February 23rd, 2011

Game To Learn Conference

Brian Clark

Comments: 1 Comment Tags: Tags: cfe, Consolarium, cross-curricular, exergaming, eyepet, game based learning, games based learning, games design, gametolearn, GBL, Kodu, Learning, LTS, Nintendogs, Professor Layton, Wii
 : Categories Conferences, Consolarium, Glow, cross-curricular, game based learning, games design

The Consolarium in partnership with JISC are delighted to be bringing the Game To Learn conference to the University of Abertay Dundee on Saturday 19th March.

The Saturday Programme offers both a fun-packed CPD event for teachers as well as a celebration of the diverse and innovative practice in games-based learning and game design that has been happening in schools across Scotland. Over the past few years the LTS Consolarium initiative has been working with partner schools across Scotland to help nurture the idea that commercially available computer games, that have been developed for entertainment, can be used to help create appealing, purposeful and challenging contexts for learning.

Game Design also offers learners of all ages to engage with the creative process in an engaging and contemprary way that really can facilitate effective CfE delivery. Throughout the morning seminars and afternoon workshops, delegates will have the opportunity to hear from practioners and their use of game design and get some hands on time with game design tools.

Half of the sessions are already fully booked so book your place now to avoid disappointment.

Sessions that are still available include, but not limited to ….

Game Based Learning in the Lower Primary School With Nintendogs

• Nintendogs in the Classroom. Best in Show?
  Anna Rossvoll, Glow Development Officer, Aberdeenshire Council
• Can Nintendogs Enhance Learning? A Research Perspective
  Dr David Miller, University of Dundee

Read about our work with Nintendogs and the Nintendogs case study

Game Based Learning in the Primary School with the Kinectimals and Professor Layton

• Making Friends with the Kinectimals in a Nursery Setting
  Louise Reid & Judi Regan, Menzieshill Nursery School, Dundee City Council
• ‘Profesor Layton and the Lost Future’ Finds Use in the Classroomn
  Jim Coyle Depute Head Teacher, St Andrews RC Primary School, Dundee City Council

Read about our work with the Kinectimals and our Professor Layton case study.

Game Based Learning in Primary School with the Eyepet and other Games

• Augmented Reality? Real Life Learning with the Eyepet for the PS3
  Brian McLaren, Depute Head Teacher, Clackmannan PS, Clackmannanshire Council
• On a Mission to Engage all Learners with Games-based Learning
  Gerry Munro, Head Teacher, Longhaugh PS, Dundee City Council

Read about our work with the Eyepet and Gerry’s experiences with Game Based Learning, and others’ experiences in the futurelab report

Game Based Learning and the Whole School

This may be especially of interest to languages teachers, active school coordinators, PE teachers, class teachers and deputes from Primary and Secondary schools who are interested in seeing how ‘subject specific’ game based learning projects can impact on the whole school.

• Just Dance and Help the Whole School Become Active!
  Fiona Ferrie, PE Teacher, Doon Academy and Alison Crawford, Development Officer, East Ayrshire Council
• Modern Foreign Languages – A Games-based Learning Approach
  Helene Clark, French Teacher, Firrhill High School, Edinburgh City

Read about our work with Just Dance and My French Coach.

And there’s more …..

Phew! What a start to the day!  Follow up your morning seminar with a spot of free lunch, the chance to talk to industry exhibitors then on to a practical, fun filled hands on session.  Workshops still available include, but again not limited too..

Using RPG Maker VX to Help Tell Stories & Make Connections Across Learning
Mathew Reid, English Teacher, Garnock Academy, North Ayrshire

“If you’re asking, I’m dancing!” – Join Us for the Just Dance-athon!
Fiona Ferrie, PE Teacher, Doon Academy
Derek Robertson, National Adviser, Consolarium, Learning and Teaching Scotland

Purple Mash: Glow Resources and Game Design with 2DIY
Alan Yeoman, 2Simple Software

Playful, Outdoor and Blended Learning Using GPS
Ollie Bray, National Adviser for Emerging Technologies in Learning, Learning & Teaching Scotland

What are you waitng for?  Get your game on now … for FREE!

Hope to see you all on Saturday 19th March 2011

February 17th, 2011

Just Dance at Doon Academy: Getting the whole school dancing

Derek Robertson

Comments: 3 Comments » Tags: Tags: east ayrshire, edutalk, exergaming, games based learning, gametolearn, Just Dance, Wii
 : Categories East Ayrshire, exergaming

In 2008 the Chief Executive of McDonalds UK argued that ‘Computer games were to blame for childhood obesity’. More recently a research study carried out by the World Health Organisation that was featured in the Journal of Paediatrics has named computer games, along with TV, as a main cause of childhood obesity – reporting:

“…over 70,000 teenagers from 34 different nations are overweight or obese. It called a sedentary lifestyle – ‘spending three hours or more per day watching TV, playing computer games, or chatting with friends’ – is the main reason behind the figure.”

The folk devil image that has been associated with computer games is one that the team at the Consolarium have always been aware of and keen to explore and possibly deconstruct in a sensitive and honest fashion. We argue that games should play a part of a rounded and varied range of experiences for young children’s development and that a diet solely of sedentary game-play is possibly not the best way for young people to spend their time. To this end we have been keen to explore how the increasing active physical participation offered by technologies and games consoles might be used in an appropriate and realistic way to impact in a positive fashion on levels of children’s physical activity.

Having previously been unsuccessful in our efforts to explore dance mat technology our imagination and ideas were pricked when we heard about the Just Dance title for the Wii. The actual experience offered by this game coupled with the contemporary music (as well as some 70’s classics) was such that we were of the opinion that this game might just be something that would work in schools…

At SLF10 the Consolarium team’s area at the LTS stand proved to be very busy with a lot of interest in the games. The team whole-heartedly threw themselves into demonstrating the games that we were promoting as appropriate and successful learning resources, one of which was Just Dance. Have a look at some of the Consolarium team in action playing this game alongside the BrainPop robot and a very talented young dancer:

Our intention was to identify and work with interested school partners who would be keen to explore just how this resource might be of use in relation to engaging teenage girls with physical exercise. Having spoken with many PE teachers over the past few years about the use of GBL in their domain they often talked about the promise of using a dance related game linked to a game console as something that they thought might encourage teenage girls to become more interested in and motivated to participate with physical exercise. Also, we were encouraged by initiatives such as Girls on the Move and by the many references to Dance and girls uptake with PE that were made in a recent HMIE publication about PE in schools.

Sometimes serendipitous moments lead to great things and as it so happened a group of girls from Doon Academy came along to the Consolarium stand at SLF10 and took over! Four girls used the Wii controller whilst the other eight stood behind, without controllers and danced and danced and danced. In that moment our Just dance in schools initiative was born. Discussions with Fiona Ferrie, the PE teacher from Doon Academy and Alison Crawford from East Ayrshire Council led to a number of Nintendo Wiis and Just Dance games being loaned to the Secondary schools in that authority. The focus would be on the resources use with girls in PE. Post SLF10, the resources were despatched and the project was underway…

A couple of weeks ago I made my way down to Doon Academy to see just how Just Dance had impacted in the life of the school. I was full of hope that this resource would be a great success but as with all things the idea and the practical application in reality do not always match up! This was not the case here. What I witnessed at Doon Academy was up there with the very best successes that the LTS Consolarium team and their school partners have ever had.

I was met by the class teacher Fiona Ferrie and taken to the PE department to see S.1 girls using Just Dance in their PE Lesson. Have a look at the girls in action with the resource:

The PE teachers at the school remarked on the remarkable impact that this game was having teenage girls’ attitudes to physical activity. What they were seeing included:

• At least a 50% increase in girls from 3rd and 4th year taking part in PE
• A decrease in notes from parents asking for their daughters to be excused from PE
• A decrease in instances of girls not bringing their kit for PE
• A collegiate group of learners engaging with the PE in a supportive fashion with no real interest in high scores or competition

It seems that the positive impact of this resource and its practical application also seemed to have worked on the boys in the school too! Their involvement in any Just Dance related activity seems to be just as, (if not more in some cases) wholehearted and committed than that of some of the girls! This is quite evident in the following videos that show a Just Dance event that took place in the school library. Have a look at the dance crazy pupils of Doon Academy dancing to Eye of the Tiger:

Here they are dancing to a Katy Perry number:

I had a brief discussion with Fiona Ferrie at the end of my visit to try to encapsulate just what had been happening in her school. Have a listen to what Fiona has to say about her experience with Just Dance in her school:

(Transcript to follow)

It seems that this resource has helped encourage a whole school approach to activity through dance. It seems that even the school dinner ladies are using the resource and want activity as part of their daily working lives!

At the Consolarium we are always trying to explore ways in which technologies and games can impact favourably of learning. An awareness of issues of concern about games and technologies are always part of what we do but our job is to see how we can enhance the learning experiences and opportunities of our pupils. Our experience continually shows that thoughtful and realistic application of games by class teachers working in schools throughout Scotland can help enhance teaching and learning. The Doon Academy example is just another example in a long line of work that we have done that shows just how technologies can enhance learning.

Fiona Ferrie and Alison Crawford will be sharing their experience at the Game to Learn: Take2! Conference in Dundee on Saturday 19th March.

Thank you to everyone at Doon Academy and East Ayrshire Council for their support commitment to and with this project.

January 30th, 2008

Exploring exergaming with Heriot Watt University

Derek Robertson

Comments: 2 Comments » Tags: Tags: exergaming
 : Categories exergaming, exertainment

Some time ago I had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Sam Fawkner and Dr Ailsa Niven to the Consolarium. They are both lecturers/researchers from Heriot Watt University and they were keen to find out more about ‘exergaming‘ software. We spent an afternoon working out on the DDR dance mat attached to the PS2 and engaging with he PS2 Eye-Toy and playing Wii Sports. As a result of our discussions it transpired that we both shared an interest in using wireless dance mats as a motivational tool and appropriate context for adolescent girls, who may be tuned off by ‘traditional PE’. Our intention to embark on a joint project was somewhat inhibited due to the cost of the resource that we aimed to use. This resource enables up to 32 class sets of industry standard dance mats to wirelessly connect to a Linux PC that logs, in real time, each player/dancer’s performance … but the cost was always out of our reach.

Today I attended a meeting at Heriot Watt University where a working group met to support and offer advice at an early stage to a PhD student Called Joan Henretty. Joan intends to explore the range of exergaming applications that are currently available (and what will be coming) in order to see how appropriate and relevant exergaming resources can impact in a positive fashion the attitudes of adolescent girls’ towards exercise. Representatives from Sportscotland, Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit and East Lothian Active Schools were also in attendance.

The Consolarium’s remit was always to encourage, nurture and promote games  based learning in Scottish schools but it also aims to forge links with industry and academic partners to explore and make sense of the practice that happens in schools. Today’s meeting proved to be very fruitful and the work that will develop through this group and via Joan’s work will no doubt help us identify how schools can resource and manage exergaming in classrooms but with an underpinning evidence base that will help inform our practice….