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What’s New in Game-Based Learning – March 2020

Welcome to What’s New in Game-Based Learning – your regularly scheduled roundup of the month’s hottest game-based learning, serious games, and AR/VR in education news stories! Check out our hand-picked selection of articles below, and be sure to let us know on Facebook or Twitter if we missed anything.

Five Best Practices Teachers Can Learn from Dungeon Masters (KQED News | Mindshift)

More than 40 years after its inception, fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons is currently in the midst of a huge surge in popularity – and educators are catching on. From free ISTE resources, to a dedicated Teaching with DnD Discord community, and even acknowledgment by Wizards of the Coast themselves, there are so many online resources designed to help educators incorporate DnD into their classrooms. Of these, we’re particularly fond of Paul Darvasi’s series of Dungeons & Dragons articles for KQED Mindshift – which makes it extra exciting to highlight his latest piece detailing five key Dungeon Master skills that educators can apply to their teaching. [READ MORE]

A New Wave Of Indies Are Using Games To Explore Climate Change (The Verge)

While video games can’t reverse the effects of climate change, they can certainly be harnessed as a form of conservation education – as shown by the games highlighted in this new article from The Verge. From highlighting the effects of human impact on ocean life in E-Line Media’s Beyond Blue, to heavy themes surrounding the dangers of overconsumption in Crema’s Temtem, many indie games of late feature strong environmental preservation elements. And while it wasn’t mentioned in the article, we would be remiss not to give a shout-out to Eco, the community-based natural resource management game from our friends at Strange Loop Games. There really has never been a better time to be an environmentally-conscious gamer! [READ MORE]

Virtual Reality Advances Bring New Possibilities to Higher Education (EdTech Magazine)

As VR tech matures and becomes more widely available, higher education institutions across the country are taking note. And while the road to successful VR implementation for early adopters may have some bumps along the way, early reports from several institutions show incredible potential for the technology in numerous settings. Check out these profiles of higher ed VR pioneers in this new article from EdTech Magazine! [READ MORE]

Analysts Expect ‘Dramatic’ Long-Term Growth in AR, VR Training Tech (HR DIVE)

According to a new report from workforce and education nonprofit Jobs for the Future (JFF), immersive learning tech like VR, AR, and MR are poised to see dramatic growth in training settings over the next five years. Here at Filament, we’re huge believers in the power of immersive tech to transform learning – both as a cost-saving measure in corporate training settings and a method of safely replicating scenarios that are too expensive or dangerous to recreate in real life. As educational game developers, we’re thrilled to see interest in XR training grow as the technology matures – and we’re excited to spearhead new XR training projects in the coming years! [READ MORE]

No Smoke, No Water, No Waste. VR Could Train the Next Generation of Firefighters (CNN)

As large-scale wildfires continue to make news headlines in California, Australia, and around the world, firefighters are responding by exploring innovative methods of training new personnel – with some turning to immersive technologies like VR. And while much of the hype behind VR firefighting training lies in its ability to recreate dangerous scenarios in safe and controlled settings, it’s also worth noting the reduced environmental impact of immersive training. Traditional training methods result in the release of smoke, chemicals, and other toxic emissions into the atmosphere – while VR training can replicate the same scenarios, without the need for harmful pollutants. [READ MORE]

Hungry for more learning game news? Treat yourself to our February 2020 roundup!

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