Game-Based Learning Brings the History of Civilization to Life

Summary

Historia is a game-based learning platform that revitalizes education by transforming traditional subjects like social studies into interactive experiences. Students engage with historical events as if they were part of their own country's narrative. The platform challenges students to collaborate, research, and make decisions, fostering a deeper understanding of history and government. Teachers facilitate rather than dictate, encouraging student success and active participation, which significantly enhances engagement and learning outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🎮 Learning through games: The script emphasizes the use of game-based learning to make education fun and engaging.
• 🌟 Rewarding experience: The reward of Historia is described as fun, which is a key aspect of its appeal to students.
• 🏫 Social dynamics: Sixth graders are described as very social, and Historia challenges them to shift their conversations from casual topics to game-related discussions.
• 🚀 Interactivity: The game-based learning platform, Historia, is designed to be interactive, allowing students to experience history as their own country.
• 📈 Progression and success: The script discusses the importance of students feeling successful in the game to maintain their engagement.
• 🧠 Active learning: Students are actively involved in the learning process, researching and making decisions as part of the game.
• 👨‍🏫 Teacher's role: The teacher's role is redefined from being the center of learning to facilitating and guiding students through the game.
• 🔍 Research skills: The game encourages students to research and learn how to make informed decisions.
• 🤝 Collaboration: The script mentions the importance of helping students learn to compromise and work together.
• 📚 Traditional vs. game-based: The script contrasts traditional teaching methods with the interactive and engaging nature of game-based learning.

Q & A

What is the main issue with learning that Jason Darnell discusses?

Jason Darnell discusses that learning has become not fun, and kids start their school day with the mindset that they won't enjoy it.

What is Historia and how does it relate to education?

Historia is a game-based learning platform that teaches traditional subjects like social studies through experience and interactivity.

How do students describe their experience with Historia?

Students describe Historia as a way to learn history by experiencing it as if they were part of their own country.

What challenges do teachers face when introducing Historia to sixth graders?

Teachers face challenges when introducing Historia to sixth graders because they are initially confused and talkative, but once they understand the game, they become more engaged.

How does the conversation among students change when they play Historia?

The conversation among students shifts from talking about the latest movie to discussing their scores and performance in Historia.

What is the significance of creating one's own history in Historia?

Creating one's own history in Historia allows students to learn about other countries, past events, and potential outcomes for themselves.

Why is the concept of 'eye for an eye' mentioned in the script?

The concept of 'eye for an eye' is mentioned to illustrate how students learn historical concepts, such as Hammurabi's Code, through the game.

How does Historia help students stay focused and engaged?

Historia keeps students engaged by requiring them to work continuously and make decisions as a group, which reduces the chances of getting bored or distracted.

What is the importance of students feeling successful in Historia?

Students need to feel successful in Historia to maintain their interest and engagement; otherwise, they might give up if they feel they are not achieving.

How do teachers facilitate learning with Historia?

Teachers facilitate learning with Historia by guiding students to research better, compromise, and make better decisions, rather than being the center of learning.

What impact has the use of Historia had on Rick Brennan's teaching experience?

Rick Brennan found that using Historia has significantly improved his teaching practice, eliminating the problem of students not paying attention that he faced in traditional teaching methods.

What is Jason Darnell's teaching philosophy regarding failure?

Jason Darnell's teaching philosophy is that failure is a part of learning and making mistakes is a way to gain more knowledge and become better.

Outlines

00:00

🎮 Engaging Learning with Historia

Jason Darnell discusses the shift in students' attitudes towards learning, noting that they often approach school with a mindset of not having fun. Rick Brennan introduces Historia, a game-based learning platform that transforms traditional subjects like social studies into interactive experiences. Students describe how Historia allows them to immerse themselves in historical events as if they were part of their own country. Jennifer Pung highlights the social nature of sixth graders and how Historia challenges them initially but then captures their interest, shifting their conversations from casual topics to game strategies and historical insights. The importance of student success in maintaining engagement is emphasized, as is the iterative process of adjusting game difficulty to ensure students feel accomplished and motivated to continue learning.

Keywords

💡Game-based learning

Game-based learning refers to the use of games and game-like elements in an educational context to enhance learning outcomes. In the video, this concept is central as it describes the method used to teach traditional subjects like social studies through interactive and engaging gameplay, making learning more enjoyable and effective.

💡Historia

Historia is the name of the game-based learning platform discussed in the video. It is designed to transform the learning of traditional subjects into an interactive and immersive experience. The platform allows students to engage with historical events and concepts as if they were part of their own country, thereby enhancing their understanding and retention of the material.

💡Interactivity

Interactivity in education refers to the engagement and interaction between students and the learning material or between students themselves. In the context of the video, interactivity is a key feature of Historia, where students participate in the learning process by making decisions, researching, and interacting with the game environment, which promotes a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

💡Social studies

Social studies is an academic discipline that involves the study of human society and social relationships. In the video, social studies is the traditional subject that is being reimagined through the game Historia, allowing students to learn about history, government, and social dynamics in a more engaging and interactive way.

💡Student engagement

Student engagement refers to the level of interest and involvement students have in their learning activities. The video highlights how Historia increases student engagement by transforming the learning process into a game, which motivates students to participate actively and discuss their progress and strategies with their peers.

💡Success and motivation

Success and motivation are crucial for students to continue their efforts and remain interested in learning. The video discusses how the initial difficulty of the Historia game was adjusted to ensure that students could experience success, which was essential for maintaining their motivation and preventing them from disengaging due to repeated failures.

💡Research skills

Research skills are the abilities to gather, evaluate, and use information effectively. In the video, students are required to conduct research as part of the Historia game, which helps them develop these skills. They must investigate historical events and figures to make informed decisions within the game, thus enhancing their learning experience.

💡Decision-making

Decision-making is the process of selecting a course of action from a set of alternatives. The video emphasizes that Historia encourages students to make decisions as part of the game, which simulates real-world scenarios. This not only makes learning more relevant and practical but also helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

💡Group work

Group work involves collaborating with peers to achieve a common goal. The video mentions that Historia promotes group work as students work together to make decisions and strategize within the game. This fosters teamwork, communication, and the ability to compromise, which are essential life skills.

💡Facilitator

A facilitator is someone who helps a group of people understand complex ideas or concepts, often by guiding discussions or activities. In the context of the video, the teacher's role shifts from being the center of learning to a facilitator who guides students through the Historia game, helping them to research, make decisions, and learn from their experiences.

💡Failure as a learning tool

Failure as a learning tool refers to the idea that making mistakes and experiencing setbacks can lead to growth and improved understanding. The video includes a teacher's philosophy that embraces failure as a way to learn and improve, which is reflected in the设计理念 of Historia, where students are encouraged to take risks and learn from their mistakes.

Highlights

Learning became not fun for kids, and they approach school with a negative mindset.

Historia is a game-based learning platform that teaches traditional subjects like social studies through interactivity.

Students experience history as if they are part of their own country in Historia.

Sixth graders find it challenging initially but eventually become engaged with Historia.

Historia shifts student conversations from casual topics to game strategies and points.

Students can create their own history, learning about past events and potential outcomes.

Students learn historical concepts like Hammurabi's Code through gameplay.

Historia keeps students engaged and focused, reducing the chances of getting bored or distracted.

The importance of student success in games to maintain their interest and motivation.

Adjustments were made to the game's difficulty to ensure students feel successful.

Students learn through research, decision-making, and government simulation in Historia.

Students decide on game strategies and bets, applying historical knowledge.

The teacher's role in Historia is to facilitate and guide learning rather than being the sole source of information.

Historia promotes research skills, compromise, and better decision-making among students.

Rick Brennan shares his experience that Historia is the best teaching practice he has encountered.

Historia has significantly improved student engagement compared to traditional teaching methods.

Jason Darnell's teaching philosophy embraces failure as a way to learn and improve.

Teachers use Historia to make connections with students and create engaging classroom experiences.

Transcripts

>>Jason Darnell: Somewhere down the line learning became not fun.

I think somehow kids started coming to school and saying,

"I'm not gonna have fun today.

I'm going to school."

And the reward of Historia, it's fun.

>>Rick Brennan: Historia is game-based learning.

It is a way to take a traditional subject, like social studies,

but to teach it through experience and interactivity.

>>Student: Historia is using history and learning it through game play

and you get to experience it as your own country.

>>Rick Brennan: All right, here we go...

>>Twenty-eight.

Oh, my god!

[ cheers ]

>>Jennifer Pung: Sixth graders, when they come

into school it's their first time in a big building.

There's kids coming from all different schools so they're not

from the same elementary school.

So a sixth grade mind is very social.

They're gonna talk to each other at their table

and not necessarily be listening.

So when Historia comes around it's definitely challenging the first few

weeks while you're setting it up, because they are confused.

They don't know exactly what they're supposed to be doing,

but then once it gets started all those things kind of go to the side.

I still hear them talking to their friends,

but the conversation switches from the latest movie into

"Well, what points did you get?

How did you do?"

>>Student: The best part of Historia, I think,

is being able to create your own history,

because not only do you learn about other countries during

that time period, you get to learn about what has happened

and what can happen to you.

>>Student: Have you ever heard of "eye

for an eye" and "tooth for a tooth"?

That comes from Hammurabi's Code.

>>Student: If I have a teacher stand in front of me talking,

it's very hard for me to remember 'cause I get bored, distracted.

With Historia it's no place to get distracted.

You working the whole time and making decisions as a group.

>>Jason Darnell: So what are you finding is the most important pillar

that allows you to kind of build the other ones?

>>Maybe education.

>>Education and government.

>>Jason Darnell: Interesting.

>>It's important that students feel success,

'cause if they don't feel successful they'll give up.

And at the beginning when we first made the game, it was too hard.

And the students would-- you would have a group that was doing so poorly

that by the second half of the year, you'd see them a little detached,

because they'd say, "What's the point?"

You know, "I've done the best I can and now we're still not successful.

I don't have time for this."

You know? So Rick and I tried to build

in ways students could be successful each week, or every other week,

to where it's gonna get them to keep on coming back to it.

>>Student: You do learn a lot because you have to research everything

and you have to learn what to do and how to make right decisions

and you learn how to be a government and learn how

to interact with other people.

>>Rick Brennan: Who's the monarch here?

>>Me.

>>Rick Brennan: Carson.

Okay. So what's the bet gonna be?

>>Seven.

Oh, wait. Eight, eight.

Yeah.

>>Eight.

Yeah.

>>Rick Brennan: It's eight.

Okay, you all think that's a good bet?

>>Mm-hm.

>>Jared likes ten.

>>Rick Brennan: You like ten?

>>Carson: Four hundred forty-five.

>>But then we remembered slave revolt,

so I'm like, "Let's do eight."

>>Rick Brennan: Okay, okay.

We'll see how it turns.

Good.

>>If I look at my job as everything you need to know is in my brain

and I am your source of information,

I feel like I'm sending the wrong message,

which is "Somebody else knows the answer".

>>Jason Darnell: With Historia, the teacher is just there to facilitate.

You're there to guide the learning instead

of being the center for learning.

You're there to help kids learn how to research better.

You're there to help kids compromise.

You're there to help kids learn to make better decisions

and that's how learning should be.

>>Rick Brennan: In my experience, thirteen years of teaching,

this is best teaching practice.

When I didn't teach this way, I would still have ten percent of my class

who I would struggle to get to pay attention even though I did projects

and games and mixed it up in debate and all that.

I tried to make the class the best I could make it.

Even when I did that and worked very hard at it, took it seriously,

ten percent of my class maybe wouldn't pay attention.

I don't have that problem now.

>>Jason Darnell: When I started teaching my mantra was

"I am not scared to fail."

Failing is how you learn,

making mistakes is how you get more knowledgeable and become better.

And so I would try anything in my classroom to make a connection

with my students, to make my class more engaging.