Games and Learning

Who’s going to Austin this week?

This week thousands of educators, innovators and startups will descend on Austin, TX for the SXSWedu festival.

We’ll be there tracking the events for you and providing some interviews and stories about the big news (assuming there is some). Be sure to keep an eye on Twitter (@games_learning), but if you are one of the folks headed down there we thought we would put together a list of some of the topics and key sessions you may want to check out.

Data and the big “A” word

Several sessions will tackle the ongoing discussion about how, and if, games can improve the way schools assess student knowledge and skills.

One session that promises to be more creative than your average PowerPoint presentation comes Monday afternoon when Reshan Richards, director of Educational Technology at Columbia University Teacher’s College, hosts a session called “Grades Are Stupid.” The description of the session goes on to contend, “Learning is complicated and learning environments are equally complex. Yet educational institutions continue to reduce measurement, evaluation, and development of learning to simple letters and numbers.“

The session runs from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Austin Downtown Salon D.

Other sessions dealing with games, data and assessment include:

ListenUp! SpeakUp! GameUp! A Game Data Discussion
Monday, March 3
1:30PM – 2:30PM
Hilton Austin Downtown Salon K

Games, Critical Thinking and Assessment
Wednesday, March 5
12:00PM – 12:30PM
Austin Convention Center Ballroom EF

Innovation in Assessment Need Not be an Oxymoron
Wednesday, March 5
1:30PM – 2:30PM
Austin Convention Center Room 15

By the Numbers: New Research on Games and Learning
Thursday, March 6
9:00AM – 9:30AM
Austin Convention Center Ballroom EF

Game Design and Innovation

At the risk of seeming a bit self-promotional (but, hey, we have a 425-person room to fill), one session worth considering is gamesandlearning.org’s own, “Lost in Translation: Applying the Latest Research.” The panel, which includes Toca Boca CEO Björn Jeffrey, will explore a new piece of research from GlassLab on their idea of Evidence-Centered game Design, or ECgD. The session will guide how investors, teachers and game designers can get the most out of this piece of research and other research being done around games and learning. The session is Tuesday, March 4 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. at the Hilton Austin Downtown Salon J.

Other sessions dealing with game design and learning include:

Game Dynamics Can Be a Game Changer in Learning
Monday, March 3
4:30PM – 5:30PM
Austin Convention Center Room 18ABCD

Students as Producers: Game Design & Coding For Kids
Wednesday, March 5
11:00AM – 11:30AM
Austin Convention Center Ballroom EF

What Lies Below: Implicit Learning in Games
Wednesday, March 5
3:00PM – 4:00PM
Austin Convention Center Ballroom G

Scaling Up Classroom Grown Games
Thursday, March 6
10:30AM – 11:30AM
Hilton Austin Downtown Salon K

Investment/Entrepreneurial Questions

There are far fewer sessions aimed for or about investing in educational technology, but there are still a couple of sessions to keep an eye on this coming week. One panel, “Investing in Education Innovation 2.0,” slated for Monday afternoon from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Hilton Austin Downtown Salon E promises to speak to both those seeking support and those wanting to make smart investments. http://schedule.sxswedu.com/events/event_EDUP24411

Other sessions dealing with investment and entrepreneurialism include:

Win-Win! Strategies for EdTech/Educator Engagement
Tuesday, March 4
9:00AM – 10:00AM
Austin Convention Center Ballroom G

LAUNCHedu: Educator Insights
Tuesday, March 4
3:00PM – 4:00PM
Hilton Austin Downtown Salon G

Stop. Collaborate and Listen: Teachers and EdTech Team Up
Wednesday, March 5
9:00AM – 10:00AM
Hilton Austin Downtown Salon F