For the 2011 eXtension Community of Practice Meeting, Barbara Chamberlin and Jeanne Gleason shared their strategies for designing educational media and games, including avoiding educational design myths. They also shared ways some of their innovative products, and discussed ways to work together in grant partnerships to develop educational tools.

1. creating educational
media
doesn’t
that
STINK
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4. bchamber

5. what I see
when p e o p l e learn
sustains interest long enough to
reach understanding
driven by learner’s interest
opportunity for learning
offered in appropriate
place and time gives practice and
application when needed
is relevant

6. what I see
when p e o p l e learn
hard enough when learners
want to learn something
designing learning experience
very difficult when they don’t
we have to use other
tools to drive learning

8. To make the best educational games...
don’t
try to just teach,
don’t
try to just make a game,
think about how to design a
learning experience

9. Learning is
Our job is to
fun.
NOT screw that up.
-- Daren Carstens, Educational Software Designer

10. How do
we make educational
experiences
STINK?
that

11. myths of educational design
It
SEEMS
e d u c a t i o n a l ,
so it
must B E .

13. myths of educational design
If I
KNOW i t ,
teach
I must
be able to it.

14. a new way to learn math
mathsnacks.org

16. myths of educational design
I f th ey
HEAR IT
they will
L E A R N it.

17. Education is a natural process... and is
acquired NOT BY
l i s t e n i n g to w o r d s ,
but by
e x p e ri e n c e s
in the
environment .
-- Maria Montessori, Learning Visionary

20. Go to website to view movie

21. myths of educational design
I h a v e a n
IDEA
great
for a game .

22. The
game idea isn’t the thing.
The
process to make the game,
meet objectives,
test with the learner,
evaluate success,
is the thing.

23. initial idea = final product
idea evolves into final product

25. Rangelands, Zuni Tribe
Virtual Science Labs, North & South Dakota
HuNoV, North Carolina State U
Exergames Unlocked, West Virginia U
Lobster Diver, Tourism, US Commerce
U of Maine Matrix, US Dept. of Education
Product Bone Health, Purdue
Elderly Care, Clemson
We’re Fresh Produce, The Ohio State U
Proud Of Iraq Communications , Texas A&M
Food Prep., Navajo Tribe
Just in Time Parenting, eXtension
Livestock Diseases, U of Hawaii
Parenting, CYFAR
Math Snacks, NSF
Child Care Safety, Michigan State U
Salmonella, Drexel
Spanish Videos, USDA-FSIS
Ninja Kitchen, Rutgers
Tread-sylvania, National 4-H

26. E D U C AT I O N A L
game designm o d e l
... what doesn’t work:
• game makers serve as educational designers
• educators make their own games
educators developers
design make

27. E D U C AT I O N A L
game designm o d e l
Start with...
• Broad educational goals.
• Any of the following:
• audience (age, info, existing knowledge)
• use environment (where, by whom, seat time,
platform)
• budget
• timeline

28. what does the learner how will we know if
need to be able to do? we are successful?
how much time does learner have?
how much time do we have?
where and
how will this
be used?
define what will
games allow?
outcomes who is our
why doesn’t our learner learner?
already know this?
how is this content currently taught?
what needs to be practiced and
what needs to be understood?

29. E D U C AT I O N A L
game designm o d e l
our process does work

30. How do we do this?

31. $
No one will pay you to
make a game.
Ask for money to
educate.
shape attitudes.
change behavior.

32. Continuum of Development
Water Use
Calculator Horse Breeding Sim
iPhone Widget Web-Based Interactive
Landscaping Tool
Database (Web and Mobile)
$ $$$
Exergaming
Case Studies
3 Minute Videos Financial Literacy
2-10 hour game

33. Technology b e t t e r . doesn’t make it
mobile devicer .
Being on a
doesn’t make it bette
Being
better makes it
better.
-- Barbara Chamberlin, Educational Designer

34. creating educational
media
doesn’t
that
STINK
o u r s e c re t s fo r re a c h i n g e X t e n s i o n
cli en tele w ith g a m e s, we b a n d v i d e o