{"id":6754,"date":"2018-02-04T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2018-02-04T16:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/minkhollow.ca\/beckerblog\/?p=6754"},"modified":"2018-02-03T12:06:28","modified_gmt":"2018-02-03T19:06:28","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-serious-games-educational-games-and-game-based-learning-episode-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/minkhollow.ca\/beckerblog\/2018\/02\/04\/whats-the-difference-between-serious-games-educational-games-and-game-based-learning-episode-2\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the difference between serious games, educational games, and game-based learning? Episode 2"},"content":{"rendered":"Approximate Reading Time: <\/span> < 1<\/span> minute<\/span><\/span>

I recently posted a table explaining the differences between games, serious games, educational, games, GBL, etc.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2016 K.Becker, Mink Hollow Media, Ltd.; All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

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I thought a concrete example might help to understand the distinctions.<\/p>\n

Say we are using\u00a0The Parable of the Polygons<\/a>\u00a0to help a high school class learn about diversity. This is a wonderful little game that tells a story of how harmless choices can make a harmful world.<\/p>\n

The Game for Learning<\/strong> (a.k.a.\u00a0Educational Game)<\/strong> refers to the actual object:\u00a0The Parable of the Polygons.<\/a><\/p>\n

All Games for Learning<\/strong>\u00a0are ALSO Serious Games<\/strong>\u00a0(Games for Learning are a subset of Serious Games), and in turn, all Serious Games<\/strong> are also Games<\/strong>.
\nNote: All digital games are ALSO simulations, but that’s a story for another post.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2018 K.Becker, Mink Hollow Media, Ltd.; All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Game-Based Pedagogy<\/strong> is the lesson that the teacher created which uses that game.<\/p>\n

Game-Based Learning<\/strong> is what the students are doing when they use the game to try and meet the learning objectives.<\/p>\n

These two are essentially 2 sides of the same coin:<\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 2016 K.Becker, Mink Hollow Media, Ltd.; All Rights Reserved<\/p><\/div>\n

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Gamification<\/strong> is not part of any of these. It is NOT a game, although it may use ideas, mechanics, and other elements that are common in games. For example, the idea of ‘unlockable content’ might be included in a lesson such that students need to earn some pre-determined minimum score on a test, before they can move on the the next unit. This was one of the ideas employed in the highly successful SRA Reading Labs.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Copyright \u00a9 SRA Reading Labs<\/p><\/div>\n

Does that help?<\/p>\n