Using Games in Education

	Level: Beginner Instructor(s): Amanda Edwards, Christin Walth & Tyler Vogel Time Blocks: 5 weeks Availability: Enrollment for this class will be opening shortly. For more information, please contact the course instructor Christin Walth at christin@gameinstitute.com.

General Course Description

With Using Games in Education, you can bring the opportunities of digital games into your classroom. This ten unit course explores "why games"—the theories of educational gaming—and "how games"—the practical aspects of implementing educational gameplay. At the end of your video games and education course, you will be prepared to integrate computer games into your students’ learning. Teaching with games will be a powerful tool. You will:

• Discover the principles behind the learning power of video games in education.
• Learn how to choose the best games for your students.
• Understand how to prepare yourself and your students for an educational gaming experience.
• Learn key tips from teachers and professors who are teaching with games.

The knowledge gained from Using Games in Education can be applied to any class environment and any grade level. Lessons are not limited to specific subject matters or games.

Using Games in Education is graded on a Pass-Fail basis. To successfully complete the course, you must submit a PowerPoint-style presentation, a detailed lesson plan, and a post-course survey. Participation in on-line forum discussions about games and learning is strongly encouraged.

Topics Covered

• What is a game
• Types of games
• The Digital Native student
• How we learn from games
• What makes a game educational
• How to select a game for education
• Getting to know a game
• Planning a game-based learning experience
• Integrating the game to learning objectives
• Preparing the student
• Preparing the classroom/technology
• Assessment

NB:	For more detailed information on the topics covered by this course offering, please download and review the UGE Lesson Plan. (To view this PDF, you will need to ensure that you have installed the free Acrobat Reader 7.0 or above.)

Who should take this course?

Using Games in Education is designed for teachers who want to integrate computer games into their classes. They know games can be valuable teaching tools, but wish to learn more before adding games to their toolset. The course is also for school and district educational technology coordinators, who want to help their teachers teach with games.

What are course requirements?

You are required to have regular access to a computer and the Internet. You should be comfortable exploring the Internet; listening to audio files; viewing video files; creating, editing, and saving word processing documents; and creating and saving presentations using PowerPoint or similar tools.

If you are not a “gamer” (a regular game player) going into this course, not to worry! You won’t necessarily be a gamer at its conclusion, but you will understand how game players think, how games are played, and why games are effective teaching tools. If you are a gamer, your appreciation of games will only deepen, as you learn the theories behind the fun of games.

What materials do I need?

You will need a copy of Making History™: The Calm and the Storm installed on your computer. This software is complimentary, as part of your Using Games in Education registration. Instructions and key codes will be sent to you upon your acceptance into the course. Making History™ is a PC-only game. If you only have access to Mac computers, please email the course instructors.

If you have any further questions about registering for Using Games in Education, please contact the course instructor at christin@gameinstitute.com.