A link-packed presentation with resources for any school that wants to help students learn how to change the world -- through games.

1. 10 practical ways
to bring
gamer superpowers
to the classroom
Jane McGonigal, PhD
@avantgame

2. 1. Get inspired by gameful
schools
• Quest to Learn: http://Q2l.org
• RIT student achievement system:
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/vi
deo/default.aspx?id=145734
• Indiana University Gaming the
Classroom project:
http://gamingtheclassroom.wordpress.
com/

3. 2. Tap into HASTAC competitions
• Mozilla’s Open Badges infrastructure
https://wiki.mozilla.org/Badges
• Learning Lab winners
http://www.dmlcompetition.net/Com
petition/3/winners.php?comp=ll
• Winners Hub
• http://hastac.org/competitions

4. 3. Play worldchanging games
• FoldIthttp://fold.it
• Galaxy Zoo http://galaxyzoo.org
• Canaries in a Coalmine
http://www.inacoalmine.com/canaries/tr
yit.php
• EVOKE http://urgentevoke.com
• Find the Future http://game.nypl.org
• World Without Oil
http://worldwithoutoil.org

5. 4. Teach digital game design
• Gamestar Mechanic
http://gamestarmechanic.com/
• Game Maker
http://www.yoyogames.com/make
• Game creation resources
http://www.ambrosine.com/resource.
html

6. 5. Make a school or town ARG!
• Alternate Reality Game design for kids
http://www.slideshare.net/avantgame
/make-an-alternate-reality-game

7. 6. Join Gameful get help
• Gameful: a secret HQ for anyone who
wants to change the world with
games http://gameful.org

8. 7. Celebrate superpower
development
• 3D spatial
• hand-eye coordination (surgeons!)
• history
• reading
• teamwork
• problem-solving (trial and error)
• knowledge sharing
(wikis, forums, youtube demos and
walkthroughs)

9. 8. Play world-building games
• Minecrafthttp://minecraft.net
• Minecraft in the classroom
http://minecraftteacher.net/
• Little Big Planet http://littlebigplanet.com
• Little Big Classroom
http://www.brainygamer.com/the_brainy
_gamer/2011/03/lbp-classroom.html
• LBP Teacher packs
http://www.1up.com/news/littlebigplane
t-teach-math-science

10. 9. Accommodate diverse player
styles
• Girls are more motivated by cooperative
gaming, boys typically gravitate to
competitive gaming
• Everyone responds well to “personal
bests” competition
• Multiplayer co-op and social gaming has
the broadest appeal
• Girls may initially face higher cognitive
load with 3D gaming and interfaces
• Some players prefer exploring vs. creating

11. 10. Tap into the participatory
teaching culture
• Games & Learning Society
http://gameslearningsociety.org
• Videogames and Learning: Teaching
and Participatory Culture in the Digital
Age http://amzn.to/tIYE4f

12. Inspire others….
http://amzn.to/sKMl7E
http://amzn.to/sKMl7E