The workshop, facilitated by Paul Braddock and Graham Stanley is one of a number of similar workshops that have been organised for the annual TESOL Electronic Village Online (EVO).

Over the next 5 weeks, participants will be working together and sharing ideas about using games in language teaching. The workshop, run on Moodle, and which will be archived on the TLLG wiki, also features a series of live sessions with special guest speakers talking about different aspects of games and gamification in language teaching and learning:

• Joe Pereira
• Ozge Karaoglü
• Kyle Mawer
• Rob Lewis

In addition, participants will:-

• be given two special booklets with ideas, tips and lesson plans on how to use online games in class
• have the opportunity to take part in a special Teacher Development online game

This is the second free online games workshop that Digital Play has been involved in. The first, run in December 2011 for SEETA (South East Europe Teachers Association) is still available for visits and tasks (see below).

1 Gaming For Education

A presentation on the why, which and how games can be used in the language learning classroom.  Several games are looked at including materials adapted specifically for skills and language work to be used in conjunction with the game.  If a few of the slides look familiar it’s because Graham Stanley is one of the authors of this blog.

2 Digital Educational Game: pedagogical design and development

This slideshow looks at the educational design of games as well as their value as educational tools.  They also outline a seven stage rapid game development model for anyone out there interested in developing their own educational game.

3  Creating Contexts for Language Learning in Gavinburn Primary School  

A look at how this Primary Class is hoping to increase pupil interest in computing science through project work on video games.  This is an attempt to introduce cross curricular ICT projects that are more fun and engaging.

4 3D Virtual Worlds for Language Learning

Avatar Languages is a language academy based and teaching within the virtual world called Second Life, which has the look and feel of a video game but without the goals and rules governing a video game.  in fact, the rules, aims and objectives have been very much left to people who populate the world.

5 Epic Win – Why Gaming is the Future of Learning

Jane McGonigal presents her argument for how the phenomena and popularity of gaming is quite natural and should be seen as quite positive if we are to move forward and achieve life’s goals in the modern connected world.

6 Computer Game Based Learning in Secondary Schools

A look at a video game based learning project conducted in Scotland.  The presentation makes the message that the methods they use are more relevant to the pupil’s worlds than other strategies employed within the traditional state educational system.

7 Video Games, Virtual Environments & Higher Education

A presentation on the pros and cons of adapting video games and virtual environments into higher education.  As well as promoting the benefits the presentation seeks to provide a balance by also considering the negative aspects associated with video games before reaching a conclusion.

8 How Games Mesh with Formal Education.

This Danish perspective presents the argument that we should use video games in education purely because of their monumentous presence within modern culture and their influence on other mainstream media.

9 Gamify Learning: Learning & Teaching Through Having Fun 

An asian viewpoint this time from Hong Kong University.  This looks at how video games have such a great appeal to young learners, the challenges inherent within video games and a closer look at how specific games can be used within the school curriculum to enhance learning.

10 Games in School Teacher Survey

A presentation form the Games in Schools Conference held in 2009 for the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.  This slideshow looks at the results of a survey amongst 528 teachers who were either using video games already or had not used them at all.  Expectations, obstacles and educational impact were just some of the areas looked at.

If your answer to any of these questions was ‘Yes’ then why not play it again?  Maybe you can’t.  Either you or your parents sold on your console or simply at some point it broke and never got replaced, became obsolete or you just moved on.  Nowadays, though, you don’t need to dust off an old piece of electronics from the attic or scour ebay to relive those digital days gone by.  Use an online emulator.  Here is a list of a few online emulators that allow you to play those games from years ago:

1 ZX Spectrum

If you owned a spectrum in the 80s or 90s then this is the site for you. This site has a listing of spectrum games through the golden years from 1982 to the mid 90s. What’s great about this site? Well if the errrr-eek sound of a loading spectrum game cassette holds a lot of nostalgia for you I’m afraid this site has got rid of that. However, if you get misty eyed at the mention of Manic miner or Elite then both these games and more can be played online and for free. Get playing now!

2 Atari

Remember those clunky cartridges you had to shove in the machine at the top? Well, whether it was the Atari arcade games or one of the home cartridge games that you used to play then one of these sites is for you. Do you remember staring at awe at the amazing graphics? Well goggle no more if you’ve played any game from this decade.

3 Commodore 64

I only knew one kid with a commodore 64 at school which may say something about the PC system or not. Nevertheless, I got the impression that Commodore owners were very much a minority. No doubt this debate is continued by our young learners with the xbox versus playstation debate. What’s the commodore equivalent then? If you had this system or would just like to see what all this fuss is about then play one of their games and get misty eyed with ‘paperboy’ or ‘ghosts and goblins’.

4 Apple

Apple design has certainly got sexier over the years. Anyone remember this little number? Possibly not but for those of you that do then why not play a few of their old timey games on the virtual apple site.  Can anyone spot the similarities between this (picture on the right) and the new ipods and ipads? I don’t!

5 80s 90s arcade games

Maybe you spent a lot of your misspent childhood playing or hanging around game arcades. I know john Connor in Terminator II did. Maybe you played Missile Command or After Burner like he did in the film. If you didn’t and another title was the joystick/roller ball of your choice then check out this 80s arcade game site – it lets you play your favourite 80s arcade game.

6 Gameboy

Over 20 years old now and superceeded by a whole generation of different handheld gaming platforms. Still, at one time you may have been that kid on the bus/train/ waiting room/ playground (delete as appropriate) and may want to see some of those Gameboy games again. You may have to configure the keys before you ‘Load ROM’ (the game you want) but I’m sure it’ll be worth that little inconvenience.

Now you have to ask yourself:

• What would your learners think of you playing these games?
• What would they think of the games themselves?
• How do they differ to games nowadays?
• What do they think of the look of the hardware itself?
• Can they name 6 differences between the consoles and games of then and now?
• How have the specifications changed?
• How has gaming changed for them over the years?

1  Point and click

These games rely on you moving the cursor around the screen and clicking the mouse.  By printing off a written walkthrough or by using a video walkthrough, a large variety of language activities can be generated.   Try a relay dictation using either a written or video walkthrough or simply use either of them yourself to dictate game play.  Alternatively check out these games – the anti-bullying Dixie the Nerd, a selection of ten point-and-click games and their walkthroughs or Windosill.

2 Escape the room

A sub genre of point and click games where typically you have to find and possibly combine objects in a room or house to get out through a locked door.  As previously mentioned above, with a written walkthrough or a video walkthrough a large variety of language activities can be generated.  You could also get learners to write out their own walkthroughs as they play.  Alternatively check out these games – MOTAS, Kitchen Escape or the scary reader for the the zombie game I Remain.

3 Arcade

Arcade games generally rely on reaction speeds rather than logic or puzzle solving skills. Passing to the next stage usually means completing a simple task within a specific time limit. The next stage and subsequent stages usually require the player to complete the same task but with an increasing complexity or in a faster time. Language generated tends to be quite simple and repetitive.  Some of these games are great for drilling the language of directions (pacman), colours (sveerz) and spelling (Alphaattack and Type ‘em up).

4. Puzzle Games

These games tend to be quite abstract and typically involve arranging geometric forms to achieve a goal (e.g. Tetris). Puzzles usually involve solving rather simple problems. Problem solving games generally test a players awareness of patterns and/ or short term memory.  Language generated tends to be isolated to individual language items such as object vocabulary, instructions and prepositions.  Puzzle games include spookymatch or Orbox.  They are great games to play as a reward for good work or behaviour as they are generally over very quickly or can be paused and returned to later.

5 Strategy Games

This is a game in which the gamer is presented with a number of possible choices in game play which will effect how they progress in the game. Try the games stop disasters, 3rd world farmer or Age of Empires.  The first two provide a context for some interesting discussions when used in a classroom while the last one takes place over a longer time frame and provides writing practice and an opportunity for learners to report on the game and progress in class time.

6 Adventure Games

Adventure games are a sub genre of point and click games but usually differ in that the game has got strong narrative elements.  There is usually a central character, a storyline, objectives to be achieved, an enemy and an outcome at the end.  Games covered in this genre on this blog include Morningstar (a sci-fi story), The Miller Estate (a spooky mystery), Hetherdale ( a jungle adventure) and Avalon (a fantasy text based adventure game) to name just four.

7 Casual Games

These games are aimed at a mass audience of people who tend to play games on a casual basis.  These games have been brought into the news recently with their rise in popularity on social network sites such as facebook.  Games such as farmville, mafia wars, scrabble like game, word games and puzzles can all be included in this genre.  Why not ask your learners if they play any and if they play any in common then get them to describe and compare their game playing.  Here’s a list of 10 casual games on facebook.

8 Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs)

Is a computer role playing genre in which a massive number of players interact with one another within a fictional virtual world.  The player assumes the role and takes control of the actions of a fictional character.  There are a lot of MMORPGs out there but one we have looked at already on this blog is Astro Empires.  The most famous MMORPG is probably World of Warcraft.

9 Alternate Reality Games

Sometimes abbreviated to an ARG.  These games consist of an interactive narrative that is based in the real world.  Typically they often use multiple media and game elements, to establish a narrative that the gamer can affect by either contributing ideas or taking actions.  Two ARGs we’ve already looked at on this blog were Smokescreen and Urgent Evoke.  We have also done a spotlight on ARG developer Jane McGonigal.

10 Virtual Worlds

This is a computer based simulated environment which has a strong online community element.  A virtual world such as second life has generated a lot of interest in education.   Here is a post we did on a Robin Hood learning Quest in Second Life.

One definition of gamification is the use of features usually found in games in areas of life which are usually game free. Only time will tell if this buzzword becomes the next big thing as some people are predicting, but meanwhile, sites such as Chore Wars can help you make a game of some of the most uninteresting but necessary tasks of life.

Chore Wars

Although Chore Wars has been designed to turn housework into an adventure game, the site is flexible enough to let you customise adventures, which means it can be converted for use in the classroom.

Let’s look at this through an example.

I have a class of teenagers studying for the Cambridge First Certificate in English exam and in order to prepare yourself for this exam, you have to do a lot of practice tests. The problem is that doing these tests frequently becomes routine and repetitive, which is where Chore Wars can help.

Getting Started

I started by setting up an account on the site and creating a number of adventures. You can then create a number of adventures from scratch, which is what I did. I

I made each part of the exam an adventure that when claimed, earns the player XP (experience points) , gold coins and the possibility of finding treasure. The learners (players) can see the scores of the others too, which adds an element of competition to doing practice tests. I also made the rewards on the more difficult parts of the exam higher to motivate the learners into doing them.

Introducing Chore Wars to Students

The idea is to encourage the students to do more exam practice tests by making it fun. After I’d set up the adventures, I introduced the learners to the concept in the classroom and then we went to the computer room.

There, they created their characters, choosing what they looked like and giving themselves a name.

Joining the Party

They then joined my party of adventurers. The best way to do this is to give them the link to join on a simple webpage. I used http://pen.io for this, which lets you create a webpage instantly, without any need to log in. You can see the page I set up here: http://chorewars.pen.io/.

Adventuring

Once they’d joined the party, I asked them to start doing some practice tests on a site called Flo-Jo, and as they finished, they claimed the adventure on Chore Wars.

Student Reaction

Another reason why I chose to use Chore Wars was because I have a number of students who play online adventure games, and so the concept of XP, collecting gold coins, etc was familiar to them and they needed no introduction to the idea of turning the FCE exam into an adventure. It went down well with them and they happily ploughed through a number of practice tests and started to claim the adventures.

There are other students in the class, however, who do not play these games, and it was more difficult for them to see the point of the game. They seemed a little bit bemused by the concept, but I hope and trust this will change in time, as they become more familiar with it.

Managing the Adventure

I am the Dungeon Master (the game controller) of the FCE Ninjas Chore Wars adventure, which means I have control over what adventures to set, etc. I can change the number of XP, gold coins and possibility of treasure of each adventure. I’d do this to encourage the students to do part of the exam they are reluctant to do.

It’s early days, but I have already seen a potential problem that I have to deal with that could spoil the game if I am not careful: cheating

Cheating

Chore Wars is based on a trust system. Players claim an adventure and this relies on their honesty. However, I could see that some of the students were very interested in knowing how the game worked, and have just spotted that one in particular wanted to see how it was possible to increase his level and XP.

Look at the screenshot below and you’ll see that this student (abaairenjy in the game) logged in and continued playing after class. I know that by looking at the times he claimed the adventures. We were in the computer room for 20 minutes, from 6.00-6.20pm and he did two practice tests while we were there. But, he also logged into Chore Wars at home, at 10pm and played the game, increasing his XP and level from level 1 to level 3. I know that it’s impossible he did 9 practice tests in this time (10 minutes!) and so will have to call him on it next class.

The good news about this activity is that he’s interested enough to do it at home to see how it works, but this will destroy the game if his cheating is allowed to continue. This is what I have decided to do now:

• I will draw the class’s attention to the cheating next time we meet. I’ll do this and ask them to decide how to deal with it. We’ll do this through negotiation and it’ll make for an interesting class discussion on honesty and what everyone thinks about cheating and of obeying the rules of games.
• I have left a comment for Alejandro, so he knows I am onto him (see screenshot below)
• I am going to suggest that all the class does what Alejandro has claimed, in the same order. That way, they too can claim them too, and they will get similar XP, treasure, and advance in levels. If they don’t like the choice of exercises, they have Alejandro to blame!

I hope this strategy will work. There are other things you can do, as Dungeon Master, to allow you to manage your adventures, which are particularly interesting if you want to manage the adventures in the classroom.

Classroom Management

You have various options with characters, giving players permissions to create their own adventures, etc. I have changed the role of the players’ characters to NPC (non playing character) which means that I can claim adventures on their behalf (see screenshot below). This means that the learners won’t have to log in to be able to claim XP, etc. When we do a practice test in the classroom, I can quickly run through the character list and claim points for everyone there and then. I am also planning to claim adventures only for those students who actually pass a particular practice test.

Final Thoughts

How successful Chore Wars is with my class remains to be seen, but I think the potential is there to increase the interest my students have in FCE practice tests, turning the completion of them into a game, and hopefully motivating them to do more homework (not just the tests I assign them). Whatever happens now, it’s already proving to be an interesting adventure for the teacher!

Language: Numbers and statistics

Skills Focus: Scan Reading / speaking

Location: Computer room

Group A Group B

Preparation

Download the ‘Gaming Statistics worksheets‘ and make enough copies for each learner in your class.

Research & Record

1. Divide learners into two separate groups – A & B.
2. Hand out the worksheets and get As to discuss the answers together and Bs to do the same in their group.
3. Go to the computer room.
4. Explain that Group A is going to do the answers for the odd numbers and Bs the even numbers.
5. Direct learners to this post and click on the link for their group above:
6. Learners fill in the answers.

Queue and Question

1. Return all groups to the classroom.
2. Set up the chairs in an open space so that group As can sit in a line opposite a line of Group Bs.
3. Learners sit down and ask the person opposite questions about the information they are missing and complete the woksheet.
4. After a minute or so say “Change!  As move one place to the left.” or “Change! Bs move one place to the right.”
5. Repeat until both groups have completed the worksheets.
6. Answers, feedback and teachers questions

Follow up

1. Learners do a survey of their family and friends and write similar sentences for homework.
2. Learners research trends in their own country.

Level: Advanced

Location: Computer room

Skills Focus: Reading

Game: Choice of the Dragon

Preparation

Decide how you are going to use the reader in class.  There are a few ways to approach this.

A nice way to orientate your learners to the language focus and task is to first dictate a few of the words for your learners to record.  I use the following grid system with my learners that’s easy to dictate:

or show the opening sequence of the game and elicit difficult language items from the text in open class for learners to record.

Play

In the computer room learners play the game in pairs and discuss the decisions they need to make.

Post Play

1. Back in the classroom in new pairs learners compare stories and discuss the differences, choices and the resulting storyline.
2. For homework learners play the game again but choose different choices.  They:

• record difficult words in their grids and next class see if anyone can teach them the meaning of the words.
• Play and note down three differences in storyline between this reading and the class reading.
• Play  and read just for fun.

Level: Intermediate

Location: Classroom

Skills Focus: Speaking / writing about a robbery

Language Focus: Past simple, sequencers

Game: Heist

This online game involves passing through four rooms solving puzzles so you can finally steal secret plans.  In this classroom activity you can download the floor plan of the game with the puzzles and obstacles fully described for your learners to discuss in a speaking activity.

Preparation

Download a copy of the Heist Layout for each pair.

Pre-task

1. Divide the class into pairs and tell them to draw two columns Present & Past
2. Dictate the present tense forms of the verbs below and learners write the past tense.
3. 
4. Feedback to make sure the past tenses are correct.
5. Write a list of sequencers on the board e.g. first of all, then, after that, as soon as, when, finally, etc

Speaking activity

1. Explain that there was a robbery last night in the school and one of the students stole the answers to a test.
2. Hand out the the Heist Layout picture.
3. Ask learners where in the picture the test answers are (answer: on the table in the fourth room).
4. Ask learners how they think the student got into the school (answer: they hid in the box in room 1)
5. Pick or ask for a volunteer to read the information about the four rooms aloud.  Check understanding.
6. Tell learners to take it in turns to tell their partner how they think the student the tests answers.  Use the information about the rooms, the verbs above in the past tense and as many sequencers as they like.

Post activity

Learners write down a report on how they think the heist was done.

Homework

Tell Learners the game tutorial shows them exactly what happened.  For homework they play the game at home and correct their Heist Report to make what happened like how the game plays.

NOTE – They can find the game by googling – “free world group” heist

1 Il Destino

The game

The walkthrough

Explore the car show room and find objects which interact with each other and solve puzzles in order to get the sports car out.  The game can be played in tandem with the walkthrough as a reading activity (along with an online dictionary to hand) or as a relay dictation in a computer room.  A popular game with juniors.

2 Chronon

The game

The walkthrough

A complex game in which you have to pay particular attention to what time you set the clock.  You are a pet to a strange creature that lives underground.  You have to escape before the the creature gets home.

Works very well as a computer room activity with juniors working in pairs at a computer where one plays the game and the other oversees their playing with a copy of the walkthrough.

3 Nesquik Quest

The game

The walkthrough

The style of graphics here make this a very suitable game for primaries.  Language content here focuses on both the vocabulary items that appear in the game and imperatives and prepositions.  This works well as a live listening in the computer room with the teacher using a single copy of the walkthrough to dictate the game play to learners .

4 Evolver

The game

The walkthrough

Visually fun looking game in which you have to solve puzzles in order for your monkey to pass through various stages of evolution until he becomes a primitive man.  Though this can be a little complicated at times, with the use of a walkthrough its possible to play this game in a connected classroom with learners suggesting possible courses of action to take in the game.  By using the walkthrough its possible for the teacher to know what comes yet and ‘guide’ the class towards the correct solution using hints and clues.

5 A bark in the dark

The game

The walkthrough

Point and click game where you collect items, solve the problems and feed the dog.  A short game for the computer room.  Either conducted as a gaming dictation with the teacher using a walkthrough, a reading with the learners using two internet explorer windows to play the game and read the walkthrough on or as a relay dictation with a single copy of a walkthrough stuck up on the wall.

6  The Blue Room

The game

The walkthrough

A short escape the room game that can either be done as a connected classroom activity.  Very good for generating basic vocabulary of the objects that appear in the game and prepositions of place.  Due to the simplicity of the game it can be used to stimulate a ‘write the walkthrough’ activity in open class.  Alternatively use it as a fast finishers activity in the computer room.

7 Bodilies

The game

The walkthrough

Bodilies is a graphic adventure that features an elaborate audio-visual production and an engaging story.  Present this as a visual reader rather than a point and click game because although there is some interaction and puzzle solving elements this game’s strength lies in its written text.  Use with higher level teens as a computer room quiet reading activity.

8 The Covert Front

The game

The walkthrough

Covert Front is a point and click spy game, where you become an agent code-named Kara and investigate the disappearance of general Karl.  Great used as a reading activity in the computer room for juniors or a relay dictation.

9 Detective Grimoire

The game

The walkthrough

You play as Private Detective Grimoire himself in the game and you have to figure out who killed Hugh Everton. There is lots of reading practice in this game but also extensive elements of a point and click game with solving clues, discovering evidence, talking to witnesses and eventually solving the mystery.  Use with higher levels in the computer room with the walkthrough as something to use if learners get stuck in the game.

10 Hapland II

The game

The walkthrough

This is one of the sequels to the point and click game Hapland which appeared in a post in this blog some time ago.  This version has a walkthrough  which uses screenshots which can be used to generate language.  Use this game in a connected classroom to elicit conditional phrases about what happens in the game.

When I walked into my upper-intermediate class of teenagers yesterday, there were two students already there. One of them (A) spoke up about something that was on his mind and that he wanted to tell me (G) and then the other (D) soon joined in. The exchange more or less went like this:

A: I found a new role-playing game game to play, Cabal

G: Oh, really?Is it a PC game?

A: Sorry?

G: Do you play it on a PC? Is it a multiplayer game?

A: Yes. It’s the best role-playing game, I think. Well, WoW is the best, but this is the best free role-playing game

G: (seeing A glance at D when he said that) You looked at D there. Does that mean you play World of Warcraft?

D: In the past. I played it. I don’t now.

G: Ah, you used to play it?

D: Yes

This exchange took place in English, without prompting, as it was initiated by the students themselves, and was all about a topic close to their heart: gaming. Wherever I go, I hear complaints by teachers about not being able to engage their students: They don’t want to speak; They aren’t interested in English; They’re a difficult class to teach.

Every class is different, of course, and not all students are interested in games. But many are. And I am convinced there are lots of missed opportunities for natural, relevant, meaningful speaking moments like the one above in so many classrooms that are not happening simply because the teacher has no gaming knowledge or interest. And because the students know this, they don’t talk about games, and are never prompted to do so by the teacher. With some students, such as A and D in my class (above), gaming may even be their main interest and what they do with most of their time (outside of school). If so, what this means is that for some students there will be nothing of interest to talk about in your class.

There’s also another interesting point to make. Now, I know that A and D turn up early to class mainly to talk to me about games before the other students arrive. They know I’m interested in games and that we don’t usually talk about them much because some of the other students are not so interested in them (three people in the class have only a passing, casual interest). Occasionally, A and D and some of the other students linger at the end of the class to show me (on the IWB) a new game they have found, one they are playing, or would like to play. Those of you teachers out there who also teach teenagers will know that this is priceless.

Current Affairs

So what to do? You don’t have to be a games player in order to talk about games to your students. But you do have to know something. It’s a case of a little knowledge going a long way. For me, it’s the same with football. I have very little interest in football, but living in Barcelona, I have to know something about it in order to speak to my students. A few of the players names and knowing who won the last match / who they are playing next is usually enough. Then I can let the students speak. And all of this information I pick up from watching the TV news.

The same is true of gaming. Gaming is such big business nowadays, touches upon so many people’s free time, that it regularly features in the TV news and newspapers where I live (Spain). The same may well be true where you live too. IF so, then just keep an eye open for what’s happening. Here, it’s all about changing what you pay attention to, so you can talk about it with your students. Here are some of the latest news in the gaming world you should have noticed. How many of these could you start to have a conversation with your students about?

• Nintendo’s Mario’s 25th Anniversary
• Launch of ‘Call of Duty Black Ops’ (the biggest selling video game in history)
• Microsoft XBox360 new motion controller ‘Kinect’
• Cataclysm – new upgrade to World of Warcraft (11 million users worldwide)

In the conversation that started with my students in class moved to WoW because I’d heard about the last one of these:

G: There’s a new upgrade to WoW out now, isn’t there?

A: Is there?

D: Not yet. Soon.

G: No, it’s out now. Just come out in the last few days.

D: Yes?

A: What is it?

D: It’s called Cataclysm. The level is increased to 85 and there’s a dragon who has changed the world…

This was the point that the other students walked into class. The conversation didn’t last for much longer, but the atmosphere in the room was already one full of vibrant conversation, where the students were doing most of the talking, about something that interested them. What more can a language teacher ask for?

I recommend you take a passing interest in games if your students are interested, and try it out too.