Episode 28
Making Game-Based Learning More Accessible and Inclusive
Brief description of the episode
Gamified learning embeds a lesson within the game, but learning happens around the game too. Games allow educators to create new paths of learning and can bridge curriculum. We discuss this and more in our latest episode with Louisa Rosenheck, Director of Pedagogy at Kahoot.
Key Takeaways:
- Choose games where all the students can participate. This approach is useful for students that have difficulty speaking up. It gives every student a voice and includes everyone in the classroom.
- Leaderboards may not be the best option for inclusivity. Choose games that recognize more different ways of being successful and recognize students’ varied strengths.
- Not everybody knows all the answers to factual questions. Some students have more creative ideas. Some express themselves better through drawing.
- Inclusive game-based learning provides learning opportunities in a game for students to express themselves and share ideas and leverage the classroom community through technology to also celebrate those strengths.
- For learning games, there should be more educators adopting games for learning at all age levels and grade levels.
- Students should be given more autonomy to choose what they play, and how they learn, just the way they might choose a book or another kind of resource.
- Educators should use a learning game as a jumping-off point, an experience for students to explore their own interests and demonstrate learning in ways that are important to them.
- Students should be able to create their own games. There are so many tools for this and it really fits right into the metaverse idea and the creator economy and all of these things where you know people are more empowered to create content.
- Scenario-based simulations that are very hands-on and context-driven. These simulations place you in a realistic situation based on your workplace or your field of study.
- These scenarios are then used to have you make decisions, grapple with difficult situations, or even develop skills to go through certain procedures and ensure your understanding of all proper protocols.
- In K12 these kinds of immersive experiences are super powerful. Students are able to choose what they want to learn or practice. For many students, this type of experience feels more relevant because it is hands-on.
- One of the most important parts of learning through games and interactives is the reflection. Not just play and complete the simulation or the game, there really has to be more reflection regarding what did I learn? What do I still need to practice? How does this transfer to the real world? In corporate training and adult learning it’s especially important to consider that transfer, How to apply the knowledge to workplace goals and culture.
- Games can offer teachers resources surrounding the pedagogy around the game and guide how educators in using the game in the best way to build important skills.
- Accessibility and inclusion are only going to become more prominent. Ensuring UI and UX accessibility. Can the user read this? Can the user see it? Can the user hear it? What kind of fine motor skills are required? Will different input devices be able to work with this? It’s about looking at all of those more tangible, practical aspects, and ensuring that they’re usable.
- Accessibility and inclusion within learning design. What is the experience? Does it give learners different ways to express themselves? Does it offer learners different ways to engage? Can learners adapt the experience based on their needs and how they learn best? It’s really important to think about all learners and make the content as flexible as possible.
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