It’s already June!? That can only mean one thing – it’s time for an all-new edition of What’s New in Game-Based Learning! ✨
(Image source: Giphy)
Each month, our team likes to highlight their favorite news features, interviews, and articles pertaining to topics relevant to our work – think along the lines of game-based learning, serious games, AR/VR for education, and more! Ready to catch up on the latest news and research? Check out the articles below, then keep watch on the Filament Games Blog so you don’t miss next month’s iteration!
We’ve previously blogged about how digital games like Minecraft: Education Edition and Breaking Boundaries in Science can help foster key social and emotional learning (SEL) skills among young learners. But what about tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) like Dungeons and Dragons? In his fascinating KQED Mindshift article, game-based learning expert Paul Darvasi argues how the inherently social experience of playing DnD can help enhance students’ SEL skills such as empathy, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration – valuable skills with real-world benefits both in and outside of the classroom. [READ MORE]
Remember back in March when Google unveiled their new gaming platform Stadia at GDC 19? Google – along with fellow games industry titans Sony, Microsoft, Amazon, and Nintendo – are all currently making heavy investments in cloud-based gaming, aspiring to develop Netflix-like experiences in which players can stream games to any device so long as it’s connected to high-speed internet. But how will the introduction of cloud-based gaming affect game-based learning, particularly within the context of K-12 classroom settings? EdTech K-12 Magazine’s insights may surprise you… [READ MORE]
First off – if you’ve yet to familiarize yourself with Edutopia’s growing library of game-based learning articles and resources, you should go ahead and do that as soon as possible. Seriously- they’ve got some incredible content! But don’t just take our word for it – check out their latest article which highlights a number of case studies of educators who have successfully harnessed the power of game-based learning and gamification to help their students practice and improve their writing and storytelling skills. [READ MORE]
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of VR for learning here at Filament – we’ve even had the opportunity to work alongside wonderful partners like Oculus and Publications International to create our own educational virtual reality experiences! Nonetheless, VR remains a nascent technology – and while early results have suggested that the tech serve as an extremely powerful tool for learning, the verdict is still out on whether or not VR can have unintended consequences on users, particularly young players. Seeking an overview of the latest research on VR’s long-term effects on development? Look no further than Education Dive’s report. [READ MORE]
Game-based learning isn’t solely limited to digital games – in fact, good old-fashioned board games can serve as a great catalyst for edutainment fun! This fact likely comes as no surprise to Game Informer’s Matt Miller, who recently put together a “top of the table” roundup of awesome board games that teach topics ranging from geography to math. It’s super neat to see dedicated educational gaming content from such an esteemed games industry publication – and we can’t wait to see what game-based learning content Game Informer cooks up next! [READ MORE]
Did you find any of the above stories to be particularly interesting? Did we miss any buzz that you feel is worth a spot on our roundup? Sound off on our Facebook and Twitter – and be sure to check out last month’s iteration of What’s New in Game-Based Learning here!