Game-based learning is an educational trend that has gained so much popularity in recent years. At its core, game-based learning involves the use of the learning principles underlying games' play in learning situations. In his book “ What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy”, James Paul Gee mentioned a number of these principles all of which are geared towards improving learners’ critical thinking skills and enhancing their problem solving competencies. Marc Prensky is another thought leader in this field and his book “Digital Game Based Learning” provides a very good explanation of the basics of game based learning.
For those of you using iPad in their teaching, here is a set of interesting apps you can use to incorporate the ethos of game-based learning in your classroom. These are some excellent educational games to engage students in different learning scenarios. We invite you to check them out and share with us what you think of them. Enjoy
At first, this might look like the good old Tile Puzzle - but it is not. You move the tiles the same way: You have one empty square and you have to move the tiles in the correct position using the empty square. The problem is, you don't know what the picture looks like and you don't know the position of the empty square - the correct position of the empty tile might be anywhere.
2- 5 Dice: Order of Operations Game
“A math game intended for upper elementary and middle school students that helps students enjoy practicing their order of operations. The game encourages students to use higher order thinking to solve the "target" number by working backwards given the answer but not the equation. The best feature about this simple math game is that teachers are able to receive immediate feedback of their students’ progress through email.”
Want to improve your math skills with out having to memorize a hundred tricks? Mental Math Cards is designed to help people of all skill levels improve their arithmetic abilities through easy to remember (and use) tips, practice question sets, and an addictive game. Unlike many other math apps, advanced problems are also supported to keep things challenging as your skills improve.
4- Motion Math
“Feed your fish and play with numbers! Practice mental addition and subtraction with Motion Math: Hungry Fish, a delightful learning game that's fun for children and grownups. ”
5- Clockwork Brain
Discover a series of uniquely challenging and stylish mini-games, created specifically to test and improve your cognitive abilities across six areas - memory, perception, language, logic, reflexes and calculation. All puzzles come with adaptive difficulty which changes as you play, so each playthrough leaves you hooked and energized. With its bite-sized, fast-paced gameplay, A Clockwork Brain will help you form the great habit of training every day.
6- Zondle
“The zondle app allows you to play games anywhere to support your learning, to help you remember what you’ve learned in class and to prepare for tests and exams.”
7- Knowledge Trainer
Each lesson tests your wits with 10 questions from 10 different categories. The difficulty level depends on you: get an answer right, you'll move up a level. A wrong answer leads to an easier question. You'll want to move up to improve your Knowledge Quotient, which is recalculated after every round.
8- ABA Problem solving
Touch and Learn is a powerful new gaming platform that allows you to introduce new concepts in a fun and exciting new way. You can use Touch and Learn to teach basic concepts such as new shapes or advanced concepts such as colors or characteristics (e.g. big, bigger, small, smaller, etc.). The possibilities are truly endless and just up to your imagination.
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