V28s3: Using the game Spore to motivate learners

Course information

This is one of the ‘project courses’ from Vital. It provides an opportunity for you to plan, carry out and evaluate a project in your classroom. It is supported by a set of resources and activities to give you ideas for possible projects. You are not expected go through every resource but to pick those which are most relevant to your interests, context and possible project.

You will need access to:

• a computer with a web browser
• headset (including microphone and speakers) for online tutorials (a webcam is optional)
• a class/group of students – groups could be within classes, whole classes, or groups across classes (e.g. clubs) and schools (e.g. clusters of schools or in collaborative projects)
• the games Spore or Spore Creature Creator (see Resource 2).

Duration of the course: You should allow for about one to two hours per week for this on top of the time taken to do the project in your classroom or other setting.

Computer and video games are being used in the classroom more and more as educational resources. There are many reasons why teachers and researchers comment on the benefits of using computer games in the classroom.

In this project course you will look at how games can be motivational and see particular examples of where the game Spore has been used to motivate learners. To do this effectively, and to support you in developing some of these approaches in your classroom, this course will also look at what Spore is, how it can be used and, in particular, how it can be used to inspire learners.

This course builds on Futurelab’s research into the use of games and aims to support you in developing your professional understanding and your practical teaching and improving your learners’ outcomes.

The course has been produced by Futurelab in conjunction with Vital.