Brian Waniewski, Managing Director, Institute of Play

1. Game as Design Principle:
Quest to Learn
23. August 2011
AGENDA
introductions
game as design principle
school re-imagined
take-aways

2. What is Institute of Play?
MISSION
activate twenty-first century citizens
who engage deeply with the world
METHOD
leverage the power of games
PROJECTS
game design curriculum informal embodied professional institution
platform design learning learning development design
2

3. What is Quest to Learn? DISTRICT 2
NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL
220 students GENDER
2009
Grade 6
Grade 7
45% M
F 55%
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
RACE-ETHNICITY
Grade 11
2015
1%
Grade 12
29% 33% african-american
caucasian
asian-american
4% latino
other
33%
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4. What is a game?
HOOK FOR KIDS + ADULTS
COMPLEX SYSTEM
components
game space
rules
goal
core mechanic
choice
POSSIBILITY SPACE
participate
pathway
feedback
fail
repeat COMMUNITY OF PLAYERS
master ECOLOGY OF INTERESTS + PASSIONS
share
4

5. School as a space where kids learn actively
- game-like learning — “need to know”
- taking on roles of authority
- sharing expertise
- smart tools
- frequent embedded assessments
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6. School as collaborative community
- mission lab
- collaborative curriculum design
- boss level
- studio q 6

7. School as one node in a learning ecology
OUT OF SCHOOL
AT HOME
IN SCHOOL
AFTER SCHOOL ONLINE
- aligned after school offering
- curriculum plugged into cultural institutions
- early internship program
- interest-driven online social network
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8. School as traditional and 21st century
- curriculum built from state content standards
- integrated around core systems thinking questions
- targeting a set 21st century skills and competencies
- purposeful tech integration
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9. The result?
- 97% for student engagement among NYC public schools
- student performance at or above NYC public school averages
- preliminary gains in systems thinking, time management and team work skills
- Math Olympiad win
- ChicagoQuest
9

10. 10

11. A few take-aways:
- try a DESIGN PROCESS that includes multiple stakeholders, collaboration, testing, iteration
- create a NEED TO KNOW that’s culturally relevant
- integrate REAL-TIME FEEDBACK systems and space for PRODUCTIVE FAILURE
- create a need to TAKE ON ROLES and SHARE EXPERTISE
- connect to multiple LARGER COMMUNITIES
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12. Thanks for listening.
Brian Waniewski
Managing Director
Institute of Play
brian@instituteofplay.org
www.instituteofplay.org