The Digital Generation – Game to Learn

Game to Learn, an online primary school resource has helped to restructure the classroom experience, the way teachers teach, the way pupils learn, and how their learning is assessed.

The restructuring of educational institutions is necessary so that they become relevant to the current and future needs of children.
Because of the digital generation created in recent decades from constant exposure to electronic media, this generation is ‘not the students our schools were designed for and not the students today's teachers were trained to teach.’
Today's generation is the first to grow up with a mouse and the assumption that images on a screen are to be interacted with.
The children of today are wired differently to that of past generations ... they have enhanced visual memory, processing and learning skills, and are quick to understand new technological advances.


That technology, according to research, shows that the digital generation, by the age of 21, will have:

-Sent and received 250,000 emails and texts;
-Played more than 10,000 hours of video games;
-Spent 10,000 hours on digital phones;
-Watched more than 10,000 hours of television, and
-Viewed more than 500,000 commercials.


Growing up, older generations had almost none of these experiences. Their change was incremental, fairly gradual, and not rapid.

Game to Learn is the place to embrace the new digital reality.

Current assumptions about children and how they learn must be seriously challenged ...Research has found the majority of today's kids to be digital learners, not the auditory or text-based learners of the past.

Major shifts necessary to accommodate digital learning, must take place immediately, and because of this more and more parents and carers of children are seeking online activities and games to help their children better learn, in a fun and rewarding environment.

In comparing learning preferences of digital learners to establishing teaching styles, digital learners prefer receiving information quickly from multimedia sources.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe environment, and Game to Learn ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom and learning experience whilst being reactive to learners needs, and saving money. 

The software, which is compliant with the UK National Curriculum; provides an educational resource which is easy to keep up to date with, and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner to all pupils.

Throughout the development, planning and trialling of Game to Learn, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

The system will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

And make your start in the future of learning!

Games technology in the classroom – Game to Learn.

The digital world has changed the way primary school children learn and understand the subjects they are learning in school. 

E-Learning and Gamification paves the way how children’s understanding develops because of learning alternatives offered through digital technologies.

These digital technologies open up a wealth of possibilities in education and learning, and as children work in that environment their learning develops, and thanks to these new technologies they can often learn concepts that are normally well beyond their age because they are exposed to them regularly and in different ways.

Traditional numeracy and literacy programmes are still critical to the school curriculum but new digital technologies are able to build on these with realistic problem solving tasks and interactive games which are powerful tools for children of all levels, including those with special education needs. 

Children and pupils who have been uncomfortable with tricky subjects in the past have also found it motivating to learn in a new, fun and rewarding setting.

Research has shown that complementing traditional classroom learning with digital technologies increases children’s motivation and risk taking, and they are motivated to explore problems in new and challenging ways.

Game to Learn, an online primary school resource has helped to restructure the classroom experience, the way teachers teach, the way pupils learn, and how their learning is monitored and assessed.

Over the last decade more and more parents and carers of children with learning difficulties are seeking online activities and games to help their children better learn.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe environment, and Game to Learn ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom and learning experience whilst being reactive to learners needs, and saving money. 

The software, which is compliant with the UK National Curriculum; provides an educational resource which is easy to keep up to date with, and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner to all pupils.

Throughout the development, planning and trialling of Game to Learn, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

The system will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

And make your start in the future of learning!

How games can be used to tackle mental disability.

It can be a challenge to find online games suitable for children with mental disabilities that will encourage and uplift the child without becoming too much of a frustration.

 Although there are dozens of online sites offering fun and educational games, not all will be suitable for every child.  Mental and learning disabilities can vary widely in scope and severity, between child.

One of the things most parents of mentally disabled children worry about is whether their child will gain the skills needed to succeed in life.   Even more challenging, a learning disabled child may not be disabled in all subject areas, making those that are harder a real frustration for a bright child who might find other areas easier.

The Game to Learn website, an online resource for children of primary school age is ideal for  helping children with mental and learning disabilities build a wide variety of skills.

Over the last decade more and more parents and carers of children with learning difficulties are seeking online activities and games to help their children learn in a fun, safe and rewarding environment.

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe setting, and Game to Learn, ensures just that.    

E-Learning and Gamification for children with mental disabilities is an excellent way to enhance their learning experience whilst being reactive to their needs.

The speed at which e-learning learning content can be created and delivered to multiple users allows for schools and parents to deliver enhanced learning in a much shorter period compared to the time it would take to deliver in a more traditional manner.

This and the ability to reach out and engage with children of varying level of intellect has been one of the greatest drivers in the adoption of e-learning.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

All content on Game to Learn has been carefully selected by education specialists, parents and teachers to ensure that is safe, fun, engaging and appropriate for children of all learning stages, including those with learning and mental disabilities. 

Although initially Game to Learn wasn‘t specifically designed for special needs children, feedback has shown that it is a valuable teaching tool for children with learning disabilities, children with ADHD, autistic children and other special needs kids. 

Game to Learn has a lot of visual stimulation, colourful graphics, and sounds, and the children can use the website on their own – encouraging independent learning and discovery.

When using Game to Learn, children will learn valuable computer skills, improve their typing, spelling, keyboard and mouse control, and all while playing fun educational games.

They can express themselves by customising their own online character that matches how they would like to be seen, and communicate with friends in a safe environment, which is interactive and allows them to learn at their own pace.

The website will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

Make your start in the future of learning!

The future of learning – Game to Learn

 Gaming has always been an area of personal interest and professional fascination for a lot of people, young and old. Over the past few years the public and business interest in gaming has grown, thanks to new and exciting technologies.   The term is now known as  ‘Gamification’.  Gamification has been described as “the use of game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences and solve problems”.

In other words, it means taking the best lessons from games like FarmVille, World of Warcraft and Angry Birds, and applying them in everyday business and education.

Whether targeted at customers or employees, or across industries as diverse as technology, health care, education, consumer products, entertainment and travel, gamification’s impact can already be felt. Gartner Inc, who delivers technology research to global technology business leaders to make informed decisions on key initiatives; estimates that by 2015, 70% of the Forbes Global 2000 will be using gamified apps, and M2 Research forecasts that U.S. companies alone will spend $1.6 billion on gamification products and services by that same year.

Jane McGonigal was a speaker at the February 2010 TED event. Jane directs game R&D at the Institute for the Future, a non-profit forecasting firm. She developed Superstruct, a multiplayer game in which players organise society to solve issues that will confront the world in 2019. Her philosophy is –

“Instead of providing gamers with better and more immersive alternatives to reality, I want all of us to become responsible for providing the world with a better and more immersive reality.”

In her TED talk, she makes a case for harnessing the power of gaming to solve real-world problems.

Another TED speaker, John Hunter, shares how his World Peace Game engages his 4th graders through complex problem solving and deep engagement. . .

When talking about Game Design Fundamentals, Seymour Papert, (Computer Criticism vs.Technocentric Thinking) said,

“The computer is a medium of human expression and if it has not yet had its Shakespeare’s, its Michelangelo’s or its Einstein’s, it will.  ...

We have scarcely begun to grasp its human and social implications.”

There are obvious reasons for the interest in using gaming to support learning. The human mind does not follow rules; it isn’t a calculator. It learns from experience and we know that well-designed learning experiences are very effective. A well-designed learning experience motivates, has clear goals, provides copious and immediate feedback, manages attention, provides practice, and has opportunities for debriefing and reflection. Some features in games that make them an excellent partner in games for learning. 

As games are designed in totality, they are well-designed and complete learning experiences. AND they are social and fun! Talking of fun, ‘Game to Learn’, a primary school and child learning resource combining fun games with education, does just that.

All content on ‘Game to Learn’ has been carefully selected by education specialists, parents and teachers to ensure that is safe, fun, engaging and appropriate for children of all learning stages.

‘Game to Learn’ has a lot of visual stimulation, colourful graphics, and sounds, and the children can use the website on their own – encouraging independent learning and discovery.

When using ‘Game to Learn’, children will

-           Learn valuable computer skills

-           Improve their typing, spelling, keyboard and mouse control

-           Problem solve

-           Express themselves by customising their own online character that matches how they would like to be seen

-           Communicate with friends in a safe environment, which is interactive and allows them to learn at their own pace.

And all while playing fun educational games!

The website will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

And make your start in the future of learning!

Online activities for children with learning disabilities.

Over the last decade more and more parents and carers of children with learning difficulties are seeking online activities and games to help their children learn in a fun, safe and rewarding environment.

Results have shown that children and those children with special education needs love to play games online and master aspects of fun educational games.  Some children as young as two are now able to operate a computer, and navigate around Ipads and tablets with great ease. 

Of course, it is important to know your children are learning and communicating in a safe environment, and Game to Learn, an online resource for children of primary school age, ensures just that.     

In a time of sweeping school budget cuts, dozens of local teachers have begun to look outside the school system to improve classroom needs.

E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom and learning experience whilst being reactive to learners needs, and saving money. 

Game to Learn E-learning, which is compliant with the UK National Curriculum; provides an educational environment which is easy to keep up to date with, and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner to all pupils, including those with learning difficulties.

Throughout the development, planning and trialling of Game to Learn, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

The speed at which e-learning learning content can be created and delivered to multiple users allows for schools to deliver enhanced learning in a much shorter period compared to the time it would take to deliver in a more traditional manner.

This, and the ability to reach out and engage with students of varying level of intellect has been one of the greatest drivers in the adoption of e-learning.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, and has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

Engaging students with learning disabilities.

All content on Game to Learn has been carefully selected by education specialists, parents and teachers to ensure that is safe, fun, engaging and appropriate for children of all learning stages, including those with special needs, and those who find it hard to keep up with other children of the same age. 

Although initially Game to Learn wasn‘t specifically designed for special needs children, feedback has shown that it is a valuable teaching tool for children with learning disabilities, children with ADHD, autistic children and other special needs kids. 

Game to Learn has a lot of visual stimulation, colourful graphics, and sounds, and the children can use the website on their own – encouraging independent learning and discovery.

When using Game to Learn, children will learn valuable computer skills, improve their typing, spelling, keyboard and mouse control, and all while playing fun educational games.

They can express themselves by customising their own online character that matches how they would like to be seen, and communicate with friends in a safe environment, which is interactive and allows them to learn at their own pace.

The website will be fully operational in 2012, but in the meantime you can visit the website at http://www.gametolearn.net or ‘Like’ the Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/gametolearn

Make your start in the future of learning!

Enhanced learning in the classroom – Game to Learn

In a time of sweeping school budget cuts, dozens of local teachers have begun to look outside the school system to improve classroom needs. E-Learning and Gamification is an excellent way to enhance the classroom experience whilst being reactive to learners needs and saving money. 

E-learning provides an educational environment which is easy to keep up to date with and can be delivered in a quick and efficient manner.

Throughout the development, planning and trialing of Game to Learn, an online learning platform for primary schools, it has been proven that online learning offers a range of benefits in a fast-paced working environment, and that the virtual classroom can provide a useful resource to access information quickly and at the point of need.

The speed at which e-learning learning content can be created and delivered to multiple users allows for schools to deliver enhanced learning in a much shorter period compared to the time it would take to deliver in a more traditional manner. This has been one of the greatest drivers in the adoption of e-learning.

The purchase of laptops, computers and tablets are becoming more and more common for families who like to learn on the go and who like to use gaming and simulation videos to enhance learning.

Game to Learn is the new generation of e-learning using gaming, simulation and video, as well as animation, has allowed for more complex issues to be explored in a fun and interactive way.

Game to Learn: How it is going to change classroom learning.

Game to Learn is a Classroom Learning and Homework management system for primary schools, and is due to launch in 2012.

Game to Learn has matured from the prototype system KeyStageTwo.com which was developed in 2010. KeyStageTwo.com was trailed in just under 40 schools throughout Northern Ireland and has recently been installed in schools throughout England. We have been working hard to implement the feedback from Schools into making sure our new site best meets the needs of teachers and pupils.

The new Game to Learn site will be integrated with the School Information Management System (SIMS) enabling teachers to manage pupil information much more effectively and we are developing more games and “worlds” for pupils to play.

Key Features of the new Game to Learn site:

- Fully compatible with the UK National Curriculum.

-Tens of Thousands of questions covering all aspects of the National Curriculum

- Integration with School Information Management System (SIMS)

- Detailed analytics

- More fun and exciting games such as City World and Giddy Up!

Game to Learn: Learning Should Always Be Fun!

Although the system will not be fully operational until 2012 you can still view the website for more information in the meantime, Game to Learn.Net.

http://www.gametolearn.net/

What is Gamification in Education?

What is Gamification in Education?

Firstly, Gamification is the merging of game elements into non-gaming settings such as learning and education in the classroom.  Its main aim is to make learning fun by involving engaging games into education, thus motivating students to learn better, and to promote an improved school experience.

Nowadays schools are finding it harder to create student motivation and engagement which can really have a negative effect on a pupils learning.

This winning combination of combining fun games with learning is on target to become a thriving industry in the near future of education, and will make up a big part of people’s daily lives.

The new era of technology that we are now becoming accustomed to, already proves that Gamification plays a part in our lives, although we may not even be aware of it.  For instance, in the promotion of businesses and products, people can use their smartphones to earn discounts and incentives for visiting real high street shops and establishments, via FourSquare and thus receiving perks and titles.  Foursquare helps you explore the world around you, meet up with friends, discover new places, and save money using your internet smartphone.

Another popular example of Gamification is ‘Chore Wars’ – This fun website allows you to claim experience points (EP’s) for household chores.  The concept being where other people in your household or office sign up to the site, here you can assign EP’s rewards to individual tasks and chores, building up your levels and status.  Two testimonials taken from the website state….

1)            "The house is so completely sparkling clean! All we had to do is make it a competition! The guys are so obsessed with beating each other! Whoever has the most points at the end of the week gets a six pack."

2)            "I sat down with the kids, showed them their characters and the adventures and they literally jumped up and ran off to complete their chosen tasks. I've never seen my 8 year old son make his bed!"

This is a perfect example of how Gamification can really play a big part in our lives.

Although Gamification’s goal is to take the ‘power’ of gaming to better influence and promote healthy lifestyles, and marketing strategies, the aim of Game to Learn is Education.

As you are probably aware, ‘game’ elements are currently used in schools and have been for quite some time.  By this we mean, students receiving points and badges upon correctly completed assignments and projects, and rewarded for good behaviour by way of a Homework break for example.  Although these ‘game’ elements are commonly used they tend to lack engagement with pupils, whereas virtual worlds and video games prove extremely well at promoting and maintaining interest.

Another example of Gamification that is linked to the real world is FarmVille which was developed in 2009.  Gameplay involves various aspects of farm management such as ploughing land, planting, growing and harvesting crops, harvesting trees and bushes and raising livestock.  As with other Gamification trends, players can earn EP’s for performing certain actions.

A reported 63 million people play FarmVille on a monthly basis, although they are not all farmers in the real world!

Game to Learn, a new UK based development uses games design as its structure for teaching and learning.  The games designers are working closely with education professionals, teachers and tutors to develop the site and incorporate fun online games into the complete school day, week month and year. 

Pupils will use the system to learn about school rules, social roles, understand the main topics of what is being taught in class, and receive rewards and EP’s.  They will enter virtual worlds and complete homework’s in a fun and engaging way.

Game to Learn is the most comprehensive platform for education within primary schools. It is the main hub for the complete learning solution incorporating Key Stage One, Key Stage Two, and Tutors Market into one easy to use package. Our aim is to bring children’s learning into the 21st century as gaming can improve performance, through increased engagement within young people of primary age.

The system is currently being trialled in 35 UK schools and will be operational from early 2012, but in the meantime, please visit http://www.gametolearn.net to learn more!