Meaningful Play 2016 at Michigan State University

Session Information

Title	Integrating Video and Board Games into Classrooms
Presenter(s)	Phill Cameron, John Beals, Val Waldron and Brenda Imber
Time	Friday, October 21, 2:30p-3:30p
Location	Lake Michigan
Format	Workshop
Description	This workshop is designed for two groups of people. First, it is for instructors who would like to incorporate off the shelf games into their classrooms, but do not know how to start. Second, it is for instructional designers who are designing non-academic workshops or courses based on off the shelf games, or who may be assisting instructors in academic curriculum design based around games. This workshop will give attendees a series of lenses similar to the work Jesse Schell did in his book "The Art of Game Design" through which to evaluate how well, and in what ways, off the shelf games may fit into a particular assignment, unit, or course. During this workshop, we will use a pilot course from summer 2014 as a case study to discuss issues we encountered while integrating games into the curriculum, including (but not limited to): Designing the curriculum to create a structured environment meant to teach students the course material Transforming the casual experience of teaching a game into an opportunity to learn practical material Tools to assess learning throughout each class session and to encourage students to stay focused on learning goals Logistics, concerns and challenges that emerged during the initial pilot phase Human and departmental resources required during the initial pilot phase In small groups, we will play a game used in the pilot course, then we will reconvene and brainstorm ways in which this, and other games, can be used at various levels of instruction. In the final segment of the workshop, participants practice what they have learned by evaluating several hypothetical case studies intended to provoke thought about using games creatively in the classroom and integrating games into courses or programs. Attendees are encouraged to bring in their own scenarios for further discussion.

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