Game simulations -Blooket

 

The open source game that I played and investigated was Blooket.  My decision to use this game was because of my experience teaching 4^th grade last year.  My students loved playing it and would simply go to the site and pick a game to host and then share the code to play with other students in the class. As a teacher I did not use it to its fullest capacity. Furthermore, last week one of the 7^th grade teachers at my school this year was using it for her RTI time with students.  In my opinion this demonstrates the versatility of the site.

Blooket can be used in various ways.  Teachers can create a Blooket based on a skill or topic that he or she want students to engage with. Or teachers can search a topic that is already part of the Blooket sets. Simply choose one that fits that topic for your students, or you can search a topic in the search bar.

Image 1: (https://dashboard.blooket.com/create)

Image 2: (https://dashboard.blooket.com/create)

Students can log in to the Blooket sight and search for games to play. They can either Host a game or play Solo. Students can also search by topics they are interested in such as movies, sports, candy. In this case students can still play the game and interact with others when hosting.  If we remember that literacies are social and about making meaning, then if students are engaging in a topic of choice is it possible they are engaging in Green’s model of literacy?

Image 3: (https://dashboard.blooket.com/set/64219ead68047ee65342f8ff)

As many of the teachers are doing some test prep activities, I wanted to explore the Blooket sight and see if it was more engaging for students. If you choose to play Solo than these are some of the Game Modes that are available to pick. If you decide to Host a game there seem to be more options, and the Host gets to choose the Game Mode.

Image 4:

Solo (https://play.blooket.com/solo?id=64219ead68047ee65342f8ff)

Image 5:

Host (https://play.blooket.com/host?id=64219ead68047ee65342f8ff)

From the Solo mode I picked to play Monster Brawl (getting into my best 3^rd grade mindset).  My next choice was to pick my Blook, which is my character. These are a selection of different animals in the shape of little squares. I can see this as super engaging for students to do!  Once this is completed my next decision was to decide on my level of my map which was easy or medium. As a participant I am glad that the designers distinguish between easy and medium. Then I had to choose a difficulty.  Again, game designers provide information to help make player choices.

Image 6: (https://monsterbrawl.blooket.com/play/brawl/settings)

Image 7: (https://monsterbrawl.blooket.com/play/brawl/settings)

After answering 1 correct question I can choose options from shooting bubble or throwing eggs at the monsters.  Therefore, there is an incentive to get answers correct. There seemed to be no time limit for answering the questions, so I could focus on solving questions and not be concerned with that aspect. When a wrong answer is chosen then, I was not able to engage with the game mode. This could be frustrating for students who struggle.

 I was given the option of a tutorial prior to playing, which I decided to skip, since I figured most 3^rd graders would do that.  I was able to engage in game, but was not sure how to use all of the upgrades I had earned. I think 3^rd grade students would play and figure it out through what Hung (2013) refers to as “learning-by-doing aspect of games” (p. 332) I just tried to move my character away from the “monsters” and get them with my bubbles and bees.  In the end I was defeated, and the game ended for me.  I did not answer all the questions. I decided to play the game again.  For me as a learner, I like to understand more about what I am doing. Hung (2013, p. 332 ) explains that the learning by doing parts of a game can be frustrating for players because they need to understand more of the game features and how to use them more efficiently. In my next round I utilized the available tutorials and did much better. 

Overall, I think this is a great way for students to learn and engage in fun ways that are different than traditional paper and pencil tasks. I will be sharing this with my teachers next week when we return to school.

References:

Blooket. https://www.blooket.com/. Retrieved April 9, 2023.

Green. (1996). The three dimensions of literacy and technology. https://mylearning.suny.edu/d2l/le/content/482614/viewContent/13123419/View

Hung,A.(2013). Situated play: Instruction and learning in fighter games. Lankshear and M. Knobel  A new literacies reader. (p.321-352). Peter Lang Publishing Inc.