? What if a game is designed to help a player form an opinion rather than be told an answer? http://www.filamentgames.com/node/372