Game Based Learning (GBL) Faculty Interest Group (FIG) – Notes from Meeting Three S24

Tuesday May 28th, 2024 at 12:00PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Location: Zoom

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (BIO), Annice Paolino (BUS), Mary Ortiz (BIO), Tom Lavazzi (ENG), Lilja Nielsen (BIO), Nathan Cooper (ART), Jonathan Macagba (ART). This meeting was online.

• The Reacting to the Past Annual Summer Institute will take place at Barnard College from June 6^th-9^th, 2024. More information can be found here: https://reactingconsortium.org/event-5616945
• Reminder, please fill out the Post-Semester Survey, which will be sent out later today. It helps direct the group, and allows the facilitator to gather the appropriate tools for next semester.
• Nate shared that he will help organize a “Hack-A-Thon” next Fall at KCC. It will be a hybrid event over the weekend of 10/5 and 10/6/24, as part of the NASA Space Apps Challenge.  This is a global event and this site will represent Brooklyn.  No coding experience is necessary.
• Annice shared how she uses Kahoot! in her in-person business classes as a fun and engaging test review.
• Grace demonstrated free and subscription versions of Kahoot!
  • How to find free games in the website’s library
  • How to find questions and write your own questions
  • We played a synchronous Kahoot! from the free Kahoot version.
  • Looked at free vs pay options of the software, and its capabilities
• Tom shared randomizers for assignment prompts and word cloud assignments using flippity.net free tools.
  • A demonstration was done on how to set up the Randomizer and Name Picker tools.
• Discussed TaleBlazer, which is now supported for iOS and Android v. 14+.
• Jonathan shared a card game he uses in class to prompt students to create or discuss art. The flippity randomizer wheel can be used for this, and may allow instructors to add options more quickly than cards.
  • Nate shared that the card game “MockUps: A fast-paced game for people who build to think” is similar, but is currently out of print.
• We looked at flippity manipulatives, which Nate shared is similar to Miro (and Jamboard, which is being phased out in Dec 24). Miro is a virtual whiteboard where you can create, share and manipulate “sticky notes”.

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

Tuesday May 7th, 2024 at 12:00PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Location: Zoom

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (facilitator, KCC BIO), Mary Ortiz (KCC BIO), Annice Paolino (KCC BUS); Cia Kessler (KCC KCeL), Lilja Nielsen (KCC BIO), Nathan Cooper (KCC ART), Mercedes Wilby (KCC HIS), Carrie Jedlicka (KCC LIB), Victoria Somogyi (LaGuardia CC ELA)

This meeting was online.

1. Introductions: New participants shared name, department and how they are currently/would like to use games in their classrooms.
2. Had a short recap of our previous meeting. Mercedes had tried making a connections puzzle for her students and also assigned them the option of making their own as an extra credit opportunity.
   1. We discussed how student generated games may make their thought processes more clear in learning the material.
3. Discussed how to gamify discussion boards using riddles and puzzles that students make, and their classmates solve.
   1. Grace provided two examples.
      1. Directional terms of the body.
         1. Students give each other “clues” that refer to a specific body region using anatomical and directional terminology. Their classmates then have to respond by guessing the region.
         2. Students use constrained language to explain a concept covered during the week. In this case I used “Up-Goer 5”, but similar work can be done with other constraints like single syllables, or avoiding a list of “Forbidden Words” (similar to Taboo).  Classmates then have to guess the concept and justify their response using evidence from the clue.
      2. Nate mentioned his tour at GUMBO, a space for game developers in Brooklyn. They have monthly events that may be of interest. https://gumbonyc.org/events
      3. Carrie mentioned the augmented tour of the library, several classes have used it to explore! Carrie and Mark are working on updates and expansions, and may need play-testers.
      4. Annice spoke about using cards in her classes to have students concept-map, as well as students assuming real-world “roles” when learning using Excel and Access.
      5. Reminder: KCTL now has several copies of the book: The Educator’s Guide to Designing Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises: The Allure of Play, by Joe Bisz and Victoria L. Mondelli. Please contact KCTL for more information.
      6. Discussed use of Kahoot! games synchronously and asynchronously. Next meeting we will demo and try to create some Kahoot!s.
      7. Our next meeting will by at noon via Zoom on 5/28/24 (Tuesday).

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

Tuesday March 26^th, 2024 at 12:00PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Location: Zoom

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (KCC BIO), Carrie Jedlicka (KCC LIB), Thomas Lavazzi (KCC ENG), Annice Paolino (KCC BUS), Mary Ortiz (KCC BIO), Christina Colon (KCC BIO), Mercedes Wilby (KCC HIS), Lilija Nielsen (KCC BIO)

This meeting was online.

1. Introductions: Each participant shared name, department and how they are currently/would like to use games in their classrooms.
   1. Participants mentioned a wide range of experience with and needs for GBL.
   2. This semester will focus on developing and strategizing games for different modalities both online and in-person.
2. Discussed and played the New York Times Connections daily puzzle: https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections
   1. Introduced a design-your-own Connections puzzle web-tool: https://connections.swellgarfo.com/
   2. Played a “GBL” version of the game, designed by Grace: https://bit.ly/gamemechanics1
   3. Discussed how Connections-like games could be used in classes”
      1. Make vocabulary and concept linking exercises (advertisements, concept values, bones, historical figures, etc).
      2. Have students share connections puzzles they make via discussion board, and allow students to solve them.
   4. Discussed how to gamify discussion boards using riddles and puzzles that students make, and their classmates solve.
      1. Will have examples next meeting.
   5. Talked about “Reacting to the Past” as a longer gaming experience in the classroom. https://reactingconsortium.org
   6. KCTL now has several copies of the book: The Educator’s Guide to Designing Games and Creative Active-Learning Exercises: The Allure of Play, by Joe Bisz and Victoria L. Mondelli. Please contact KCTL for more information.
   7. Discussed use of Kahoot! games synchronously and asynchronously.
   8. Next meeting we will show examples of the games and activities discussed during this meeting.
   9. Our next meeting will by at noon via Zoom on 5/7/24 (Tuesday).

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

Friday April 21, 2023 at 1PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (KCC BIO), Lilja Nielsen (KCC BIO), Victoria Somoygi (LaGuardia ELA), Jeffery Delgado (KCC LIB), Annice Paolino (KCC BUS), Amy Haas (KCC BUS)

• We began with Jeffery discussing his grant to further develop his information literacy tabletop RPG.
  • He is navigating the IRB to be able to do research using his game.
  • Explores the six pillars of Information Literacy, students get points for identifying aspects during the players’ gaming experiences. This is an excellent way to ensure learning and review of concepts during the game.
  • The game was shortened to be played in a single 90-minute session. We discussed how shortening games to a single meeting can help make the game more accessible and useful for teaching and review, as opposed to a multi-meeting investment.
• Amy shared an escape room she created for her online students currently using team-based learning.
  • Her escape room is Google Slides-based and uses letters as keys to unscramble the final lock.
  • The topic is “Recording Transactions”.
  • Students complete the escape room during a Zoom meeting where the rotating team leader shares their screen. The course is a hybrid course.
  • The locks are simple and point to where students need to find clues.
  • An example escape room made by Grace can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/ye2yymhm (How to make an Escape Room).
  • We discussed how the role playing aspect of the escape rooms facilitates interactions among students
• Lilja discussed her use of Jeopardy-style games, and role playing as parts of a muscle contraction in her in-person classes, but is teaching online and wants to move some playful activities there.
• Jeffery mentioned Kahoot! as a possibility. We discussed ways to use Kahoot! asynchronously and motivating students to achieve a particular score by winning against the professor.  Students can submit proof of completion by screenshotting their final score screen.
• Amy shared Crossword Labs (com/ ) as a way to create team crossword puzzles online. Discussed ways to use TBL in hybrid classes.
• Spoke about moving in-person games online using Discussion Boards
  • Can have students make riddles and clues based on the topic, which their classmates can solve and present text-evidence that led them to their answer.
  • Add a constraint to make it more challenging like Up-Goer 5 or only use one-syllable words, or introduce “forbidden words” that can not be used.
• Annice discussed her use of Kahoot! as a pre-test during in-person classes. She also uses randomization during role play by having students pull charades type prompts out of a hat.  Online she uses assignment choice to facilitate Universal Design.
• Victoria uses a win-against the professor competition in her classes, challenging students to write a shorter paragraph than her in her ELA classes to teach concise writing.
• A doodle poll will be sent out in late August to set meeting times for Fall 2023.
• Have a great summer!

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

Friday April 21, 2023 at 1PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (KCC BIO), Lilja Nielsen (KCC BIO), Tom Lavazzi (KCC English), Victoria Somoygi (LaGuardia ELA), Caroline Jedlicka (KCC Library), Mary Ortiz (KCC BIO), Annice Paolino (KCC BUS), Amy Haas (KCC BUS)

• We began with Introductions and what participants have been working on/ are interested in.
• Participant interests include:
  • Annice mentioned using activities and Kahoot! in class.
  • Amy spoke about using games already developed in the GBL FIG.
  • Lilja discussed translating small games/activities used in-person to an online environment or developing new games.
  • Mary mentioned a game where she has statistics students determine if a scenario meets the criteria for a binomial distribution.
    • A modification was suggested where students try to come up with additional scenarios for their classmates to solve.
  • Carrie and Tom are working on using augmented reality to introduce campus resources and also to meet learning goals.
  • Victoria spoke about her game where ESL students write one true paragraph and one false one. Classmates then determine which is true, and the students get practice writing paragraphs.  Recognition is given for “bests” among the students.
• The CUNY Games Network and Conference were discussed.
  • Annual conference is usually held in the winter. For the past few years it has been online with a possibility of future events in-person.
  • First Friday discussions have not started up again yet for 2023.
  • For more information and past/current events visit: https://games.commons.gc.cuny.edu/
• We demoed and discussed Tale Blazer.
  • Tom shared his progress with the Tale Blazer (taleblazer.org) tutorial and modifying a demo game.
  • Grace showed the Tale Blazer software from the programming and from a perspective.
    • How to move the location of a game.
    • Enabling “Tap to Visit”
    • Seeing how the block coding language translates to in-game views and actions
    • Introducing choices and scoring into your game
  • Tom shared his modification in creating a new character into an existing game.
  • Amy shared an online tool to make crossword puzzles. https://crosswordlabs.com/
• Victoria shared a game she uses to teach punctuation. Students write a sentence without punctuation and then their classmates figure out the appropriate use of periods, commas, etc.
• Annice shared that she uses a similar activity.
• We went through a quick overview of Flippity.net tools, and will demo and discuss additional uses of the tools on flippity.
• Our next meeting will be on May 19^th at 1PM.

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

Friday March 24, 2023 at 1PM

Grace Axler-DiPerte, Facilitator

Participants: Grace Axler-DiPerte (KCC BIO), Lilja Nielsen (KCC BIO), Tom Lavazzi (KCC English), Victoria Somoygi (LaGuardia ELA), Irina Newman (KCC English), Caroline Jedlicka (KCC Library), Monica Joseph (KCC Allied Health), Kathryn Giamo (KCC College Advancement)

• We began with Introductions and what participants have been working on/ are interested in.
• Participant interests include:
  • Working with Tale Blazer to create augmented reality games/ tours for classes and orientations
  • Using Kahoot! to create collaborative experiences by having students work in pairs.
  • Creating small games and activities for online classes
  • Getting ideas for games that aren’t “technology heavy” and will be accessible to students who may not be comfortable with computer programs or have access to wifi or other technology resources.
• Kathy introduced herself to let everyone know that there may be grants available to develop games at KCC and for GBL research. Please reach out to her for resources and ideas.
• We spoke a bit about augmented reality games and the Tale Blazer (taleblazer.org) app.
  • The block coding language is new and can be difficult to master.
  • Augmented reality games can have challenges with multi-floor indoor spaces, since X, Y coordinates are used, the Z-axis can be difficult to distinguish.
  • Tom suggested that perhaps having a different mini-game for each floor could help.
  • Caroline mentioned that Meta is has augmented reality and virtual reality software that could be helpful for her interests and non-programmers.
  • Kathy mentioned in the chat that wayfinding issues on campuses might be helped by augmented reality technology.
• We discussed net tools especially manipulatives.
  • Manipulatives can be used particularly with concepts that involve categories.
    • Classes of microbes
    • Types of tissues
    • Building a menu or treatment plan
    • Organizing an essay or part of speech
  • Flippity tools have an advantage that no coding or html is necessary, and they are free to create and use
  • Each time a student clicks the link to the flippity activity a “fresh” version is shown, which can make asynchronous collaboration and saving of their work difficult.
    • Students can upload screen captures to share their work
    • Possibly post on a class discussion board or show in an in-person class
    • Other flippity tools can be collaborated on at the spreadsheet level. For example having students contribute to a Mad Libs story or flashcard set by editing the source Google sheet together.
  • We also discovered that by putting an image url in the flippity manipulatives Google sheets space, the manipulative “card” can be a picture.
  • Grace demonstrated how manipulatives can also be made using Google Jamboard and “sticky notes”.
• Discussed the use of simple mechanics like role playing to make a lesson more game-like.
• We went around the “room” to discuss our “why” and “how” for using/creating games for our classrooms. Responses included:
  • Reinforce lessons in a fun way
  • Teaching a lesson with a game, followed by an assessment activity/game
  • Want students to be able to experiment with different styles/solutions to a prompt or problem
    • Randomizers can be helpful for this
  • Low stakes exercises
  • Keep students awake/engaged with each other in new ways
• Victoria shared an activity she made for her ESL classes with flippity manipulatives using sentence structure.
• We found you could include images in flippity manipulatives.
• Lilja shared her use of Jeopardy! Style trivia games.
• Irina shared card games website.