Game-Based Learning and the Future of Education: Insights from Rebecca Kantar of Roblox
Oct 20, 2023
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Rebecca Kantar, Vice President of Education at Roblox, is a dynamic force in educational technology. She discusses how gaming can enhance learning by bridging real-world challenges with practical skills. Kantar critiques traditional college admissions tests like the SAT and ACT, advocating for innovative, game-based assessments. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration in creating educational content and explores the transformative potential of Roblox and AI in redefining how students engage with learning. Her insights illuminate the future of education through play.
Rebecca Kantar emphasizes the importance of simulation-based assessments in driving deeper learning and preparing students for real-world challenges.
Roblox is transforming education by creating engaging, curriculum-aligned content that integrates gamification into formal learning environments.
The exploration of generative AI within Roblox aims to enhance creativity, streamline content creation, and equip students with essential future skills.
Deep dives
Rebecca Kantar's Journey in EdTech
Rebecca Kantar's career path highlights her commitment to transforming educational assessments through technology. She founded Embellus, focusing on simulation-based assessments that foster deeper learning and critical thinking skills, which was later acquired by Roblox. Her experience working on societal challenges ignited her passion for enhancing education by integrating real-world applications into learning. Ultimately, she aims to address inequities in education and prepare students for adulthood by creating assessment models that reflect genuine competencies rather than superficial knowledge.
Roblox's Unique Educational Platform
Roblox serves as a powerful educational platform by engaging users through interactive experiences that enhance learning. With a staggering 66 million daily active users and 1.4 billion hours of gameplay, its potential to deliver educational content is enormous. The platform not only fosters creativity among users but also provides an opportunity for educators to leverage game-based learning. Through partnerships and grants, Roblox aims to develop curriculum-aligned content that seamlessly integrates into formal education settings.
Game-Based Learning and Assessment
Roblox is focused on developing assessment tools that replicate real-world problem-solving scenarios within its immersive environment. The assessments prioritize high-fidelity proxies of critical skills necessary for success in life and the workforce. By utilizing its platform for assessments, Roblox creates engaging experiences that encourage deeper understanding and competency rather than rote memorization. This approach allows for more equitable evaluations and provides opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Collaboration with Education Partners
Roblox actively collaborates with educational content creators and developers to produce engaging learning experiences that resonate with students. The Roblox Community Fund plays a crucial role in matching educational organizations with game developers to create impactful content. These partnerships strive to transform informal play into structured educational activities that align with curriculum standards. By bridging the gap between gaming and formal education, Roblox aims to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
The Future of AI in Education
As AI technologies evolve, Roblox is exploring ways to integrate generative AI into its platform to enhance the user experience and streamline content creation. This integration holds potential for enabling greater creativity and simplifying the development process for educators and developers alike. Furthermore, embracing AI in educational initiatives aligns with preparing students for a future that will increasingly rely on such technologies. Encouraging students to leverage AI alongside their creativity not only enhances learning but also equips them with critical skills for the workforce.
Rebecca Kantar serves as Vice President of Education and Director of the Roblox Community Fund at Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX), a technology platform bringing the world together through play. Rebecca is responsible for growing Roblox’s education vertical into a self-sustaining ecosystem of outstanding educational content creators, bringing deeper learning curricular materials to educators and students. Roblox Education connects educational organizations with extraordinary Roblox developer studios through Roblox Community Fund grants.
Rebecca came to Roblox in 2020 when Roblox acquired Imbellus Inc., a simulation-based assessment technology company Rebecca founded and led. Rebecca founded Imbellus with conviction that better educational assessments would drive deeper teaching and learning and in turn, more students graduating ready for adulthood. In delivering operational, fair, valid, and reliable assessments at scale, Imbellus demonstrated the potential for simulation-based assessments to measure deep thinking skills in high-stakes workforce and educational contexts. Rebecca led Imbellus in raising over $23M, signing multimillion-dollar development contracts with Fortune 500 corporations and in completing successful M&A transactions with Roblox Corporation and McKinsey & Company. Prior to launching Imbellus, Rebecca founded an expert network that Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) acquired in 2012.
Rebecca serves as a Vice Chair of the Museum of Science Board of Trustees, where she serves on the Campaign Cabinet and as Vice Chair of the Trustee Nominating Committee. Rebecca has served as an advisor to the Common Application and to the MA Common Start Coalition. Rebecca grew up in Newton, MA and currently lives in Massachusetts.
Links: Roblox's educational partner site, for organizations or developers interested in building experiences in various subjects - including well-being, social/emotional learning on Roblox: https://education.roblox.com/partners/
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