News in Games-Based Learning — University XP

Games in Schools, helping thousands of students learn through video games, expands to more cities in Romania

Games in Schools, helping thousands of students learn through video games, expands to more cities in Romania

The Games in Schools program, launched by the Romanian Video Game Developers Association (RGDA) in 2022, helps secondary school students learn subjects like history and geography through video games. Initially targeting rural areas, the program has now expanded to include hundreds of teachers nationwide. With support from UniCredit Bank and the Ministry of Education, the program offers teacher training on using video games in classrooms and even introduces students to game development.

Video Game EducationDave EngApril 21, 2025Games in Schools, Video Game Education, RGDA (Romanian Video Game Developers Association)Comment

The Guide #158: Video games are the new frontier for pop culture’s obsession with the past

The Guide #158: Video games are the new frontier for pop culture’s obsession with the past

The video game industry is currently flooded with remastered classics like Tomb Raider, Silent Hill 2, and The Last of Us, tapping into a wave of monetized nostalgia.

Remastered ClassicsDave EngApril 20, 2025Remastered Classics, Monetized Nostalgia, Creativity in GamingComment

The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps

The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps

Digital platforms, including games and social media, often use persuasive design techniques to keep users engaged, sometimes at the cost of their well-being. Features like auto-play, infinite scrolling, rewards, and streaks encourage prolonged use by triggering dopamine releases, making users crave more content.

Persuasive designDave EngApril 19, 2025Persuasive design, Addictive behavior, Dopamine releaseComment

Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up

Online spaces are rife with toxicity. Well-designed AI tools can help clean them up

AI tools like ToxMod and Bodyguard.ai are being used to detect and remove online abuse in real time, aiming to create safer digital spaces. While these AI systems can help combat online toxicity, including in games and social media, their effectiveness depends on ensuring transparency, privacy, and fairness.

AI moderationDave EngApril 18, 2025AI moderation, Online abuse, Digital safetyComment

Share play: the board game that’s teaching Kiwi kids how to invest

Share play: the board game that’s teaching Kiwi kids how to invest

Alli Kennedy, a University of Canterbury graduate, created Sharenanigans, a board game designed to teach children aged nine and up about investing and the share market.

Financial LiteracyDave EngApril 17, 2025Financial Literacy, Investing, Board GameComment

The What And Why Of Gamification In Employee Training

The What And Why Of Gamification In Employee Training

Gamifying employee training is becoming increasingly popular as companies strive to adapt to a changing business environment. By using technology, training becomes more engaging, interactive, and fun, leveraging human instincts toward competition and achievement.

GamificationDave EngApril 16, 2025Gamification, Employee training, TechnologyComment

Gamification Offers Youth Some Benefit in ADHD, Depression

Gamification Offers Youth Some Benefit in ADHD, Depression

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) with gamified elements found small but significant effects for ADHD (Hedges' g=0.28) and depressive disorder (Hedges' g=0.28) in over 2,900 youth.

Gamified interventionsDave EngApril 15, 2025Gamified interventions, Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs), ADHDComment

Using AI to create engaging educational games for humanities students

Using AI to create engaging educational games for humanities students

Student engagement is key to academic success, and integrating AI with traditional methods like gamification and storytelling can enhance it. Gamification fosters personalized learning through feedback, collaboration, and competition, while storytelling makes learning immersive and memorable.

GamificationDave EngApril 14, 2025Student engagement, Gamification, AI in educationComment

Gamified Apps: New Ways to Encourage Financial Education

Gamified Apps: New Ways to Encourage Financial Education

Gamification, the integration of game mechanics like points and leaderboards into non-game contexts, is gaining traction in the financial services industry.

GamificationDave EngApril 13, 2025Gamification, Financial education, Financial literacyComment

Understanding the impact of gamification in corporate learning

Understanding the impact of gamification in corporate learning

Gamification applies game mechanics to non-game contexts to boost engagement and motivation, especially in corporate learning and development (L&D). It enhances employee training by improving information retention, reducing turnover, and increasing knowledge application.

GamificationDave EngApril 12, 2025Gamification, Corporate learning and development (L&D), Employee engagementComment

Who Really Invented Monopoly?

Who Really Invented Monopoly?

Elizabeth Magie invented The Landlord's Game in 1904 as a critique of monopolists and economic inequality, inspired by the ideas of reformer Henry George. Magie, a progressive advocate for women’s rights and land tax reform, designed the game to highlight issues like land-grabbing.

Elizabeth MagieDave EngApril 11, 2025Elizabeth Magie, The Landlord's Game, MonopolistsComment

Playtesting Card Games

Playtesting Card Games

Designing a card game requires a different approach than video games, particularly in playtesting. Unlike digital prototypes, physical card games must be tested with actual cards to reveal flaws not visible in theory. Early prototyping with simple materials like torn paper is crucial, but mock-ups should be durable for real play.

PlaytestingDave EngApril 10, 2025Card Game Design, Playtesting, PrototypingComment

Archaeologists believe this Bronze Age board game is the oldest yet found

Archaeologists believe this Bronze Age board game is the oldest yet found

A recent study published in the European Journal of Archaeology suggests that the ancient board game Hounds and Jackals, long believed to have originated in Egypt, may have actually originated in Azerbaijan.

Ancient Board GamesDave EngApril 9, 2025Hounds and Jackals, Azerbaijan, Ancient Board GamesComment

Overcoming Virtual Challenges: Gamification’s Impact on Cultural Events in the Metaverse

Overcoming Virtual Challenges: Gamification’s Impact on Cultural Events in the Metaverse

A study by researchers from the University of Zaragoza explores the challenges and benefits of hosting cultural events in the metaverse, emphasizing the role of gamification in enhancing user engagement.

MetaverseDave EngApril 8, 2025Metaverse, Gamification, Cultural EventsComment

Try to save the planet from burning up in this board game

Try to save the planet from burning up in this board game

Thomas Yount, an environmentalist and board game enthusiast, created Climate Cooldown, a game designed to teach players about climate change and environmental stewardship. The cooperative game challenges players to balance resources, phase out fossil fuels, and tackle global warming through clean energy. Yount hopes it will spark discussions on climate solutions and inspire action. Similar games, such as CATAN: New Energies and Evolution: Climate, also address climate issues.

Climate ChangeDave EngApril 7, 2025Climate Change, Environmental Stewardship, Board GamesComment

Shoelace Learning

Shoelace Learning

Shoelace Learning, founded by Julia Dexter in Halifax, addresses the literacy crisis in education by offering game-based learning solutions.

Game-based learningDave EngApril 6, 2025Shoelace Learning, Game-based learning, Literacy crisisComment

Playtesting Narrative Content in Board Games

Playtesting Narrative Content in Board Games

Writing narrative content for board games presents unique challenges due to space limitations. Unlike novels or short stories, board games often provide less than 100 words per story beat, typically conveyed through concise cards.

Dave EngApril 5, 2025Board Game Narrative, Concise Writing, PlaytestingComment

A Film That Could Fix Our Relationship With the Internet

A Film That Could Fix Our Relationship With the Internet

Filmmaker Jazmin Jones grew up believing Mavis Beacon, the face of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, was a real person. Mavis, a Black woman depicted as approachable and authoritative, helped make typing accessible and less intimidating.

Typing SoftwareDave EngApril 4, 2025Mavis Beacon, Typing Software, Black Female Role ModelComment

North Carolina Spends Millions on Video Game Students Aren't Playing

North Carolina Spends Millions on Video Game Students Aren't Playing

Since 2020, North Carolina lawmakers have allocated nearly $10 million to fund Plasma Games, a science-based video game aimed at improving education in public schools. However, participation has remained low despite incentives like free cruises for educators and scholarships for students.

Educational video gamesDave EngApril 3, 2025Plasma Games, North Carolina lawmakers, Educational video gamesComment

Get your head in the game: leveling up L&D with game-based learning

Get your head in the game: leveling up L&D with game-based learning

Game-based learning (or gamification) has become integral to education, enhancing memory retention and performance. However, its potential in workplace learning and development (L&D) remains largely untapped.

GamificationDave EngApril 3, 2025Game-based learning, Gamification, Workplace learning and development (L&D)Comment