A wide variety of creative, innovative teaching and learning practices fit under the Play Make Learn umbrella. Playful learning encompasses using games, creating games with or for learners, and adopting game-like elements for the classroom (gamification). In addition to making games and other digital artifacts, makerspaces offer a variety of ways for learners to build their knowledge while creating physical items. Strengths of this approach include giving learners more agency and a setting to safely experiment and fail, plus the ability to explore identities, locations, and systems they normally couldn't. This page serves as a jumping-off point for those interested in these pedagogical tools and techniques.
Wisconsin Connections
Wisconsin is fortunate to be a growing hub for these topics and resources. Here is a short list of some free example resources. Find or share more in WISELearn Resources.
Field Day
This UW-Madison lab makes games and game-making platforms to enhance learning through play, technology, and creativity.
- Explore physics, earth, and life science with standards-aligned mini-games/simulations in The Yard Games.
- Make augmented reality (the Pokémon Go genre) experiences with ARIS.
- Use Atom Touch to virtually get hands on with molecules.
- Detect neutrinos at the South Pole in virtual reality with IceCube.
- Introduce students to the social studies inquiry process in Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case.
- More at fielddaylab.org
Gear Learning
This game development studio at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research provides dynamic game development for researchers, outreach groups, and external educational partners.
- Experience the gravity of various planets/moons in our solar system on Newt's Voyage.
- Learn about implicit bias through role-taking in Fair Play (K12 version in progress).
- More at gearlearning.org/projects
Filament Games
Filament's mission is to "create playful experiences that improve people's lives." Although most of their content has a cost, free resources include:
- Explore iCivics - a suite of games for inspiring and learning about civics.
- Experience how Marie Curie, Grace Hopper, and Jane Goodall worked in Breaking Boundaries VR.
- Read how educators in WI and beyond use games to improve learning in the ebook How to Teach with Games.
- Check out the Smithsonian Science Education Center Game Center, featuring select games from Filament.
- Find research roundups like this K12 one on their blog.
News
M+Dev 2020
This Midwest game developer conference returns to Madison, February 14th, 2020. This may be of interest to any aspiring game creators, plus there are contests for game and art submissions. Find out more at https://www.mdevconf.com/
More resources coming soon...
Check back soon for specific resources for different content areas!
Play Make Learn Conference - August 13-14, 2020
Want to dive deeper and connect with peers? Check out the Play Make Learn conference in Madison every August: playmakelearn.org
Union South, UW-Madison 1308 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI 53715
playmakelearninfo@gmail.com