Game Based Learning (GBL) Faculty Interest Group (FIG) – Notes from Meeting

Wednesday, October 25, 2018, 11:30AM, KCTL Conference Room

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Participants:    Grace Axler-DiPerte, Michael Ortiz, Eric Conte

1. Grace announced the CUNY Games Conference V5.0 on Jan 18, 2019, at BMCC. This year it is a one-day conference.  There will be workshops, a poster session and game demos.  Registration TBA.
2. Grace provided background on the GBL group.
3. We received a detailed update from Michael on his use of Pictionary game-mechanics in his Sociology lecture:
   1. Students drew cards and then had to draw out various aspects of the lecture topic for classmates to guess
   2. As an additional challenge students had to place the “clues” of the Pictionary cards within the context of the overall lecture topic. A great use of leveling the challenges of the game.
   3. Students were engaged and receptive to participating, and were also able to successfully meet the lesson goal. Overall a success.
   4. Michael intends to continue, and expand this activity to other lessons.
4. We discussed Jeopardy!-like games as a useful review tool
   1. Teams seem to work better than allowing students to compete individually.
      1. Allows for strategy (“Which category do we pick?”) and meta-cognition (“What are my strong points?”)
   2. Michael and Eric both use “Jeopardy Labs” a web-based template to make their games. There are also pre-existing games made by other teachers. https://jeopardylabs.com/
      1. We discussed this tool as an opportunity for students to co-design a game by submitting their questions to the template.
   3. We briefly discussed Bingo game mechanics for use as ice-breakers in Eric’s teaching classes.
      1. He adds a role-playing element to simulate students with challenges to increase the topical relevance to the course.
   4. We then moved on to using tools available at JoeBisz.com, “What’s Your Game Plan?”, and complex mechanic game cards to brainstorm a game that introduces students to the primary research literature concerning formative vs. summative assessment.
      1. Eric would like to try this game with an upcoming class and report on it at a future meeting.
   5. Grace had an IF-AT (Immediate Feedback and Assessment Test) scratch off card and demonstrated it’s use.
   6. Michael showed us some great prizes he ordered for his in-class games. Personalized pens ordered online.  Prizes can be great motivators to energize a game!

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