Kingsborough Community College

The City University of New York

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

Thursday, April 27, 2017, 12:40pm, M391

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Participants:    Grace Axler-DiPerte, Loretta Brancaccio-Taras, Janine Graziano-King, Mary Ortiz,

Dawn Taitt

1. Grace reviewed what this FIG is about – using educational games in the classroom; in or out of class activities; game must have a goal. A good game has: goals, an end, a way to keep score, motivation is important.
2. We discussed flipping the classroom and games.
3. Janine tried a game in her classroom focusing on “Morals are innate”. She wants students to see two sides of an issue. In her game, there were two student volunteers and each had a side. The object was to find the underlying moral (ex. “Fairness” for affirmative action). The students were engaged, saw different points of view, and figured out the moral. Janine is also using film in her course. She wants the students to see the both sides of an issue.
4. Grace shared experience with someone cleared of murder by DNA evidence.
5. Grace explained for any game, we need a well-ordered problem; then design the game with choices. The game doesn’t have to end; it could have a theme. Ex. “What would be your choices out of prison?” What do we want students to get out of the game? How do we accomplish this?
6. Mary related the activity one College Now teacher did on the Pros and Cons of Fracking using a sheet with a group of 4 students where they have to pass the sheet around and write pro and con arguments on the issue, followed by class discussion of the issue.
7. Dawn teaches World Music and has her students in the modules present music from their culture. Many students find they have more in common than differences. Students make friends; the lines blur. In Music Appreciation Dawn gives the students a map and tells them they are going on a trip. She has them listen to music. They have to go to a concert out of their comfort zone and write a paper using guided questions.
8. Grace distributed a list of resources and recommended Tale Blazer.
9. Grace explained how the game she and Mary made worked. It involves deductive reasoning. We then played the game. We discussed how to get students to thinkDawn suggested giving each person a part of the disease. Grace suggested giving students bacterial parts. Dawn suggested using a Smart Board to display the game.
10. Grace went over the analog games website.
11. We discussed a bingo-like game for world music.
12. Grace shared that Sat, Apr 29, 2017 is National Table Top game Day.
13. Grace shared what the CUNY Gaming Conference was about and what was learned:
    1. Joe Biszs web site; “What’s your game plan?”
14. Our next meeting: Thursday, May 25, 2017 at 12:40pm in M391.

Notes respectfully submitted by Mary Theresa Ortiz