Sparkling Games is a research projects that starts March 2015. Until then, we use this blog to collect relevant ressources, interesting articles and create awareness for learning games and playful approaches to learning. Find more info on the main project page.
Die Schüler/innen-Beiträge zu unserem Projekt—11 Brettspiele und 7 digitale Spiele—wurden im Juni fertiggestellt. Zum Ende des Schuljahres fand am Schulschiff das zweite Austauschtreffen für alle drei teilnehmenden Klassen statt. In diesem Rahmen stellten die Schüler/innen sich ihre Spiele gegenseitig vor, probierten sie aus und gaben Feedback. Es war ein schönes Treffen und ein bereicherndes Schuljahr. Danke an alle "unsere" Schüler/innen für ihre Mitarbeit!
Immer wieder zeigt sich, wie schwierig es ist, über ongoing research quasi live zu berichten. Als Wissenschaftler/innen sind wir eher gewohnt, post-mortem-und-substantiell zu publizieren als ad-hoc-und-kurz zu schreiben. Wir können uns viel vornehmen, aber realistisch betrachtet muss man den Platz im Arbeitsalltag aktiv schaffen, an dem Science Blogging passieren kann.
Mit dem Schulbeginn ist das Scharren in den Startlöchern vorbei, die »zweite Phase« des Projektes angelaufen. Zur Zeit finden die ersten Workshops mit den Schüler/innen unserer Parterschulen statt. In weiterer Folge werden die Schüler/innen die Erhebungsbögen ausfüllen, und mit der Recherche-Arbeit zu Lernspielen beginnen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Recherche können hier verfolgt werden: http://igw.tuwien.ac.at/sparklinggamesdb/. Am 24.9. finden dann die ersten Game Design-Workshops statt.
Local newspaper »Die Presse« covered the Sparkling Games project in an Article that was published in the print version on 25.04.2015 as well as online at http://diepresse.com/home/science/4716714/Sie-wollen-doch-nur-spielen-und-lernen
Unlike engines and kits like Unity or GameSalad, Playr doesn’t require a powerful PC or professional-tier tools to get started — all development takes place on the phone. Well, “development” might be too strong a word for what you’re doing in the app. When you first put the app on your iPhone, you’re given access to five templates for simple games like a vertical 2D shooter or Doodle Jump.
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/18/make-games-on-your-iphone-with-playr/
On March 3rd, our project hast officially started. We are quite excited to welcome Fares Kayali once more as a senior researcher here at the HCI group, and Vera Schwarz at the Department of Communication. First steps have already been taken, eg. contacting schools and preparing the necessary online systems, and it is mostly research design and other preperatory work that will keep us occupied during the next couple of weeks.
das bfi ist eine partnerschule im »sparkling games« projekt.
»By delivering curriculum through the medium of games -- some digital, some not -- Quest hoped to bridge the chasm between what kids enjoy and value in their lives, and what they need to learn in school.«
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/12/quest-to-learn-games_n_6456914.html
Playful learning is meaningful learning. Use our Resource Center as a guide for classroom implementation, educator support, and inspiration.
How can games unlock a rich world of learning? This is the big question at the heart of the growing games and learning movement that’s gaining momentum in education. The MindShift Guide to Digital Games and Learning [PDF] explains key ideas in game-based learning, pedagogy, implementation, and assessment. This guide makes sense of the available research and provides suggestions for practical use.
Artikel im Standard über game based learning, featuring u.a. spiele wie Re-Mission, und mit Wortspenden von Martin Ebner und Konstantin Mitgutsch.
http://derstandard.at/2000009176419/Computerspiele-und-Unterricht-Lernen-fuer-den-Highscore-des-Lebens
»UQ Life was founded to create a smart platform for self-discovery and personal development, and it’s designed to help kids learn through collaborative games.«
http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/30/uq-life/
good blog post on the problems teacher report when using games in theor everyday teaching practice: http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/11/some-struggles-teachers-face-using-games-in-the-classroom/
Twine is, in the dev's own words, »an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories«. Recently, there was a great story on the new york times on the atypical games that are made using twine, and how twine enables (or empowers) games dealing with themes and topics that usually have no chance in the industry:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/23/magazine/twine-the-video-game-technology-for-all.html?_r=0
»Take cybersecurity into your own hands. In this Lab, you’ll defend a company that is the target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. Your task is to strengthen your cyber defenses and thwart the attackers by completing a series of cybersecurity challenges. You’ll crack passwords, craft code, and defeat malicious hackers.«
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/cyber/
A classification of ways games are used in classroom.
http://thejournal.com/articles/2014/11/05/5-skills-that-games-teach-better-than-textbooks.aspx?m=2
Great overview over urban game initiatives, with plenty examples of playful citiy interventions, organizations and experiments: http://urban360.me/2012/08/24/if-urban-life-is-a-game-smart-cities-are-the-playgrounds/
This article discusses the use of AppShed to make mobile apps. Could be useful for settings where the sparkling games kids want to implement their games on mobile. Also, we have to think about building an infrastructure to facilitate distribution of mobile games on all plattforms with equal ease. http://antsict.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/app-shed-get-your-class-making-their-own-apps/
As an open world, Minecraft is both a game and a game builder. Still, I would have never thought that it can further writing skills. Appearently, there are ways: http://liamodonnell.com/feedingchange/2012/04/16/teachers-guide-five-ways-minecraft-and-other-video-games-can-boost-student-writing-skills/
