We just wrapped up our first Unblocked! competition for games built with our 7 Gen Blocks game builder. First of all, massive thanks to all who entered. This is an early version of the game builder and we are adding features on a weekly basis. Anyone who tries our game builder this week will find some bug fixes and a super cool new feature – but on to what we learned. (Skip to the bottom for the two winners and an extra bonus game for Hispanic Heritage Month.)
Judge #1 thought the choice for first place was obvious.
“I thought the Responsible AI game was a clear number one. It dealt with an important topic. The graphics were good. I particularly liked that it used the voiceover option on the visual novel components.”
Judge #2 also thought the choice was obvious.
“The game I chose for first place was very simple but effective. It went from splash screen, to instruction, to mini-game, assessment, and then end game block.”
Were these the same game? Reader, they were not.
In discussing the results,
Judge # 2 : “No, the reason I scored Responsible AI second is because of the engagement. Right after the splash screen you’re thrown into an assessment block without being taught anything beforehand. So it was really frustrating trying to get the correct answers simply by guessing to get out of that block. The educational content was definitely there, but it was weird to me that the game went straight into assessment without instruction. So much so that since I knew I didn’t get the instruction for this assessment, after multiple tries to get past that block – I lost interest in the educational content. So that was an aspect that the Your Move game did better. ”
Judge #1 : “I never thought of that, because I am really familiar with the issues involved in generative AI, so it was very easy for me to get the answers correct. I played another game that was like that for me, though, where there was no instruction, just assessment. I had no idea about the subject. I made it through the assessment block by process of elimination, after just trying combinations of answers. If I wasn’t a judge, I would have just thought, ‘This game is stupid’ and given up. ”
Personally, I happen to know that the Responsible AI game is linked within a course where students have already been exposed to the information and the game is an assessment. In that context, this game is great and I agree with Judge #1.
As a standalone game for teaching using AI responsibly, the game is not so great, and I agree with Judge #2.
Why didn’t we have three judges, then, so we wouldn’t have a tie? We did, and judge #3 declared the two games tied for first!
What did we learn?
- Know the purpose of your game! Is it assessment, instruction or both?
- Make sure that your players know the purpose of your game! Your knowing the purpose of your game is not enough, if it is not obvious to your players.
- In mulling over the responses from both judges, it seems pretty clear that an assessment-only game can be frustrating to players who don’t know the content, and the only way it’s possible to be sure they know it is to include this type of game in a course or assign it in a unit ONLY after the content has been taught. One way to do it is as the Responsible AI game did, link it into an online course after the content they SHOULD HAVE read. I say “should have” because I am an experienced teacher. IYKYK
- Winning the game can be an incentive for students to pay attention to the content being taught in class. This discussion reminded me of a teacher starting a lesson with “Boys and girls, how many of you have finished your times tables? You’re not going to be able to get many points in Making Camp unless you know your math facts.”
Interestingly, #4 came from a fourth-grade class, while both of our winning games were for post-secondary education. So, I guess the lessons we learned apply across the board.
Oh, and congratulations to the two games that tied for first place:
Responsible AI, Dr. Joy Harris, University of South Florida
Your Move, Professor Nicole Morrison, Bismarck State College
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month and we LOVED this game for early childhood
Another favorite game was ¡Todos Cuentan! Everybody Counts! It covers:
CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.1 Count to 100 by ones and by tens. and CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.3 Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0–20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).
This game was not eligible for a prize as it was created by one of our 7 Generation Games team members, Diana Sanchez, but we loved it and hope you do, too.
