Engaging Students with Prosocial Games

TL;DR

This session explores how pro-social games can effectively engage students and cultivate social and emotional learning skills.

Transcript

[Applause] so uh welcome everyone uh I hope that all of you are enjoying the summit thus far my name is Crystal Hupp and I'm the business operations manager at course hero and I am very excited to welcome you to this session uh engaging students with pro-social games uh which would be led by Matthew Farber uh and we hope that this session will insp... Read More

Key Insights

• 😊 Pro-social games provide a unique way to engage students and promote social and emotional learning skills.
• 👾 Games should be treated as valuable curricular resources and integrated thoughtfully into coursework.
• 👾 Cooperative games can be particularly beneficial for students with social anxiety.
• 👾 Escape room games are a popular and effective way to engage students in problem-solving and teamwork.
• 🤵 Resources for creating escape rooms can be found online on platforms like edutopia and breakout edu.
• 👾 Reflection and discussion activities are crucial for connecting game experiences to learning outcomes.
• 😊 Pro-social games offer opportunities for fostering empathy, compassion, and critical thinking skills.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can pro-social games be integrated into coursework effectively?

Pro-social games should be treated as high-quality curricular resources and integrated thoughtfully into the learning environment. This can be done through discussions, reflective activities, and connections to other forms of media, such as books.

Q: Can pro-social games help students with social anxiety overcome their challenges?

Yes, playing cooperative games with small groups can be beneficial for students with social anxiety. Cooperative games with a mutual goal, such as puzzle-solving or escape room games, allow students to work together without the pressure of socializing. Reflections and connections to other activities can help students gradually participate more comfortably.

Q: Where can I find resources for creating an escape room for my classroom?

Resources for creating escape rooms can be found on websites like edutopia and breakout edu. These platforms provide guides, templates, and ideas for designing and implementing classroom escape rooms.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Pro-social games serve as an effective practice space for cultivating social and emotional learning skills, such as emotional regulation and ethical decision making.

• Games offer a unique and powerful way to elicit different emotions and engage players in thought experiments, allowing for experiential learning.

• The use of pro-social games in education, both digital and non-digital, can foster empathy, compassion, and critical thinking skills.