We will discuss the results of a study which looked at whether having college students analyze games in a Math class actually helped them perform better in those games.
Description:
In Spring of 2025 Dr. Heidenreich and Dr. Joy will run a study funded by a NASA grant looking at whether mathematically analyzing games actually helps students play the games better. This study will be conducted on Dr. Heidenreich's "Math of Games" class at Loras College, where the students' success will be compared against that of a control group. The nature of the mathematical analysis the students performed for class, the methodology of the study, and the results of the study will all be discussed.
Does it still count as a game if we're forcing students to play? We will examine the nature of games, common pitfalls in 'educational games' that make them not fun, and how to avoid them.
Description:
What is a game? Does it still count as play if participation isn't voluntary? These are some sticky philosophical questions about educational games we will discuss as a group in this session. Bring your insights and opinions! But we will also discuss common pitfalls in educational games that make them not 'game-like', like the 'creepy treehouse' or 'chocolate-covered broccoli' phenomena and how to avoid them.
Where to Start: the Top Ten Books in Educational Gaming Literature
Summary:
Dr. Heidenreich will discuss the most important books for those interested in educational gaming. A reading list with a link to an online annotated bibliography will be provided to attendees.
Description:
So you want to learn more about using or designing games for the classroom? This is the place to start! Dr. Heidenreich will go over some of the most important-- or most fun-- books published on the topic. From Jim Gee's "What Video Games Have o Teach Us about Learning and Literacy" to Jesse Schell's "The Art of Game Design", these books cover educational theory, game design theory, psychology and philosophy. Discover your next read from the reading list (or link to Dr. Heidenreich's annotated bibliography) here!
This talk will summarize the content of the book "Teaching Mathematics Through Games", in which Dr. Heidenreich has written a chapter. A free copy of the book will be given to one random attendee.
Description:
We will look at ways to use different games to teach mathematical principles from the book "Teaching Mathematics Through Games". The level of math is mostly high school and college. Some of the games covered in the book include Risk, Arkham Horror Card Game, Farkle, Sudoku, Apples to Apples, SET, Catan, and Carcassonne. A free copy of the book will be given to one random attendee.
Educational Psychology gives us effective tools for achieving certain pedagogical goals. This talk covers how to use findings in this field to design effective educational games.
Description:
Want your students to focus and pay attention to detail? Ramp up the pressure! Want your student to see connections? Loosen up time constraints and inject some humor. Want them to remember facts? Repeatedly force them to recall the facts at random intervals. Educational Psychology gives us effective tools for achieving certain pedagogical goals. This talk covers how to use findings in this field to design educational games that can effectively accomplish their pedagogical goals. We will also look at how these design principles were used in several games designed by Dr. Heidenreich for his Math classes.
Learn to apply your valuable gaming skills in the classroom! Dr. Heidenreich, with decades of experience as a gamer and educator, gives tips on how to apply habits of successful gaming to the class.