Getting started
This course looks at how aspects of learning may be supported and enhanced through the use of digital games. Your starting point is ‘a need’ within your practice, which you will investigate how to address. This will involve exploring how other people have already attempted to address a similar need in their practice (bringing in some theory and practical examples of how particular technologies are used in schools), before you plan and implement their use in your school and reflect and discuss what worked and what needs further refinement.
At the heart of your learning is a project that you will carry out in your teaching and learning setting. You will be carrying out a project with a similar focus to others, in terms of the phase of education, technology and the curriculum.
In this first part of the course we will introduce ourselves to get a feel for the contexts we are working in. This may allow for cross-fertilization of ideas in projects and for supported reflection.
Activity 1 Getting to know others on the course 
The objective of this course activity is to get to know the other participants on this course and to identify common areas of interest.
Your task is to introduce yourself by telling the other course members what you hope to get out of the course. You will also meet the course tutor and find out a bit about her or his background.
- Go to the course forum and the ‘Introductions’ thread. There it will explain how these introductions will be done.
- Think about any game that you have played and liked (it doesn’t have to be a computer game) and explain why you liked it.
- Go to the course forum and read what others have posted. ‘Reply’ to some of these messages, identifying areas of overlap with your own context/objectives/interests/expertise.
Activity 2 An introduction to digital games for learning 
The aim of this course activity is to introduce both a ‘big picture’ view of the role of digital games and some specific examples of teachers using digital games.
This activity gives you a brief insight into the latest research into the use of digital games as well as looking at one or two examples of teachers using digital games in the classroom
Spend 30 minutes looking at one item from each column below. If you have more time, look at more of the items to give you a broader overview of this area. If you become really hooked – more resources are recommended underneath the table.
| Introduction to the research about games and learning | Examples of teachers using games for teaching and learning |
Computer Games, Schools and Young People. A Futurelab report for educators on using games for learning (47 pages). | A report of the Digital Leaders project at Stantonbury Campus, an 11–18 school, involving the use of games. |
Games and learning. A Futurelab podcast that discusses the use of computer games in the classroom, and the benefits and challenges of using games to enhance the curriculum. | A presentation from the Learning without Frontiers conference given by Dawn Hallybone on the use of games in a Oakdale Junior School supported by an article by Merlin John on the use of handheld devices and games. |
A European Schoolnet report on the study How are digital games used in schools? (145 pages – page 7 offers a useful definition of games). | A report by Merlin John on the use of consoles and games in schools. |
Further resources
- A report based on an interview with Steve Bunce from Vital on the use of games in schools [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
- The website for Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Consolarium – a games-based learning initiative
- A report from a teacher in an 11–16 school on the use of Kodu to design 3D games
- Kodu Training Responses and Next Steps: a report from the LTS Consolarium project on the use of Kodu.
Activity 3 Guidance on using resources and planning for your project
The objectives of this course activity are:
- to understand the practitioner research cycle
- to review learning to date
- to begin to plan for your use of digital games in the classroom, developed further in Activity 4
- to develop an understanding of the resources available to support your learning.
Your facilitator, and others on the course, will help to you to plan and refine your ideas for this project.
Go to the course discussion forum and to the thread ‘Tutorial: Resource and project guidance’. This will contain guidance on how the tutorial will be conducted. It may use the Elluminate video conferencing system for which will you need headphones or a microphone and speakers. A webcam is advantageous. The tutorial will be supported by discussion in the forum. When you attend the tutorial, online, you should be prepared to discuss initial ideas for your project.
Course schedule