Imagine a classroom with students deeply focused on their lessons, enthusiastically solving math problems and exploring English skills through fun digital games. Their excitement is evident as they face challenges and reap rewards, turning traditional learning into an adventure. Game-based learning not only motivates students through elements like challenges, rewards, and narratives, but also fosters critical skills like problem-solving, strategic thinking, and collaboration.
Recently, EdSurge spoke with Dr. Josh Prieur on how to maximize the impact of game-based learning in classrooms. Prieur began his career as a high school English teacher in Palm Beach County, Florida, before moving into a school-level administrator position for six and a half years, during which he earned his doctorate in educational leadership. He later turned to digital game-based learning and currently serves as the director of educator training at Prodigy Educationpartnering with schools and districts to enhance the use of game-based learning tools.
EdSurge: How do you define game-based learning?
Previous: Game-based learning encompasses any game used for educational purposes, from traditional physical games to those played on computers. Games are not only a great way to incorporate practice into the classroom, but they can also help students find a way to learn. flow state where they are completely immersed in something they enjoy. Psychologists have postulated that You enter a state of flow when you are deeply engaged.Game-based learning is a phenomenal way to get students into a state of flow because they then become deeply engaged, not only in the game but also in the learning.
I often hear teachers who use Prodigy talk about the impact that games can have in their classrooms. Students who use Mathematics prodigy either English prodigy Enjoy the story and get excited about the learning content. We want them to have fun while learning, and that’s what makes effective game-based learning really special.
How can game-based learning be integrated into classrooms and beyond?
The key is intentionalityAt its core, Prodigy offers adaptive, standards-aligned content, which is fantastic. If students pick it up and use it to have fun and learn, that’s great. Many parents discover Prodigy and share it with their kids, and kids enjoy playing it. Teachers can align the game’s educational content with classroom lessons in under 30 seconds, making the practice more impactful. This can seamlessly blend with activities like station rotations, math workshops, exit tickets, technology time, or even whole-group instruction. There are many natural ways to incorporate games into the classroom.
What are the main benefits of integrating game-based learning?
As a former educator and administrator, I think about impact in two ways. The first is the impact that games can have on academic performance. meta-analysis confirm that Games can have a positive impact on academic performanceProdigy conducted two studies that are relevant here. The first looked at publicly available test results data from California and we saw that Students who used Prodigy outperformed students who did not.The second was a correlational study with the Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa that met ESSA Level III criteria. Significant positive relationship between Prodigy use and better academic outcomes among fifth and sixth grade students.
The other impact is attitudinal. Neurological research shows that How children feel about their learning is importantWe also hear anecdotes from parents and teachers all the time who say that Prodigy can help students feel better about their learning. When we did a correlational study on math enjoyment and math confidence, we saw that Students' enjoyment and confidence in math improved significantly after just a few months of using Prodigy. This is a really exciting find!
What is a common challenge that educators face when incorporating game-based learning?
The first one that comes to mind is the cost of game-based learning tools. School budgets are incredibly limited due to ESSER Funds Game-based learning is running out, and classroom budgets have always been tight. What makes Prodigy special is that it comes at no cost to teachers or schools. With Prodigy Math and Prodigy English, all of the game’s educational content is accessible to everyone everywhere if they have a device and an internet connection. That’s part of what attracted me to game-based learning and Prodigy, in particular: I truly believe in what we do and how we do it.
Prodigy works thanks to a small percentage of parents who purchase completely optional memberships that give their children access to additional features of the game, as well as additional features for parents to stay more involved in their child’s learning process. Because of that unique business model, any student anywhere can access Prodigy Math, Prodigy English, and their in-game educational content. Last year, more than 3.6 billion math questions were answered by students who played the game for free, and more than 950,000 teachers use Prodigy in their classrooms at no cost. About 95 percent of student users only use the free version. That unrivaled access is something we’re really proud of.
What data privacy considerations need to be addressed when adopting new educational technology?
Privacy and security have been a top concern for educators, and rightly so. I look for tools that integrate with popular cloud-based productivity suites, education-focused single sign-on platforms, and digital learning ecosystems. On the cybersecurity front, I encourage educators to look for products aligned with the NIST Cybersecurity FrameworkAlso, look for products from companies that are part of the Student Data Privacy ConsortiumThey have standardized the data privacy agreement process, which is fantastic. I also recommend looking for tools that are certified by 1EdTech and who have signed the Trusted Application CompromiseIn addition, Prodigy has achieved a 93 percent approval according to Common Sense Privacy thanks to our strict approach to student data privacy.
How can game-based learning tools be customized to meet the diverse needs of different classrooms and individual students?
Games should have multiple supports built in to help students with different needs. For example, having a read-aloud feature is something I think is critical. We know it's helpful for emergent readers and English learners to have that auditory element to go along with the reading. Having cues is also really important because it gives students that extra scaffolding when they need it. Cues allow us to give content to students that is appropriately leveled for them as it is challenging enough. It keeps them on track. Zone of Proximal DevelopmentI also take readability into account in games. For example, look for tools that use Lexend sourceswhich can help improve readability for people with dyslexia.
Digital Promise offers a certification called Student variabilitythat Prodigy has earned. Supporting students is our priority and we are very proud that we took the time to make sure Prodigy is accessible. It is something that teachers should look for when evaluating tools for their classrooms.
For more information about Prodigy, please visit www.prodigygame.com.
