making learning playful
When students get enjoyment out of the work they do, they are naturally motivated to practice and get better. This instills discipline and leads to greater self-esteem, confidence and perceived self-efficacy.
“Game design is just like, ‘how can I take this set of rules and apply it to something and make it fun at the same time”
Practices to Make Learning Playful:
- Integrating Games into Instruction. Games are integrated throughout all aspects of the program from icebreakers to mini-lessons, to user experience brainstorms, and practice tests.
- Encouraging Experimentation. Play-testing is a central part of the design process. Students are encouraged to share the media they develop both within their groups and in the real world and to tweak their designs based on feedback.
- Connecting Play to Mastery. Students are continually encouraged to make connections between the process of developing mastery through play they engage in as skateboarders and the coding and design process.