ICT - Games based learning
Classroom games
- General Resources
- ICT Curriculum
- Using Flash For Games
- Using Commercial Games and Consoles
- Learners Becoming Games Creators
- Revision Games and Quizzes
- Starters, Plenaries and Other Curriculum Areas
Welcome to the Games-based learning collection of resources. Here you will find a range of ready to use resources, adaptable resources and lesson plans/suggestions for playful approaches to learning across the curriculum, as well as for encouraging learners to become creators of their own games. Why not contribute your own ideas?
In the news - Gove’s computer science revolution
General Resources
Find suggestions for using games effectively, for display materials and for cross-curricular learning opportunities
- A great display resource from Futurelab that offers a range of suggestions for how games can be used to enhance learning through the curriculum, as well as for developing the skills needed for future game makers.
- A fantastic name generator that can be used for games in class, as well as a multitude of other uses….. Simply enter pupil names in the second page of the Excel file.
- This is a great display resource and a trip down memory lane for many of us!
- Deciding if the games are being used for the sake of the game or the sake of the learning is important if they are to be used effectively in lessons - this guide supports the decision-making process by giving clear criteria.
- Creating games involves a whole range of skills and it’s always good to include cross curricular opportunities for learners. These resources from james_abela and purplemash.com are great examples.
- An introductory video sets the scene for primary children to design a game cover using Purplemash.
Using storyboarding to plan games
- Storyboards are used by games creators - and this provides a great opportunity for cross curricular learning opportunities, such as this which develops programming as well as multimedia storytelling.
- A fantastic game, using arrow keys for moving a spade to collect the harvest and avoid tractors and combine harvesters. It could be used for a range of lessons - developing keyboard skills, counting, descriptive work, as a model for students developing their own games.
- Another flash game that provides a playful learning opportunity for younger students.
- A great KIMs game for developing concentration and memory - a bit of fun!
ICT Curriculum
Sorting activities are frequently used to help learners organise ideas and engage in discussions to agree sequences. These sequencing activities have their place in the ICT curriculum, too, and, of course, crosswords always provide an opportunity to clarify if students have learnt the vocabulary associated with any topic!
- from nbrighton78
- from nbrighton78
- from nbrighton78
- from shalai
Data protection act Wipeout game
- james_abela uses PowerPoint to create a fantastic game to support ICT learning.
Top Trumps and Microsoft Access
- A popular game format is used in this example to create meaningful databases - bringing a bit of fun to a topic that can often be rather dry!
Using Flash For Games
Great resources provide examples for students and model the coding in tutorials for pupils to deconstruct and reconstruct as appropriate.
Colour the witch - halloween fun!
These seasonal activities from cyberphysics are great games for younger children to develop mouse skills, but also provide fantastic models and tutorials for older children to develop their own flash colouring activities.
Colour the monster - halloween fun!
Colour the pumpkin - halloween fun!
Colour the spooky house - halloween fun!
Another game that can be played by younger children - and there’s enough information in the how-to guide to empower learners to make a version of the example or to develop into their own ideas.
- Drag and drop quizzes is another great way of encouraging students to make their own flash games
- These examples from cyberphysics are for creating jigsaws in Flash and can be played by younger learners to develop mouse skills, too!
Using Commercial Games and Consoles
Hijacking commercially available games and games consoles for learning purposes is growing in popularity and providing relevant, meaningful, fun contexts for learning. These are just a few examples and it would be good to see more about how Kinect, Wii and other consoles are being used in class! Could your examples be featured in this collection?
Mario and Sonic relational database
- from David Phillips
Learners Becoming Games Creators
Using tools such as Alice, Kodu and Scratch – all free downloads – brings the opportunity to become programmers to children of all ages. Visual programming and opportunities to develop, refine and improve sequences of instructions can be used at a whole range of levels. Many thanks to our featured contributor, David Phillips, for all his amazing Scratch tutorials.
- Aclearly outlined unit of work for primary schools introducing Kodu, designed by secondary students from Saltash.net for their local primary schools.
- Using a story board to design a computer game can be linked effectively to writing a narrative - making the game creation more considered and providing a concrete experience for writing.
Scratch tutorial - programming a computer game
- from kevinbertman
- Tutorials, step by step guides and lesson plans for getting started with Scratch abound and these are some of the most useful, including video tutorials for making more complex games.
Computer game production in Scratch
- from snegreid
Fish and shark game using Scratch
- from David Phillips
- from Bill_Lonsdale
Car racing game made in Scratch
- from David Phillips
- from David Phillips
Parrot shooting game in Scratch
- from David Phillips
Revision Games and Quizzes
Playful quizzes based on popular TV games are a great way to engage learners and to liven up revision and assessment for learning opportunities.
Deal or no deal ICT GCSE revision quiz
- from David Phillips
- Interactive quizzes can easily be created by learners using the free PowerPoint add-in, Mouse Mischief. And as we know, it’s when learners become creators rather than simply consumers that they have really understood the learning.
- from r1l3y1882
Keyboard Drag and Drop Quizzes
- An example of how being really creative with the tools that are available can make a highly effective Word document game.
- from MrVixen
Letters & sounds phase 5 millionaire
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is one of those games that has been taken and adapted by many different people and re-shared - these are just a few examples of how it has been used across the curriculum, starting with this game.
- from latimerw
- from thetreasurebox
- from rpk
Millionaire - children’s rights
- from ianbcormack
- from ScienceSteph
Starters, Plenaries and Other Curriculum Areas
ICT games can be used to enhance learning and revision in a range of curriculum areas. Check out some of these helpful links.
- These fantastic learning games can consolidate understanding in maths and give learners an opportunity to practise what they have been learning.
- A range of maths resources
- TESiboard provide a range of games to enhance learning throughout the curriculum - and don’t just think they’re suitable for EYFS or KS1 - there are many that are useful for KS2 or even beyond, too!
- PHSCE games from Channel 4 Learning
- from Jamie Barton
Pirate plenary multiple choice
- from alrightmebabbers
German Grand Prix game starter
- from gavinhillage
