Since Bunker and Thorpe (1982. A model for the teaching of games in secondary schools. "Bulletin of Physical Education," 18(1), 5-8.) introduced Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU), there has been a growing recognition of advocating approaches to pedagogy that addresses participant learning with games-based approaches (GBA)…

As coastal populations grow, so does the exposure to natural hazards such as hurricanes and flooding, creating the potential for increased social and economic disasters. The literature indicates coastal residents remain complacent when planning before, during, and after an event. There is a growing successful use of serious games in natural…

Child sex trafficking (CST) is the exchange of something of value for any sexual act with a minor. Public child welfare agencies are responsible for serving CST victims. In response to the critical need for training child welfare workers on engaging survivors of CST, we describe an innovative game-based training model used to train over 1000…

Introduction: Psycholinguistics presents a challenge to teaching and learning because of the many abstract models in the field. Language-related games provide a vehicle for students to ground and demonstrate their understanding of these models. Statement of the problem: Models in psycholinguistics are challenging to teach and learn because they…

Mathematical games can be used to engage learners, promote fluency and deepen conceptual understanding. When considering the level of engagement of students, sometimes a small change can have a large impact. Something as simple as switching dice for cards in a game and, importantly, introducing a 'non-replacement' mechanism to the gameplay, can…

This article explores the integration of fun and engaging games into fitness units in physical education in order to increase student motivation and engagement. Fitness Uno, Chaos Kickball, and Frisbee golf are discussed, demonstrating their potential to reinforce fitness concepts, promote teamwork, and align with students' preferences and needs.…

Many high school students fear and dislike introductory biomechanics, which can add to the challenges physical educators face in teaching and supporting their students' learning. There is evidence that active and participative learning approaches can improve student engagement with and understanding of biomechanical concepts. This can be done by…

Student-centered pedagogical models (e.g., games-based approaches) have been encouraging physical education teachers to teach team and individual sports with game forms (small-sided and modified games) that promote play time for all students. These teaching methodologies promote students' motivation and engagement and enable an easier transition…

This article discusses iBiome-Wetland, the first educational game from the author's company Springbay Studio. It invites children to build virtual wetland ecosystems, learn about 54 species living in wetlands, experience biodiversity, and conduct experiments to find out how food webs work. The game has received five awards from prestigious…

"The Ballad of Proxima-B" is an educational RPG that promotes learning and collaboration. Students contribute to world-building and game mechanics, creating fictional worlds and characters, including a dystopian Earth, the planet Proxima-B, and alien races. The game incorporates constructivist, constructionist, and Dynamic Systems Model…

Exercise is essential for mastering mathematics, but it faces two major hurdles. First, students are often not motivated to do their homework. Second, checking traditional homework is a manual and labor-intensive process that becomes harder to support as the number of students increases. We argue that computer games could alleviate both problems.…

Educational games help reinforce educational concepts. They help students learn through hypothesizing, probing, and reflecting upon the game environment. Understanding the impact of a game is important before deploying it in a class. Recent studies in learning analysis describe methodologies and approaches for analyzing educational games. However,…

Electron configuration provides insight into the chemical behaviors of elements and is an important concept for students to master in introductory chemistry. To better strengthen undergraduate students' mastery of electron configurations of atoms and ions, we designed a novel, interactive chemistry game called ChemisTree that uses active-learning…

Despite the many theories supporting experiential learning, there is little guidance on how to design effective experiential exercises. To address this gap, we adapt insights from gamification research to devise a step-by-step process that management instructors may use to design effective experiential exercises for use in face-to-face and virtual…

Sonia Kovalevsky Days (SK Days) are nationally-held outreach events that are commonly organized by local chapters of the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) to encourage young women to continue their study of mathematics. The AWM Student Chapter at Worcester Polytechnic Institute hosted virtual renditions of SK Day for middle school girls…