Educational games for students

Contents:

• How a university campus was turned into a literary and historical game
• How biologists saved themselves with games during quarantine

In the article "How Student-Developed Games Changed My Approach to Teaching History" for The Conversation, Clulow shares her thoughts on the importance of gaming in the educational environment. He discusses how student-led game development can impact perceptions of historical events and how they are taught. Clulow emphasizes that such projects not only make learning more engaging but also help develop a deeper understanding of complex historical concepts.

On the one hand, the standard essays students wrote for the course did not facilitate in-depth study of the subject. Essays were typically two to two and a half thousand characters long, which is clearly insufficient for a full immersion in the topic. In contrast, the game developed by his students had dialogue that reached 30,000 characters, requiring students to study numerous historical sources to achieve authenticity. On the other hand, Clulow believes that university faculty should be actively involved in the creation of game content, which can significantly improve the quality of education and student engagement.

We will not be able to create products comparable to those developed by professional studios. However, we can develop engaging games that can be used both in colleges and, most importantly, in schools. Teachers are constantly looking for proven, high-quality educational content. Unlike traditional academic essays, which are written solely for one person—the professor—video games created by talented and motivated students can be engaging and useful for thousands of students across a wide range of educational institutions. These games not only entertain but also educate, making them a valuable tool in the educational process.

The Clulow students faced intense study challenges, as the game features 13 characters, five different endings, and 30 carefully crafted images. Each element required not only a general understanding of the topic but also in-depth analysis of numerous sources to obtain the necessary details. This work allowed them not only to develop their research skills but also to deepen their knowledge of game development.

The future historians, lacking experience in game development, decided to simplify the task and create a quest novel. Thus, Ako: A Tale of Loyalty was born—a unique graphic novel where players make decisions on behalf of the young samurai Kanpei Hashimoto. The result of their efforts is a game accessible to everyone, including schoolchildren across the country, allowing them to better understand Japanese history. According to Clulow, this project was a valuable experience for the students, as none of them had previously delved into the subject at such a deep level.

After the successful completion of the project, the teacher initiated an internship with Epoch: History Games Initiative, whose goal is to create and publish free educational games in collaboration with students. The project's website currently features three games, including one dedicated to Russian history, "Reaction to Revolutionary Ideas." Set in 1877, the game places players in the shoes of a journalist seeking to see their work published. The player's primary objective is to network with prominent journalists and editors from various factions, including Slavophiles, Westernizers, populists, and the undecided, to establish collaborations and advance their ideas. This game not only develops critical thinking skills but also provides a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in historical context and understand the complex political dynamics of the time.

How a University Campus Was Transformed into a Literary and Historical Game

The University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA) represents a unique case study in higher education. Since 2012, this university has been actively developing educational games, thanks to the efforts of faculty and students in relevant fields. While working on these projects, the developers concluded that game development not only enhances the learning process but also improves learning. Thus, the university actively uses gaming technologies to improve the quality of education, making it an example of the successful integration of innovative methods into the educational process.

The university developed a unique creative writing course entitled "Stories, Maps, and Media: Creating the Wisconsin Experience." Participants were asked to create interactive games on five different topics, including the Black Hawk War, Effigy Mounds National Monument, and the Bucket and Shovel Movement. Over the course of six weeks, students were tasked with developing a website, creating a demonstration video, and creating the game itself using the free ARIS augmented reality platform, developed at the university. This platform allows you to add special points to the map with photos, videos, and text descriptions, making it possible to create both engaging routes and quests. When a player approaches within about nine meters of a marked object, information about it is automatically displayed on the screen, making the gaming experience more interactive and educational.

In one of the games developed by students, a Native American guide assigned players specific tasks, such as finding specific locations or collecting virtual items and documents. These items could be exchanged for points. While navigating the campus, the user used an app that allowed them to "see" hidden objects, such as "Indian burial grounds." This game concept combines elements of augmented reality and physical activity, creating a unique experience of interacting with history and culture.

Students majoring in game development were faced with the challenge of searching through archives for information and inspiration. They had to choose the core idea or problem they wanted to address in their projects and develop a game structure. Writing texts and creating original videos were key steps. Throughout the course, the course instructors took a hands-on approach, teaching students how to work with software directly during game development. This method turned out to be more effective, as it allowed students to practice the necessary skills and better understand the game creation process.

The course creators highlighted the key benefits of learning through game creation. Firstly, this approach promotes active student engagement, as gameplay is motivating and makes learning more engaging. Secondly, game creation develops critical thinking and creativity, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Furthermore, this format promotes teamwork skills, as many projects require collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Learning through game creation also helps develop technical skills such as programming and graphic design, which are essential in today's world. Finally, this method allows students to receive feedback on their progress, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the material and increased confidence.

• Students master communication and teamwork skills, try themselves in new roles - developers, designers, producers, and so on;
• At the end of the course, they receive a finished product that is useful not only to themselves but also to others;
• Thanks to the game format, students began to pay closer attention to the structure of the story they create, engagement, and other aspects of professional excellence.

How biologists saved themselves with games during quarantine

Not everyone has access to their own platforms or advanced technical capabilities. In such cases, computer or mobile games can be replaced with board games that are available for playing online. This is a great way to enjoy the gameplay without having specialized equipment at hand. Online board games allow players to interact and compete with each other while maintaining the atmosphere of traditional games.

In the spring of 2020, as the world transitioned to distance learning, teachers Ashley Heim and Emily Holt of Cornell University (USA) decided to conduct an experiment for students in an ecology course. They sought to achieve several goals: first, to motivate students to delve deeper into their chosen topic, and second, to help them cope with the boredom caused by lockdown and isolation. The experiment was an attempt to make learning more interactive and engaging in a context where traditional teaching methods were limited.

The course authors challenged students to develop their own games based on topics they would explore during the course. During this process, certain rules were established. These rules will help students organize the development process and make their games more interesting and engaging. Each game should reflect the key concepts covered in the course and showcase student creativity.

• The game could be in any format other than the typical question-and-answer format (that would be too simple);
• Students first agreed on the topic and format with their supervisor or instructor;
• Beginning game designers needed to choose props that could be found in any home, the rules of the game should be available online, and ideally, the game could be played in a virtual space;
• The chosen topic for the game needed to be thoroughly researched, and the description should include at least five trusted sources;
• The game itself had to be consistent with the course objectives and serve as a basis for discussion or reasoning on the topic.

Creating a game turned out to be one of the assignment options, but it was this approach that attracted the most attention. As a result, 94% of students chose this idea.

Students formed groups of three to four, chose topics, and worked on their projects for six weeks. The resulting projects ranged from a Monopoly-like game where players purchase species and populations of living creatures, trying to avoid natural disasters, to a Crocodile-like game where players guess a word from a small picture.

Next, another group of students—the reviewers—got to work. They had to evaluate the games without knowing who created them. The reviewers downloaded the necessary materials and played several games both online and offline, depending on the specifics of each game. They took photographs of the process and left their feedback. Teachers also participated in the evaluation of the games and noted that the students completed the task excellently. Students said the online course not only expanded their knowledge but also provided a great opportunity for fun and social interaction. This experience allowed them to develop critical thinking and analytical skills, which is an important part of learning.

Read also:

• Why does the teacher ask us to come up with memes as homework?
• Why are zombie apocalypses being organized in schools and universities?
• How history teachers develop empathy in students?