
Spark Learning and Engagement with Interactive Games
Spark Learning and Engagement with Interactive Games is an online micro-course for teachers who are looking for ways to drive engagement, collaboration, and learning in their classrooms. This course explores how you can use Interactive Game Mechanics to get your students excited to learn while creating and playing their own games. This course is designed for middle school teachers but can be adjusted for younger or older kids. Further readings and templates on topics covered will be provided in the course.
Keeping students motivated is difficult
As Summer gets closer and the weather gets warmer, students can get antsy and distracted. Alicia is using Interactive Game Mechanics to get students excited about learning while keeping them mentally and physically engaged with their learning materials.
Face-to-face interactions between students
Kids are constantly communicating, but they are not doing so face-to-face. They are sending each other texts or sharing online content, but Alicia wants her students to interact with each other face-to-face more. Interactive Game Mechanics has helped her bring the students’ attention not only to the classroom materials, but to each other again.
Meet your instructor – Alicia Ray
Alicia Ray is a veteran educator of 15 years from North Carolina and currently teaches AIG at her middle school. She also serves as a digital learning coach and library-media coordinator in a STEM magnet middle school. She is the author of Educational Eye Exam: Creating Your Vision for Education.
Overview
Alicia introduces herself
Alicia describes the problems that she used Interactive Game Mechanics to tackle
Alicia introduces Interactive Game Mechanics
The Process
Alicia shares with you an example game
Alicia dives deeper into Game Mechanics
Alicia shows you a way you can change the game while keeping the mechanics
Alicia shows you how her students were learning
Alicia details the outcomes you can expect when implementing Interactive Game Mechanics
Supplementary Information
Some tips for you to enhance and diversify the use of Interactive Game Mechanics
Modifications you can make to your games
Alicia challenges you to create your own game with your students
Some additional materials to help you get started