ZaidLearn

Friday, May 30

No Stupid Questions! I am Serious! (Part 4)

“Some people study all their life and at their death they have learned everything except to THINK”
– Francois Domergue

“A person who asks questions is a person who thinks.”’
- William Wilen

In this 5-part learning series, we have already looked at several teaching habits that could inspire students out of learning, such as speed-teaching, bragging, lack of engagement, and slide reading. In part four (4), we will explore a couple of teaching habits that could be quite destructive to the students' learning process.

First, I will project myself back-to-the-past to my high school days in Norway, and reflect a few learning experiences that I still can't get out of my head (Perhaps after sharing them with you, they can rest in peace on the web!). After that, I will reflect a few more incidents from my graduate days in Malaysia.

The thing about my schooling experience in Norway, whether it was primary, secondary or high school, is that many of my teachers seemed so miserable and frustrated with their lives. I kind of got the feeling that the majority of the teachers I experienced, never really wanted to be teachers, but became so, because they failed in their first choice careers. I hope that I am wrong about this (Faulty memory!) and that things have changed for the better at the schools I studied (Marienlyst and Ullern).

Let's transport myself back to the past...

THE SPIDER...
I can't remember the name of the teacher, nor can I remember the subject that she taught (high school subject). However, I do remember that she would always come to class with a serious and angry face carrying a big sulk. It was as if she hated us (probably herself, too!). Her serious and angry face could wipe your smile off with the blink of an eye.

As for me, I dreaded going to her classes. Not only did she look serious and angry, she also had a great pleasure of giving us impromptu oral tests during classes. Although, I actually support these kinds of instructional approaches to encourage students to prepare for class, I believe she also had other hidden reasons for giving us such tests. She seemed to get pleasure out of giving us a BIG ZERO (out of 5, if I remember correctly!) when we couldn't answer her questions.

This is how it worked: She would ask a question in class, and then students would raise their right hand if they knew the answer. Nope, she would not pick any of the raised hands, but instead she would pick one student who didn't raise the hand. And obviously that student would struggle, or not be able to answer the question. Then she would suddenly decide that this is an impromptu oral test and write a big zero in her grade book. And naturally I would get a big zero the first couple of times, but then after a few classes I would raise my hand even if I didn't know the answer. It at least saved me from a few zeros.

So, naturally many students hated her guts, and wanted to take their own revenge in a less psychological damaging way! And one day a few students brought a quite big spider (Norwegian standards!) to class (I am not sure where it can from). They placed it on the top of the teacher's desk; smack in the middle. Although, I was not involved in this silly little prank, I did witness it. We all expected that the teacher would freak out and scream for help, but 'Oh Boy' were we wrong.

That day she came to class holding a book in her right hand. While walking towards her desk, she spotted the spider. She initially screamed a bit in a freakish manner, and then she lifted her book with both hands and slammed that spider several times until it was completely crushed and dead. Then she picked it up with a face of rage and disgust and walked to nearest classroom window. She opened the classroom window, and threw it out! After this incident she began the class as if it never happened.

"Who cares! People on 'Fear Factor' eat them alive all the time!" Yes, I also have a small phobia for spiders, and I really don't like them. But somehow for that spider I wouldn't have mind risking my phobia to save it. It was a bizarre moment and murder that I probably will never forget. So, next time you want to pull a prank on your annoying and serious teacher, think twice about using living creatures, because you never know. It is not worth the risk!

Dear spider, may you rest in peace! Hopefully, we can learn a lesson or two from this story.

NO STUPID QUESTIONS!
Hopefully, the spider incident can rest in peace (from my mind!), and let's move on. For the next habit or behavior, I am not going to zoom in on a particular teacher, but reflect how destructive some teachers can be in discouraging students to ask questions without often realizing it (I suppose I am guilty, too!).

It is strange that I need to talk about this topic in the 21st century, but I still come across teachers or lecturers that would do all sorts of things or tricks to avoid questions in class. Is it their lack of preparedness for the topic that causes this? Or perhaps they are scared to lose control? Maybe, it is that fear of not knowing the answer to a question? Perhaps they don't want to put themselves in a position, which could make them look stupid? Or is it simply a cultural or authority issue that we can't do much about (except educate the next generation).

Here is a list of statements or questions to could discourage students from asking questions during class:

Please don't ask stupid questions!
That is a stupid question! Any other questions?
That was not a good question! Ask proper questions!
Anyone got a better question!
Haven't you read the book!
Please read the book before asking questions!
I don't entertain such questions! You can find the answer easily in the book!
I have already told you that! Aren't you listening!
Didn't I make that clear just know!
I just answered you that question!
Are you making fun of me!
What! How many times do I have to explain it, before you get it!
We don't have time for this question! Please find the answer on your own.
Think before you ask!

These are some of the statements or questions that I experienced from some of my lecturers during my undergraduate and graduate studies in Malaysia. Don't get me wrong, I had many good lecturers during these years too, but this series is about the bad experiences.

POSSIBILITIES!
Whether we do it consciously or not, we should think a bit before making statements that might indirectly or directly discourage students from asking questions. If no one is asking questions in your class, you might actually be part of the problem. For example, some might argue that Malaysian students don't usually ask questions in class, or that they are happy with a one-way lecture approach. "No thinking required, just need to look awake! Anyway I got the slides, so there is no need to really listen."

However, all students have subject related questions, and I believe it is up to the lecturer to explore creative ways on how to encourage more students to ask these questions to facilitate the learning process. If you ask me, no matter how resistant students are to asking questions and participating in discussions, there are ways to overcome it. In short, if you are creative, passionate and encouraging you can unlock any student to ask questions.

Alright, I am not going to give you a written lecture of the importance and secret recipe of nurturing the students' mind to ask and reflect questions and ideas (Not qualified yet!). Instead, I will link you up with a few videos for you to reflect. The videos below are also excellent for stimulating discussion with your colleagues on how the world of technology, knowledge and learning is evolving, and the necessary changes we need to carry out to facilitate effective learning, and nurture the foundation for students to succeed in the 21st century. Here we go:

Shift Happens
The impact of ICT and globalisation on education. It provides some interesting things to ponder regarding globalization and fast evolving changes we need to consider as we plan and prepare students for the future.
Pay Attention
This presentation, simply entitled Pay Attention, was created by Darren Draper in an effort to motivate teachers to more effectively use technology in their teaching.
Five Minute University
Father Guido Sarducci teaches what an average college graduate knows after five years from graduation in five minutes. A great video to facilitate discussion about effective learning with a bit of humor.
"Do Schools Kill Creativity"
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.
"Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Using Us"
The evolution of knowledge creation, management and sharing in creative and stimulating way.
Teaching Teaching & Understanding Understanding
A 19-minute award-winning short-film about teaching at the University. It shows examples of good and bad teaching, and promotes constructive alignment learning approach using Solo Taxonomy to test students' level of understanding (deep understanding?).
Five Minds for the Future
Howard Gardner speaks about his book, Five Minds for the Future explaining why, in the future, it will be important to develop five kinds of minds, both in school and in other educational environments.

In addition to these interesting videos, here are a few sites that can stimulate some new ideas on how to facilitate effective learning in your course:

Route 21
A one-stop-resource center for 21st century skills-related information, resources and community tools. You can even find videos here of 21st century skills in action in today’s classrooms.
New Horizons for Learning
Presents articles and information on special issues in education, from restructuring schools to technology and adult education.
EDUCAUSE
A nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology. You can find hundreds of interesting resources, research papers and articles exploring everything from Second Life to lecturing.
Creativity Techniques
A central repository for Creativity and Innovation on the Internet by Mycoted with a summary of tools, techniques, mind exercises, puzzles, book reviews, etc. Concise, precise and easy to digest. I love it!
Mind Tools
More than 100 free essential life, career training and management training skill-builder articles and tools to explore.
Successful Learning - This e-book discusses philosophies of learning, thinking skills, presentations skills, learning strategies, e-Learning, motivation, reading/writing skills and learning styles. Published by CDTL, National University of Singapore.
Brain Rules
12 principles for surviving and thriving at work, home, and school. In Brain Rules, Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work.
Critical Thinking Web
Provides over 100 free online tutorials on critical thinking, logic, scientific reasoning, creativity, and other aspects of thinking skills. This site is maintained by Dr. Joe Lau at the Philosophy Department, The University of Hong Kong.
Critical Evaluation Tookit
Griffith University provides tips on helping students to develop critical evaluation skills.
Argumentation and Critical Thinking Tutorial
The tutorials consist of a series of tests to help reinforce your knowledge and understanding of some basic concepts associated with making arguments and thinking critically (Humboldt State University).
Empowering the 21st Century Superintendent
Of all the challenges you face as a superintendent, technology leadership may be the one that leaves you feeling the most unprepared, uncertain and vulnerable. This site provides you with a lot of valuable resources and ideas on how to deal with it.
Interactive Thinking Tools
Intel provides online tools designed to promote higher-order thinking in any subject. Each tool features an online workspace where students create and save visual representations of their thinking.
CoRT & Six Thinking Hats
Two wonderful thinking tools by Edward de Bono, which we can use in the classroom, at work, or any place where we need to collaboratively solve problems, make decisions, and nurture innovative ideas.
Work-Learning Research
Dr. Will Thalheimer's goal has been to compile research from the world's preeminent refereed journals and translate that research with practical wisdom to help learning professionals create more effective learning. Check it out!
WebQuest
Is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web.

Finally, here is an article I wrote a couple of months back entitled: Coaching Critical Thinking to Think Creatively!, which might also be useful.

A FEW TIPS!

"Take your course seriously! Take course preparation seriously! Take learning seriously! Take assessment seriously! Take your students seriously! But don't take yourself so seriously!" - Zaid Ali Alsagoff

Better yet, have fun making fun of yourself during class, and make it a point that we all do mistakes. Anyway, the greatness of a lecturer or a leader is not whether he or she does a mistake (surely will!), but how he or she responds to it. If you are not doing any mistakes or failing once a while, you are perhaps not trying hard enough. Finally, celebrate students who ask you questions, even if you don't know the answer. Not only will they inspire you to learn and get a deeper understanding of the subject, they will also nurture you to become a better lecturer.

We all say funny things and ask stupid questions in our short life on this planet, but if we learn from them and move on we might just... :)

"Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy."-Drillers who Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

"Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible."-Lord Kelvin, president, Royal Society, 1895

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"
-H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons."
- Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
-Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
- Bill Gates, 1981

"If at first, the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it."
- Albert Einstein

5-PART SERIES

Thursday, May 15

102 Free EduGames to Spice Up Your Course!

"Engage Me or Enrage Me" - Marc Prensky (2005)

"Never play a video game that's trying to teach you something." - Justin Peters (2007)

Terms like educational games, game-based gaming, and social impact games don't sound too bad. But, Serious Games sounds awful! I mean, who wants to get serious about playing games (I want to relax and have some fun!)? The name itself is capable of killing the joy of playing games before even wanting to. I suppose some innovative name rebranding could help to facilitate and globalize the idea of using games to facilitate the (formal) learning process. Though, I think the term 'Edutainment' is quite good. My favorite would probably be EduGames. But, I believe we have yet to discover an attractive term for educational gaming that reach the 'Yummy' factor.

Anyway, this post is not about attacking or supporting the idea of EduGames to facilitate Higher Learning. There are tons of articles out there (Google it!) talking about the potential of EduGames (e.g. Game-Based Learning: How to Delight and Instruct in the 21st Century - Joel Foreman). Although many articles and papers talk about EduGames, they often don't include a comprehensive directory or list of juicy free EduGames. So, this post will skip all the theoretical Mambo-Jumbo, and link you right to the juice (that I have managed to discover!).

In short, this article (or post) is about exploring and discovering free educational games that could be useful to embed within or across courses (and programs) to spark more engagement, challenge, mystery, exploration, collaboration, problem-solving, decision making, imagination, fun and thinking into the learning process.

EDUGAMES SITES?
But, before we explore 102 EduGames! Here are a few online resources that you might want to explore first (Macro-level):

Educational Games Research
Research and discussion concerning instructional video games.
Serious Games Initiative
Is focused on uses for games in exploring management and leadership challenges facing the public sector.
Serious Games
A web portal to serious games news, resources and companies. Its secondary goal is to enable networking between anyone with an interest in serious games.
Social Impact Games
It is designed as a community resource for all those interested in games with non-entertainment goals. You can find more than 200 educational games here (free, commercial, coming soon, etc).
The Education Arcade
Represents a consortium of international game designers, publishers, scholars, educators, and policy makers who are exploring the new frontiers of educational media that have been opened by computer and video games.
36 Learning Games to Change the World
A great post by Jeff Cobb about 36 educational games out there that are geared towards making a difference in the world.
The Top 10 Free Educational Video Games
Check it out! If you find the list below overwhelming and stressful, this list is simply wonderful!
Top 100 Learning Game Resources
If you are already developing learning games, or interested to know more about this field, this great collection of links will for sure broaden your horizons.

102 FREE EDUGAMES!
Initially, I wanted to compile an EduGame list, which included metadata, categories, chunking, screenshots, and tags. But, then I kind of realized it would require a lot more work from me, and less thinking and effort from you to find something useful. In other words, it would minimize the challenge and discovery aspect of finding what you want in the list (if there!). It would take way the challenge and might even hinder you from finding what you are looking for (especially, if my categorization and tagging is poor!). Yes, it would take away the gameplay challenge of mystery, suspense, joy, exploration, fun and incidental learning. "WHATEVER! Just get on with it!"

Here are 102 FREE EduGames that sounds and looks interesting for formal or informal learning (Haven't tried all yet!):

Gwap
When you play a game at Gwap (e.g. ESP Game), you aren't just having fun. You're helping the world become a better place. By playing their games, you're training computers to solve problems for humans all over the world.
WFP Foodforce
Understand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it.
Virtual U
Is a management education game, a simulation of a university, in which the user takes the role of a university administrator. It is designed to foster better understanding of management practices in American colleges and universities.
Revolution
Experience historical incentives for the American Revolution from the grassroots level.
Discover Babylon
Uses sophisticated video gaming strategies and realistic digital environments to engage the learner in challenges and mysteries that can only be solved through developing an understanding of Mesopotamian society, business practices, and trade.
FreeCol
Is a turn-based strategy game based on the old game Colonization, and similar to Civilization. The objective of the game is to create an independent nation.
FreeCiv
Is a Free and Open Source empire-building strategy game inspired by the history of human civilization. The game commences in prehistory and your mission is to lead your tribe from the stone age to the space age.
Tropical America
A journey to unravel the mysteries of the Americas. Developed in collaboration with Los Angeles artists, teachers, writers and high school students, the game features a bilingual, thematic gameplay, accompanied by an online database of edu-resources.
Ayiti - The Cost of Life
What is it like to live in poverty? Find out now in this challenging role playing game in which you take responsibility for a family of five in rural Haiti. From UNICEF with Microsoft support.
EyeWitness
Is an Interactive Situation Simulation Software (ISSS) that let users experience the 1937 Nanking Massacre personally, when over the course of 6 weeks, over 300,000 civilians were killed by Japanese troops invading the city.
The History Canada Game
Understand social forces surrounding Canadian history since 1534. Modification of Civilization III
Road to Revolution Game
Test your knowledge about the American Revolution, and see if you can navigate your way to independence. Every correct answer gets you closer to liberty!
Conflict Map
In the course of the 20th century, mankind experienced some of the most devastating wars of all times. Where, what, How, When, Why? This map gives you the opportunity to answer these questions. It displays wars with at least 1,000 military battle deaths.
Prisoners of War
Can people behave as they like during times of war? No, they can't. The Geneva Conventions of written rules and articles make some acts unlawful. Play the prisoners of war game to learn more.
The Peace Doves
Take on the mission to disarm the world of nuclear weapons! You have eight "Peace Doves" to help you, each able to disarm one of the eight countries possessing nuclear weapons.
America’s Army
Players are bound by Rules of Engagement (ROE) and grow in experience as they navigate challenges emphasizing team play, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage.
Stop Disasters
The online game aims at teaching people on how to build safer villages and cities against disasters. Multiple languages. Good teacher resources.
World Without Oil
An alternate reality event, a serious game for the public good. It invites everyone to help simulate a global oil shock. People participate by contributing original online stories, created as though the oil shock were really happening.
Real Life Simulations
That let you experience life as, for example, a peasant farmer in Bangladesh, a factory worker in Brazil, a policeman in Nigeria, a lawyer in the US, or a computer operator in Poland, among others.
3rd World Farmer
It aims at simulating the real-world mechanisms that cause and sustain poverty in 3rd World countries. In the game, the player gets to manage an African farm, and is soon confronted with the often difficult choices that poverty and conflict necessitate.
Trade Ruler
Bertil Ohlin, awarded the Prize in Economics in 1977, showed that countries engage in and benefit from trade if their production resources differ from each other. Play the Trade Ruler game to learn more.
Wasteland Adventure
Time: 3010 AD. After humans destroyed the ecosystem. The earth lost the ability to heal and the environment continues to get worse. The fresh air and clean water are polluted. Just play the game!!!
Climate Challenge
A game where you are president of the European Nations. You must tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office.
Global Warming Interactive
Is a web based multi-user educational game which explores the relationship of global warming to economic, political and science policy decisions (intended for the high school user).
Quest Atlantis
Help students understand social studies, environmental concerns, current events, and scientific standards.
FreeRice
A cool game to learn vocabulary and help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free (Made possible by the sponsors who advertise on the site).
Anagramarama
The aim of the game is to find as many words as possible in the time available. Get the longest word and you'll advance to the next level.
Re-Mission
Understand cancer better and develop a positive attitude toward defeating it.
The POD Game
Dispense drugs and medical advice to people during an emergency. Using this game, you can enhance your efforts to teach staff and volunteers to work efficiently and sensitively with the public to maximize throughput in times of crisis.
Deliver The Net Game
Race the sun and hand out as many insecticide-treated bed nets as you can to African families. The more nets you deliver – before the mosquitoes come out – the more lives you save.
Immune Attack
An educational video game that introduces basic concepts of human immunology to high school and entry-level college students. It aims to excite students about the subject, while also illuminating general principles and detailed concepts of immunology.
The Immune System Defender
Ilya Mechnikov, inserted a thorn into a larva and noticed strange cells gathering around the thorn. The cells were eating any foreign substances entering the ruptured skin (devouring cells). Play the game to learn more!
Whack TB (Tuberculosis)
There are almost 9 million new cases of TB each year; about 500,000 of these cases are resistant to the best TB drugs available to fight them. Play this game and learn more about fighting TB!” From the Families USA Global Health Initiative.
NANOSWARM
The NANOSWARM’s story is set in the year 2030 — a time when there is no war, no crime and no hunger. The reader meets five teenagers interning at MECHS, the world’s leading research center. Each struggles with MECHS’ stringent diet and exercise requirements. Scientists there are on the verge of eradicating all disease when a mysterious infection becomes an epidemic. After one of the interns is stricken, the other teens pilot a miniaturized vessel inside his body to discover the source of outbreak.
Blood Typing
In this game you have to blood type each patient and give them a blood transfusion.
Deep Brain Stimulation
Help Dr. Vanessa Mei cut, probe and drill her way to helping her patient cope with a movement disorder through brain surgery!
Virtual Hip Surgery - Total Hip Replacement Surgery
Take on the role of the Surgeon throughout a hip replacement surgery!
Virtual Knee Surgery - Total Knee Replacement
Take on the role of the Surgeon throughout a total knee replacement surgery.
The Ear Pages
Sound is caused by changes of pressure in the air that is transformed into nerve impulses in the inner ear. Explore "The Ear Pages" and collect the snail shaped symbols to gain points in the quiz!
The Incredible Adventures of the Amazing Food Detective
There has been a mysterious outbreak of unhealthy habits among kids, and we need to solve these cases. All junior food detectives will get secret training on how to eat right and exercise. Have fun playing the game!
The Food Detectives Fight BAC!
The game gives kids a fun way to learn about foodborne illness. From New Mexico State University.
Snacktown Smackdown
In this game, the player takes on the identity of a Kid Wisdom "agent" in a race to save the town from the evil Mayor's plans. After gathering healthy snacks for ammo and traversing a treacherous playground, the player must battle three possessed vending machines.
Fatworld
A video game about the politics of nutrition. It explores the relationships between obesity, nutrition, and socioeconomics in the contemporary U.S.
WaterBusters!
A game to teach tips for water conservation around the home.
NitroGenius
Is a multi-player, multi-stakeholder game about solving nitrogen problems. A free single-player (demo) version is available.
Binary Game (Cisco)
The game teaches strategies related to the binary system, a foundation knowledge used by CCNAs to install, configure and operate networks.
Plan Your Future Park!
You get to plan your future New York City park, making choices that communities all over the city have been making.
The Conductive Valley
We have been taught that plastics, unlike metals, do not conduct electricity. However, plastic can, after certain modifications, be made electrically conductive. Play the game to learn more.
Chirality
Chiral molecules can be used to control or speed up different chemical reactions. In this game you can learn the basic principles of chirality.
Invar & Steel Alloys
Steel, brass and amalgam are a few examples of an alloy. Invar, from the word "invariable", is a special steel alloy - used today in toasters and CRT-monitors for example. Play the game to learn more.
Heating Plastics
There are two major groups of plastics - some melt when heated and others don't. Find out why by playing the Heating Plastics Game.
The Recycler (Transistors)
Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain, the men behind the transistor, were awarded the 1956 Nobel Prize in Physics. Today, transistors are found in virtually every electronic device. Play the recycling game to learn more.
The Laser Challenge
Laser is used in many areas, such as research, communication, industry, medicine, and environmental care. Learn more about the laser by playing this game.
Fold It - Solve Puzzles for Science
Is a computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. Foldit uses spare computer time, via a screensaver, to work out how proteins fold. Players use their computers to fold proteins.
Lord of the Flies
The game is supposed to be played after one has read the book "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. The aim is to introduce some basic analytical aspects concerning the book and to challenge the reader's memory through play.
Find the Authors
Among hundreds of letters, the names of Literature Laureates are hidden. Pick a period and search for the authors mentioned on the list beside the puzzle. The names may be written in all directions.
Arden - World of William Shakespeare
Attain an appreciation of Shakespearean authorship and Elizabethan England. Modification of Neverwinter Nights Diamond.
Globulation2
Is an innovative Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game which reduces micro-management by automatically assigning tasks to units.
Crash Scene Investigation
Help the highway patrol recreate a deadly crash by examining the evidence and calculating the forces. Use trigonometry, physics, and geometry to figure out what happened at an auto crash scene.
Airport Security
You’re an airport screener. Can you correctly identify risky items hidden in baggage? Uses actual X-ray images of dangerous devices.
Bricks or Clicks
You are put in the role of CEO at a traditional toy manufacturer. The company, called ToyBlocks Co., must confront the challenges of launching an online sales channel while managing and maintaining their current traditional sales channels.
Harpooned
Harpooned is a free game for Windows. It is a Cetacean Research Simulator, where you play the role of a Japanese scientist performing research on whales around Antarctica.
Stop Whaling Game
Steer the Greenpeace inflatable boat around the seas and intercept the dangerous harpoons from the whaling ship. To make the whaling ship stop whaling, you must try and get your activists on board the whaling ship.
WolfQuest
Learn about wolf ecology by living the life of a wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Play alone or with friends in on-line multiplayer missions, explore the wilderness, hunt elk, and encounter stranger wolves in your quest to find a mate.
McDonald's Video Game
You’ll discover in this game all the dirty secrets that made McDonald's one of the biggest companies of the world. Interesting stuff man! Multiple languages. Offline version available.
Corporate Greed
A 3-minute mini-game about the corporate executives accused and/or convicted of greed-related crimes.
Better Business Games
A basic in-box simulation game from British Telecom about managing social and environmental issues in a business. The player takes on the role of corporate CEO. The games contents are drawn from general business dilemmas across all industries.
Karma Tycoon
Is a free Online RPG that rocks the gaming world by offering you a thrilling ride through the world of social entrepreneurship as you earn Karma in virtual communities across the US. Teachers curriculum available.
Googolopoly
The goal of the game, produced by Box.net, is to use Google shares to buy as many properties as you can without landing in the deadpool and losing your stock. You can download the game in its entirety as a PDF.
SimCity
Understand variable manipulations for urban management while having fun building a simulated city.
Virtual Trader - Investment Game (UK)
Virtual Trader is a free Investment Simulation Game, offering its users the opportunity to gain practical experience trading stocks under real market conditions (London Stock Exchange), against their actual and current prices.
INNOV8 - Business Process Management (BPM) Simulator
Innov8 is a FREE interactive 3D business simulator (Registration required), which takes participants through the entire lifecycle of discovery, collaboration, optimization, and innovation of a fictional company’s business processes.
eLECTIONS - Your Adventure in Politics
Inspired by the classic board game “The Game of Life,” players will role-play their own virtual candidates running for President.
My US Rep - Role Play Congress!
This game enables you to play your favorite (or not so) House of Representative and help them become more popular! Based on real voting data, My US Rep allows you to discover your Rep’s hopes and dreams within an engaging game experience.
Whyville
Provide a student-centered, hands-on environment for exploring various school subjects.
Hot Potatoes
The Hot Potatoes suite includes six applications, enabling you to create interactive multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises.
jQuizShow
Is based on the popular "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" TV game show. You can customize the questions to what you want. It is written in Java , and can run on any platform that supports Java.
ClassTools.net
Create your own free educational games, activities and diagrams in a Flash! Host them on your own blog, website or intranet!
Racing Academy
A racing videogame built on an advanced physics simulation engine. It is intended to support an online community of learners' increased familiarity with engineering concepts, through racing and engineering realistic virtual models of cars.
Tactical Language and Culture Training Systems
A military-supported language acquisition game. The objective of the project is to develop tools to support individualized language learning, and apply them to the acquisition of tactical languages necessary to accomplish specific missions. The training system enables learners to communicate directly with on-screen characters using a speech recognition interface. The objective is to make the toolset easily applicable to new tactical languages, missions, and training contexts. Developed by USC's CARTE group for DARPA's Darwars Program.
Global Conflicts: Palestine
The player assumes the role of a freelance journalist who has just arrived in Jerusalem facing challenges. The goal is to create and get an article published for a newspaper by collecting quotes from the dialog in the game. The player can either get information by building up trust with each side or take a more confrontational approach to dig out information. In the end, the story with the most news-value will get the best exposure. The player must be careful what they submit for print, because it will affect their standings with both sides.The game attempts to challenge the player's beliefs and ideas about the conflict. The game has support for educational use with features like an encyclopedia, primary sources, assessment and a teacher's manual.
Darfur Is Dying
Darfur is Dying is a viral video game for change that provides a window into the experience of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. Players must keep their refugee camp functioning in the face of possible attack by Janjaweed militias. Players can also learn more about the genocide in Darfur that has taken the lives of 400,000 people, and find ways to get involved to help stop this human rights and humanitarian crisis.
I Can End Deportation (ICED)
As an immigrant teen you are avoiding ICE officers, choosing right from wrong and answering questions on immigration. But if you answer questions incorrectly, or make poor decisions, you will be detained with no respect for your human rights.
PowerPoint Games (Jeff Ertzberger)
A cool site with a great collection of PowerPoint (Word and Excel, too!) games and game templates for whole class participation and individual student use.
Brain Tune
It helps you to tune your brain and allows you quickly to remember all the things you wished you could (e.g. dates, places, vocabularies), and uses intelligent ways of asking questions. All catalogs are created by community members of brain-tune.
Energyville
It’s up to you to provide enough power to meet the energy demands of your city’s 3.9 million people while keeping them prosperous, secure, and living in a clean environment. The implications of the energy decisions you make today for your city in 2015 are based on the current lifestyles and the projected energy demands and costs for developed countries throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
ElectroCity
ElectroCity is a new online computer game that lets players manage their own virtual towns and cities. It teaches players about energy, sustainability and environmental management in New Zealand.
AIDtoCHILDREN
The game will help to expand your vocabulary and help children in need while doing so. For every correct answer they will donate .25 cents to children in need.
SimPort
SimPort is a multiplayer game in which the aim is to develop a new port area in a period of 30 years simulated time.
Debating the Evidence
The goal of this game is to create a safe environment that encourages students to critically evaluate and discuss scientific evidence in scenarios where social consequences are high and when the evidence is sometimes incomplete or conflicting.
Iya-Ola
A collection of language learning games with a difference: the player can only progress through collaborating with a learner in a different country. Initially focusing on English and Spanish, it has the potential to be developed for other languages.
51Tree.org
Is a new online computer game (social issue game) that lets players plant virtual trees in the country(ies) of their choice. It is great fun to play and teaches players all about the importance of tree planting, forest coverage and carbon offsets.
EnerCities
Are you ready to take on the challenge of running your own virtual city? Do you have the skills to create a solid, sustainable energy strategy? Will you build a nuclear plant or go solar? Whether you are an industrial tycoon or treehugging hippie, join the exclusive EnerCities beta program now. Your citizens need you!
Catchment Detox
Play Catchment Detox to see if you can repair a damaged river catchment and create a sustainable and thriving economy. It’s an online game where you’re in charge of the whole catchment. You get to decide what activities you undertake – whether to plant crops, log forests, build factories or set up national parks. The aim is to fix environmental problems and provide food and wealth for the population.
LogiCity
Is a fun interactive computer game with a difference. Aimed at young people under 25, it’s a game set in a 3D virtual city with five main activities where players are set the task of reducing the carbon footprint of an average resident. As players work their way through the game they will pick up information about Climate Change, and some of the main ways in which everyone is currently contributing to the emissions of the main greenhouse gas (CO2) that causes Climate Change.
Connect2Climate
Comprises of five different applications on the mobile – three mobile games involving different mindsets and psychologies of mobile users, and two mobile learning applications on climate change. The games are being deployed on low-end and low cost handsets to sophisticated high-end devices.
Copenhagen Challenge
This game aims to create awareness among school children and youth on issues related to climate change – renewable energy, energy efficiency and reduction in greenhouse gases.
V GAS
Aims at making the connections between individual lifestyles and greenhouse gas emissions, gauging personal contributions to global emissions. V GAS will try to help the user to answer the question ‘how does my lifestyle relate to the global problem?’, as well as ‘what options are there to reduce my contribution to the global problem?’
Earthquake in Zipland
Help your child cope with the challenges of divorce through a fun and interactive video game, designed specifically for children of divorce and legal separation (Note: This one cost $29.99, but there is a free demo available.).
MiniMonos
Is a virtual world for children: a place of fun, beauty, discovery, generosity, sustainability and friendship. Here children can have a place of their own, a place that allows them to explore and grow without constant pressure to buy stuff. It is also a place that embodies core values like sustainability and generosity, without turning those values into a boring lecture.
One Hen
Interactive activities and games to teach kids about microfinance. This is intended to complement a book on microfinance that currently sells for $12.89 at Amazon.com.
The Cuckoo of the Computers
Consists of two parts that can be used together or separately. On the one hand an animated video presentation, playing with any fear, explains what is a computer and what can serve to. As the second block are the exercises that users need to be overcome that fears.

"Oh man, I don't even have time to try one (or even read this list!), and now you give me 102. Come on!" Who said you need to try out or read this list. Just share it (the URL) with your students, and tell them the kind of game you might want for your course (Challenge), and let them individually or in groups explore, discover, reflect, select and write a recommendation report. In short, this EduGames list could be a good starting point to start the EduGame discovery journey.

If you are looking for a list that will actually grow (as I discover), please go here: GAMES GALORE.

This post is dead and buried (for now!), but my del.icio.us adventure will continue. Finally, please don't take EduGames too seriously, don't get addicted, but have fun playing them while learning :)

Wednesday, May 7

Is PowerPoint Evil? (Part 3)

ZaidLearn's Del.icio.us PowerPoint Links

"It's the way people depend on all those bells and whistles that come with the software to try to shore up a weak presentation." - Chris Oakes (1998)

"...To critics, PowerPoint serves largely the same role in the classroom as pre-processed snack food does in the lunchroom: a conveniently packaged morsel that looks good but doesn't match the intellectual or corporeal nourishment of, say, a critical essay or a plate of steamed spinach." - Joanna Glasner (2002)

"The practical conclusions are clear. PowerPoint is a competent slide manager and projector. But rather than supplementing a presentation, it has become a substitute for it. Such misuse ignores the most important rule of speaking: Respect your audience." - Edward Tufte (2003)

"The use of the PowerPoint presentation has been a disaster...It should be ditched." - Professor Sweller (2007)

IS POWERPOINT EVIL?

Edward Tufte (2003) even explains in his "The Visual Display of Quantitative Information" book, how PowerPoint caused the destruction of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. I suppose PowerPoint is evil! Wait a minute! Isn't also the Internet evil! What about chocolate? Yes, cars are certainly evil! Motor bikes are even worse! Certainly, sex is evil! Actually, everything I can think of is evil!

Should we blame PowerPoint on our own failure to create compelling content and engage students to learn? Or perhaps PowerPoint is the problem as it lacks the features needed to enable us to express ourselves effectively (Perhaps we should use Apple's Keynote)? Or is it a combination? Perhaps we could blame the students? We could probably ask questions and argue all day long without getting anywhere. If I was a psychologist, I would probably use the famous statement that is practically used for every argument: "It depends." And for this case, I would probably have to agree.

But instead of getting into a logical and/or emotional argument about the constructiveness or destructiveness of PowerPoint, I will instead put on my student experience goggles, immerse myself into my learning mind, and transport myself back to a blended learning graduate course I took a few years back entitled 'System Analysis & Design', which was a learning experience worth sharing and reflecting. For the name protection sake, I will simply call my lecturer, Dr. PowerPoint.

READING SLIDES

"...Lecturers who know nothing else except their PowerPoint slides...They are just PowerPoint notes, not process. They have no stories, no biographies, no histories..." - Professor Bajunid (2005)

As this was a blended learning course, we only had eight (8) 2-hour tutorials with Dr. PowerPoint. Four tutorials were conducted online (using Centra) and four were conducted face-to-face (F2F). Interestingly, we had to cover 17 topics in this 'System Analysis & Design' course, which means theoretically we had to cover around 2 topics per class. Although, we had 17 topics to cover, it was relieving to know that we had PowerPoint to rescue us from the giant book (It takes you one page to fall asleep!).

As usual, Dr. PowerPoint would always be late for the F2F tutorials (4 out of 4!). The great thing was that we always finished classes early, too. Start late, finish early! Please, tell me a student who wouldn't love that? ME! I remember one class, she was around 15 minutes late, and managed to cover 3 topics and complete the tutorial (or lecture!) 15 minutes before time. It was amazing; it was like watching Speedy Gonzales swoosh through the slides.

What is wrong with that? Just imagine. We come to class, and then we watch Dr. PowerPoint read the bullets out loud for 1 1/2 hour. As she was late and had to cover 3 topics this time, she rushed more than usual. The best part was when we reached areas in the slides that she thought we could read on our own. She would ironically say, "Oh, this part is easy! You can read this at home!" One poor student had to travel for 3 hours to attend these tutorials, and that is what he gets. Come on! This is a graduate course (Masters!), and that is what we get!

And you know what, several of my graduate courses that I took, followed the same PowerPoint reading routine and pattern. If the PowerPoint slides were more attractive, engaging and stimulating, it would at least provide some fun during the learning process. Just watching bullets and text can get kind of boring after a while, especially if the lecturer can't read properly. Actually, that part was really funny. Sometimes we would come to certain parts of the slides, which Dr. PowerPoint read out incorrectly, or seemed not to understand what she read. How is that possible? Well, since all the topics of the book come with slides, I suppose the lecturer conveniently used them (guessing here!). Come on, be prepared at least!

Today it is so easy to be a lecturer, if we use this formula:

No need to prepare content (slides come with the book)
Come to class
Read the slides out loud
Ask at the end of the class: "Any questions?"
No questions (needed, students got the PowerPoint slides!)
The END (of learning!)

Come on! In short, PowerPoint is evil! Wait a minute! Can we blame PowerPoint for this?

MEMORIZING SLIDES
Does reading and memorizing PowerPoint slides facilitate learning? How do you measure learning? Assessment! If we use written exams as a measure, I can share with you that with some of the subjects I took; I could amazingly score an 'A' by basically reading and memorizing the slides. Why bother reading the book, when we can score good grades by simply reading and memorizing the PowerPoint slides! Strangely, when I engrossed myself in a subject (reading and reflecting the book and required materials), my exam results seemed to suffer. I suppose information overload enabled me to forget the key points needed to score an 'A'.

Luckily I learned a few tricks from my Bosnian friend. This guy never really studied, and he always did very well on exams. What was his secret? When he saw me one day stressed out preparing for exams, he told me to read a book that would unleash the genius in me (or help me score good grades without much effort): Quantum Learning. After reading that book, I learned a few cool tricks (Not telling! read it!) and exams became a breeze, but learning seemed to suffer. In the end, I decided to sacrifice a few 'As' for the sake of learning. Not kidding!

If we were required to take the same exam again a few months (or weeks!) after the semester was completed, it wouldn't surprise me if we fail, or at least get a much worse grade. It is strange! I thought that when you learned something, it sticks (for a while!). Just like learning to ride a bicycle. I suppose some formal courses are more complex.

THE FIVE MINUTE UNIVERSITY!

The idea is that in five minutes you learn what the average college graduate remembers five years after he or she has graduated. Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University (video) is probably applicable until today for some courses out there (Too much focus on memorization!). If it is still happening in some of your courses, use this incredibly funny video to spice up the discussion about effective learning.

Father Guido Sarducci's Five Minute University video could bring to light the seriousness with a bit of laughter. Actually, I have now watched it more than a dozen times, and I am still laughing (and crying!). Then, we can together laugh a bit at ourselves, and move on to more effective teaching, facilitation and learning.

EFFECTIVE LEARNING?

Today, millions of people around the world use presentation tools like PowerPoint to create content to persuade, explain, illustrate and facilitate learning. So, until something better comes along that appeal to the masses, we might as well do the best with what we have. Anyway, if you ask me, I would argue that PowerPoint is actually a constructive tool to facilitate learning, if you know how to use it (Still learning!). If you don't know how to use it, it can also be a very destructive tool (Same goes for any other learning tool!).

Now, I am not going to give you a written lecture on how to get it right. The reason is that I want you to learn from the real masters in preparing and giving presentations (or lectures). Learn from them, and then reflect, adapt, and do your own thing. First, here are a few wonderful PowerPoint resource sites to explore:

PowerPoint - On-Line Technology Practice Modules
A comprehensive directory of links (URLs) to tutorials, sites, game templates and articles on how to use PowerPoint effectively.
Sonia Coleman's Digital Studio
Free PowerPoint templates and tutorials!
PowerPoint 2007 Tutorials (Florida Gulf Coast University)
Including graphics, tables, charts, formatting text, printing and slide effects.
PowerPoint Tutorials (Wikivid)
PowerPoint tutorials are broken down by topic so that you can navigate the list to find exactly what you need or watch them all from start to finish to become a PowerPoint expert.

Alright, that is the macro stuff. What about some super tips on creating compelling presentation slides?

Have you heard of Tom Kuhlmann? Check out his Rapid eLearning Blog, which shares practical tips and tricks on creating excellent presentation slides. Also, download his free 46-page ebook: The Insider's Guide to Becoming a Rapid E-Learning Pro. It is an amazing resource that could spark your slides to life. He has already more than 21,000 subscribed readers (free!), so perhaps it is time to become one, too!

Great, but I want to see one example of great presentation slides? Death by PowerPoint (Alexei Kapterev). Also, you might want to check out an example of presentation slides for a full-blown course: Critical Thinking (links to all the slides are included in the article). Oops, that is my article and slides. Just had to! It is not great, but I am kind of satisfied with it. I think you will actually find it quite interesting, too :)

To see many more examples, I would advise you to explore Slideshare, which is an amazing repository of both excellent and poor presentation slides. If you need some inspiration to create engaging slides, that is a great starting point.

Alright, great stuff! But, I want a learning resource to inspire me to become a great presenter?

Have you heard of Garr Reynolds? Check this out: Google Talk - Presentation Zen. Presentation Zen challenges the conventional wisdom of making "slide presentations" in today's world and encourages you to think differently and more creatively about the preparation, design, and delivery of your presentations. Watch and Learn!

Did you like it? If you did, you could always explore his juicy blog for further nourishment: Presentation Zen

By the way, PowerPoint Extreme Makeover by Dean Shareski, is another excellent recorded lecture worth watching a couple of times (At least 3!). While you are getting into the groove, you could also watch: How To Create a Great PowerPoint without Breaking the Law, by Alvin Trusty.

That is cool! But what if I don't want to use presentation slides, and simply want to inspire my students to learn. Any examples to benchmark myself with? Do Schools Kill Creativity?, by Ken Robinson is one great example. If you want many more, TED Talks is simply an amazing learning adventure.

Here are two incredible TED talks by Hans Rosling that I wouldn't want to miss:

Now, if you are teaching statistics or need to visualize your data, Hans Rosling with his Gapminder is certainly a great role model or benchmark. Although, Gapminder is a great data visualization tool, it was Hans Rosling's passionate, energetic, and inspirational talk that really blew me away (I mean in learning terms!). He is what I call a great presenter!

While you are at TED talks, check out Jill Bolte Taylor's inspiring talk: Stroke of insight. She uses a real brain to make a point. I am not kidding! Now, that is an attention (brain) grabber!

Wait a minute! I am a lecturer, and I teach physics. I mean, how engaging can you be with such an inherently boring course? Well, perhaps Professor Lewin could teach you a trick or two.

Whether you use PowerPoint (Windows), Keynote (Apple), OpenOffice, or no presentation tool at all, there are endless of possibilities of what you can do to create compelling content, and engage the student's mind to learn.

Yes, PowerPoint or presentation slides can be destructive (and perhaps even evil at times!). But with a bit of creativity and flavor, I believe presentation slides can assist in facilitating effective learning, and awaken our creative side to express ourselves beyond words.

However, if your content is poor, no fancy design or flying dogs are going to save you. Get the substance content right, be creative and passionate, and engage your students with a lot of relevant and challenging learning activities and mind boggling puzzles (embed them within the presentation slides). However, remember: If you are hopeless (Can't read, write or talk!), teaching is going to get tough, no matter how cool your slides are. Even if you are a hopeless teacher, don't worry! If you have the desire and passion to learn, you can overcome all your weaknesses, and nurture them into strengths. Learn, practice, reflect, improve, practice, reflect, etc.

So, is PowerPoint evil? I don't know, and I don't care (Got better things to reflect)! Since we are stuck with it for now until something better comes along (I kind of like it anyway, so no worries mate!), we better focus instead on how to make the most of it to facilitate engaging and effective learning :)

"Of course, PowerPoint is not inherently evil, it is just poorly used..."
- Stephen Downes

5-PART SERIES

Friday, May 2

I Have Bragging Rights, Because I Am ...? (Part 2)

"If you done it, it ain't bragging." - Walt Whitman"It's not bragging if you can back it up." - Muhammad Ali

“He who is humble is confident and wise. He who brags is insecure and lacking.” - Lisa Edmondson

In the last episode, we got a taste of a lecturer that only had time to engage the whiteboard, so that he could complete his syllabus. This time around, I will have to put on my student experience goggles and transport myself back to an undergraduate psychology course (Deviant Behavior) I took in the previous millennium. For the identity protection sake, we will name this lecturer Dr. Brag.

DEVIANT BEHAVIOR
Dr. Brag was not an ordinary lecturer. No, he was an extraordinary lecturer! I used to enjoy coming to his classes, and occasionally he practiced what he preached, too. So, why are you writing about Dr. Brag? Let's begin!

Although, I admired his expertise, experience and knowledge, it got kind of frustrating listening to him brag (boastful statements/arrogant talk) about all his amazing achievements every class. By the end of the course, we probably knew more about him and his family's achievements than the subject matter itself. Every class, we would hear one self-glory ego-boosting story after another, covering his greatness in sports, politics, work, family and education. Yes, he was also writing more than 10 books concurrently at that time. My best friend was assisting him in editing these books, and that must have been reasonably challenging. I wonder if Dr. Brag ever finished writing any of those amazing books.

I have to feel sorry for the guy, too. He had high blood pressure and was a diabetic in a country like Malaysia. Now, that is a bad combination, especially when the classroom is hot and humid with many students who are mentally on holiday. Or sleeping with their eyes open!

Anyway, I was there! Since I had already developed the habit of sitting in the front row and asking questions, the classes got quite lively at times. Although, he bragged a lot, I loved the fact that he would always challenge us. The one bragging challenge that really got to me, was that he was happy to claim that, "No student in my class has ever gotten an A!" I am not sure if that is something a lecturer should be proud of, but strangely some are.

That was a challenge too good to resist. I didn't get that many 'As' during my undergraduate days, but somehow this particular challenge inspired me to get one. And I am really proud to share with you all that I was the first student at the University to achieve an A with him (Am I bragging or what! I hope he was actually telling the truth!). The glory was short lived though, as I heard that others got 'As' with him in the following semesters. Well, I am proud to be the first one at least (Bragging again!).

I suppose 'Deviant Behavior' was a course that came naturally to me, so I should not think so highly of my success. It is also no surprise that I also scored an 'A' in 'Abnormal Psychology' (Oh man, can you stop bragging!). Some students scores 'As' all the way, some score 'As' in only subjects they like, and some don't get a single one. Nothing to worry about, if you believe in yourself and work hard, I am pretty sure you can succeed anyway. Also, scoring 'As' is probably not the best indicator to predict future success in life. Though, it does help to get a few 'As' on your scroll, because it could at least help you to get an interview with a top company. Why didn't I think of that earlier!

REFLECTION

Some argue that 'Teachers or lecturers join the academic world (of theory), because they are failures in the real (practical) world.' Such statements often drive academic staff nuts (even if it is sometimes true!), and brings laughter to students. Anyway, we don't need to go into this discussion here, because it will probably lead to no constructive alignment.

Instead, we could ask ourselves, "why do we like to brag about our achievements?" Do you brag? I certainly do, but I usually feel kind of stupid when I realize it. But then again, we forget fast, because it is always nice to feel appreciated and important. The best thing is when someone else praises us about our work. But if none do, we could always do it ourselves.

The best thing about teaching and bragging, is that we are guaranteed an audience, which will probably just look in shock and awe (some will already be sleeping!). I mean, no sane student is going to stand up, and tell the lecturer, "Give us a break from your pathetic achievements, and please get on with the class!" And unless one or a few students make it clear sooner or later, the lecturer will probably continue semester after semester, year after year. Interestingly, the stories will become more amazing and exciting every time they are told. There might even be 2-3 new versions every semester, especially if the lecturer is teaching more than one section.

Certainly, lecturers that have a lot of experiences relevant to the topic discussed should share them with the class. However, we should also ask ourselves whether we are doing it to assist our students to understand the learning content better, or emphasize an important point, or are we doing it to boost our ego. Perhaps we do it for both reasons.

If you think that your achievements are so great, perhaps you should watch a few TED Talks to put your achievements in a global perspective (do a bit of benchmarking, please!).

In my opinion, the greatness of a lecturer does not lie in what he (or she) has personally achieved. Instead, a great lecturer is a person who is able to consistently facilitate AHA-moments in students (Oh, now I understand!) and inspire (or trigger) them to explore and discover their true potential.

To sum up, Dr. Brag was actually a very knowledgeable and experienced lecturer, but his habit of bragging was something that was in my opinion more destructive than constructive in motivating students and facilitating learning.

Do you brag in class (or at work)? Has it become a habit beyond control? Think about it! It doesn't take much effort to change. I am trying, but I want to be appreciated and feel important! Unless I tell them, they will never respect me, recognize my amazing talent, and look up to me. What was the agenda again?

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success." - Dale Carnegie

5-PART SERIES