This document discusses applying principles of game theory to classroom learning. It identifies four principles: 1) Interaction - engaging students more through absorbing content instead of separate teacher/student agendas. 2) Cognitive interactivity - providing resources like web quests that encourage clicking and turning pages. 3) Explicit interactivity - activities requiring student input and creation, like presenting assignments. 4) Beyond the object interactivity - getting students engaged with subject communities through events and competitions to foster identification with the topic. The document argues these principles can make learning more effective by applying what attracts students to games.

1. Technology in the classroom
Game Theory

2. Introduction
• Both Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman are
well credentialled academically and in the
gaming industry to look at gaming principles
from a theoretical point of view .

3. Classroom implications
• As classroom practitioners we could benefit
from looking at the principles which attract
our students to games and try to apply the
theory to ensure more effective learning in
the 21st century.

4. The principles
• Interaction
• Cognitive interactivity
• Explicit interactivity
• Beyond the object interactivity

5. Interaction
• Teacher is the author of the classroom
• Teacher provides content and teaches it
• Teacher’s approach may be in conflict with
student agenda
• The action is going on separately in the head
of teacher and student

6. Examples
• Lecture
• Presentation
• Video
• Demonstration
• Talking through examples

7. Question
• What can you do to provide absorbing content
which engages student brains more
comprehensively?

8. Cognitive interactivity
• Functional activity of button clicking and page
turning
• Students are clicking on web links
• Students click on the button to get to the next
set of information
• Students read a page

9. Examples
• Web quests
• Independently viewed presentations
• Web research
• Completing sets of exercises
• Filling in spaces

10. Question
• What resources can you provide at the button
clicking page turning level which will want
them to click and turn?

11. Explicit interactivity
• Participation with designed choices or activities
• Students have their own input to consider
• Students are creating something as they learn
• Students can see they learn better by consulting

12. Examples
• Using what is learned to create a video
• Presenting what is learned to an audience
• Creating an assignment but including
reflection and feedback
• Allowing students to act and make choices
relevant to content and assignment

13. Question
• What assignments and activities can you
provide to ensure students are using their new
knowledge in an interactive, connected way?

14. Beyond the object interactivity
• This is the fan base, the merchandising the
getting users to engage with the game in ways
so that they identify strongly with the game.

15. Discussion
• You need to think about and discuss this. Do
we need fan bases for French? Maths?
Science? Are there ways we can do this
ethically as classroom practitioners?

16. Examples
• Getting students to participate in extra curricula
events
• Making students aware of expos, films, special
events, competitions
• Having focus days
• Creating clubs, teams, special interest groups
• Publishing work online

17. Question
• Do you show how the love of the subject and
the new knowledge can be used to connect
with others and the real world?

18. Resources
• Affective interaction design
• Eric Zimmerman
• Rules of play
• A meaningful read
• Gamelab’s hustler

19. Acknowledgements
• Microsoft Office 2010
• Templateswise.com
• Rules of Play