My latest on Huffington Post discusses how I believe that digital learning games need to be more than “make the right choice, get a reward.” This mindset is akin to the ‘Skinner Box,’ an experiment by psychologist B.F. Skinner where he put a hungry rat in a box with a lever in it.  Whenever the…

EdSurge recently published an article, “Can games and digital tools help students take fewer tests?”  It’s always nice to see in-depth discussion about the capabilities of digital tools and games in the learning realm.  And indeed, the future will include more digital tools with types of assessment embedded in.  No doubt. However *cue dramatic music* I…

Researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) recently looked into whether using physical objects paired with interactive feedback (enabled by using Microsoft’s Kinect) enhances learning and enjoyment over a screen-only experience. This is a good question to explore as the number of mixed reality games will likely only grow in the future. In…

I’m currently trying out Citizen Science by Filament Games.  It was published in 2011, but the great thing about learning games is that they don’t have to be measured by the latest graphics and technology (*cough Playstation Xbox cough*). In other words, I don’t feel outdated playing the game for the first time. The game has…

Screenshot of Nanocrafter, from the Center for Game Science The Center for Game Science recently released Nanocrafter, a game that allows players to put together strands of DNA through strand displacement (reactions that occur between three or more strands of DNA). This respresents, on a virtual scale, the practice of synthetic biology.  Players have to put…

I finally got a chance to see Whiplash, starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons and directed by Damien Chazelle.  I wanted to see this movie from the first time I saw the trailer months ago, but never got around to it.  J.K. Simmons won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film as…

The NFL Divisional Playoff Round has long been considered the best weekend of football of the year.  The games usually deliver, and this weekend’s batch of contests look like they won’t disappoint.  Let’s take a look at the games and throw some predictions out there! Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots This Patriots team is…

Friday night’s Shark Tank was one of the better episodes of the season.  The entrepreneurs were resilient, the products were interesting, and one of the biggest deals in the show’s history took place. So let’s dive right in and bite into the episode’s highlights (puns intended. Puns so intended): The Judges: Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and…

We are in a day and age where the learner in any situation is as knowledgeable as ever. Before the internet, the lead instructor (teacher, workshop leader, or whomever) in a formal or informal learning environment was the beholder of knowledge.  The resident expert.  The sage on the stage. Although learners were knowledgeable, the dynamics of learning…

I believe that informal education – such as the education programs that informal learning institutions like museums have – will take on a role of increased importance in the near future.  While educational institutions have to deal with factors such as Common Core standards, high-stakes testing, structural complications, and much more, informal education programs have more…