Game-based learning should just be another tool in the belt, as far as educators in higher ed think, particularly useful for "learning moments" that can help students succeed, according to new research from Muzzy Lane. Likewise, game-based learning is no good if it's pricey and complex to develop; it needs to be inexpensive and "authorable" by the faculty members themselves. And don't forget, students say, to make the games mobile so they work on the same devices the students like to use.
Carnegie Mellon University has teamed with a private partner to develop novel interactive tools to teach students about energy at Elizabeth Forward Middle School.
Many higher education institutions are working on initiatives to maintain a culture of creativity and innovation even in difficult economic times. CT spoke with Vice Provost for Research and Strategic Initiatives Lee Kats, to learn about Pepperdine University's Waves of Innovation model.
Brown University has landed a $1.5-million three-year grant to improve a curriculum designed to help students in middle and high school learn algebra concepts by creating video games.
The Learning Interactive Visualization Experience Lab at Texas A&M University's Department of Visualization is hosting its second annual 48-hour video game building competition, or "game jam."
Muzzy Lane Software is introducing its new set of tools that will let educators create their own games for their students in beta release and eventually wider distribution.
NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering created an online pre-registration tutorial that uses gamification to motivate students to participate, keep them engaged and help them understand course requirements and curricula.
Excelsior College will integrate gaming and advanced simulation in five of its courses over the next year. It is one of the first steps in an initiative to integrate game-based learning across its entire curriculum.
Adobe has entered the learning management system market with the introduction of Adobe Captivate Prime. The company has also released an updated version of Captivate, its e-learning authoring tool.
"When you have a platform that kids absolutely love — parents can't peel them away from it — and when it's one that can also be used to provide bona fide educational experiences, it would have been criminal of us not to use it," according to Aaron E. Walsh, founding director of the Immersive Education Initiative.