Games in Schools 2023

Welcome to the MOOC Games in Schools 2023

Do you want to learn how games can help you design more engaging and meaningful learning experiences for your students? Then join us in the Games in Schools 2023 MOOC to explore game-based learning in schools!

This MOOC for teachers will examine the opportunities but also challenges offered by integrating games into our teaching and learning. It will explore topics like playful learning, thematic learning, social and emotional learning, game design, and provide practical examples of gaming tools and activities that can be used in your daily teaching practice.

This is the fully updated 5th edition of the highly successfully Games in Schools course launched for the first time in 2014. The course has been redesigned and all content has been updated for this new edition with a particular focus on topics such as games and inclusive learning and social and emotional learning.

The course is presented by Ollie Bray, who has received numerous awards for his work in the field of technology enhanced learning. After working as a teacher and headmaster in Scotland for several years, he currently holds the position of Strategic Director at Education Scotland.

You can follow the course at your own pace. We will open one module at the beginning of each week, but there are only a few deadlines you need to pay attention to (those for the quizzes and/or the peer-review activity).

Join us in the Facebook group or share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #gamescourse.

Learning objectives

Explain the concepts of playful learning, thematic learning, social and emotional learning and its relevance for teachers
Discuss opportunities but also challenges related to games-based learning
Create learning activities that include game elements to enhance teaching and learning
Embed games in your classroom practice for teaching, learning and assessment
Use games in an inclusive way and address stereotypes associated with gamers and game designers
Develop a lesson plan that makes use of games or game-based dynamics

Prerequisites

This course is open to anyone interested in game-based learning, but it is primarily designed for practicing primary and secondary school teachers, and teachers in initial training. Other stakeholders such as teacher trainers, policy makers, youth workers, or heads of school may also benefit from the course.

Modules

Module 1: Why use computer games? opens on 17/04/2023
Module 2: Learning games opens on 24/04/2023
Module 3: Using games for thematic or interdisciplinary learning opens on 01/05/2023
Module 4: Designing and learning from games opens on 08/05/2023
Module 5: Why is it important to teach about games? opens on 15/05/2023

Certification

In order to receive the certificate, participants need to contribute to forum discussions, submit a learning scenario and peer review the scenario of 3 peers. The learning scenario and reviews count for 95%. The overall passing grade is 95%.
The final deadline to complete all activities is Wednesday, 31 May, 23:59 CEST.

Note to teachers from Portugal: You can get your successful participation in a European Schoolnet Academy course formally recognised as a valid continuous professional development, and thereby acquire the relevant number of training hours, by sending your certificate to the Conselho Científico e Pedagógico de Formação Contínua (CCPFC) at Rua do Forno, nº 30, 1º andar - apartado 2168, 4700 - 429 Braga, Portugal. For more information, please contact the CCPFC.

Note to teachers from Emilia-Romagna: Per i docenti della regione Emilia-Romagna iscritti alla piattaforma regionale https://iscrizioni.istruzioneer.it/ è possibile ottenere, oltre all’attestato rilasciato da European Schoolnet Academy, anche l’attestato rilasciato dall’Ufficio Scolastico Regionale per l'Emilia-Romagna (Servizio Marconi) che attua un'azione di facilitazione ed accompagnamento a questa attività. Maggiori informazioni al link: https://bit.ly/EuroSmooc21.

Note to teachers from Ireland: It may be possible to count the completion of this course as part fulfilment of any discretionary CPD hours, subject to your school management's approval. Therefore, please enquire with your school management if your participation in this course can be formally recognised.

Course Staff

Ollie Bray - Course expert & presenter

Ollie has over 25+ years experience in all aspects of education. As well as his philanthropic, school and systems leadership work he has also been an award winning headteacher, senior policy advisor to government (digital learning strategy) and Scotland's national advisor for emerging technologies in learning. He has previously held the position of Global Director for Play and Education at the Lego Foundation and currently acts as the Strategic Director at Education Scotland. Ollie has been the expert and presenter on the Games in Schools courses since 2012.

Benjamin Hertz - Course coordinator

Benjamin is a senior pedagogical manager at European Schoolnet. He is responsible for the pedagogical management of the European Schoolnet Academy and in charge of the professional development offer on the European School Education Platform, the European Commission’s website for the school education community. Prior to his work for European Schoolnet he was teaching history at one of the leading sixth form colleges in the UK where he drove forward the implementation of technology-enhanced learning. Benjamin has been coordinating the Games in Schools courses since 2012.

Galina Misheva - Course moderator

Galina works as a Project Officer in the Digital Citizenship department of European Schoolnet (EUN). She has an honours degree in English Literature and an MSc in Human Rights and International Politics from the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom. With previous experience in media, press, and the European institutions, Galina currently leads on content and editorial aspects for the European Commission’s Digital Skills & Jobs Platform. She also coordinated and supported the development of the Digital SkillUp courses on emerging technologies (AI, cybersecurity, and the digital revolution) in collaboration with a range of experts in the field.

Disclaimer and Copyright

This course is the 5th Edition of the Games in Schools course produced by European Schoolnet and funded by the Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE).