App-based Educational Games
It’s almost impossible to keep children away from the computer or their Smartphone these days. We are fighting a losing battle if we try to stop them spending a lot of time on their phone but it is possible to encourage them to make better use of that time with some direction from the teachers.
There are apps available that can be hugely beneficial to children of all ages. This means that children can still spend a lot of the time on their phone but it is now educational and fun for them. Also, there are some apps that can be used in the classroom that may transform the way children learn.
With thousands of apps available on a vast global market, it can be difficult to select the best apps for children. This module provides a list of educational games (app) that are appropriate for school-age students. A guide for selecting these apps along with recommendations for the best educational apps are also provided.
Outcomes
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- identify different app-based games for learning
- describe how to integrate app-based games into their teaching practice
- understand how to manage their classes effectively when integrating app-based games into their classrooms.
App-based Educational Games
- Geography Quiz – free; grades 4 and up
- High School Trivia – free; high school
- Human Anatomy Quiz – free; middle and high school
- iLearn: English – free; beginner English Language Learners
- Lego Movie Maker – free; any age
- Middle School Math – free; middle school (several different grade level specific apps)
- PBS Kids – free; grades k-3
- Physics Quiz Game – free; high school
- Puzzle Me Countries – free; middle and high school
- Rocket Math – free; grades k-5
- Story Wheel – free; elementary
- Terra Genesis – free; middle and high school
- Ultimate Anatomy Quiz & Trivia – free; middle and high school
If there is not a game listed that suits your content area, or grade level, please search your device’s app store, and find a free game that you could potentially use. There are thousands of options. Some of these games are better than others, some are more educational than fun, and some more fun than educational. We are taking a close look at games so that we can determine whether they are acceptable for the classroom environment. The only requirement is that you actually download the app, and do NOT use a web based version.
Selected Readings
Required
- Lee, C-Y. & Cherner, T. S. (2015). A comprehensive evaluation rubric for assessing instructional apps. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 14, 21-53. Retrieved January 22, 2015 from
http://www.jite.org/documents/Vol14/JITEV14ResearchP021-053Yuan0700.pdf
Recommended:
- None
“To Do” List
Learning Log
My Top 5 Educational Games (App-based)
In this module, more than 20 app-based educational games are introduced. Given the plethora of the mobile, making informed decision about the educational games is a vital skill for a teacher. Please identify five app-based games that are appropriate for your subject discipline and justify your choices by citing sources introduced in this course.
Due to the nature of this learning log, this entry is not limited to 250-300 words. Please add more if needed. Your entry should answer all parts of the prompt, and should incorporate evidence from this module’s content. Compose your log entry in M.S. Word and paste it onto a Weebly page. Post your Weebly page (URL) onto the corresponding link inside Moodle before 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on the next Monday.
Submission Example: Learning Log – Module 7: My Top 5 Educational Games (App-Based)
Game Evaluation
Game Evaluation B
Select a game from this module and play it for at least 2 hours. After that, complete an evaluation by following detailed instruction at Game Evaluation page. Game Evaluation B is due on the 1st day of Module 9.
Submission Example: Evaluation Game B (DOCX, 155 KB, by Dona Bledsoe)