No Such Thing: Education in the Digital Age

Learning Games Expert, Dan White

Jul 17, 2024

Dan White, an expert in learning games with a rich background in education technology, discusses the synergy between gameplay and learning. He highlights innovative game design methods at Filament Games, emphasizing projects like 'Roboco' that enhance creativity. The conversation explores informal learning and the evolution of gaming culture, alongside crucial distinctions between gamification and game-based learning. White advocates for playful learning to boost engagement and nurture essential skills while balancing traditional educational methods.

56:27

Creator website

Episode guests

Dan White

AI Summary

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Good gameplay enhances learning experiences, as children naturally express creativity through game design, illustrating the joy of crafting engaging educational content.

Game-based learning encourages intrinsic motivation and deeper understanding, contrasting with gamification, which often results in superficial engagement without fostering true curiosity.

Deep dives

The Joy of Creating Worlds Through Games

Creating immersive experiences through game design is a natural inclination that many, including children, possess. An 11-year-old girl is noted for her creativity as she designs games, such as one housed in a Rice Krispies box aimed at teaching skincare. This highlights the joy and exploration inherent in crafting unique worlds that engage players, showcasing the potential for play as a learning medium. The speaker reflects on personal experiences of bonding through board games with family, emphasizing that this creative drive is universal and instilled early in life.

Engagement through Rewards: Gamifying Learning

01:20

Embrace Experimentation to Unlock Learning

01:31

Intro

3min

Exploring Playful Learning Through Game Design

2min

Beyond the Classroom: Learning Through Play

10min

Evolving Participation in Gaming

18min

Understanding Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning

5min

The Power of Playful Learning

17min

The Playful Future of Education

3min

Dan White believes that good gameplay and good learning are complementary rather than oppositional forces. An alumnus of Cornell University and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Dan earned an M.S. in Education Technology under seminal learning game scholars Drs. Kurt Squire and James Paul Gee. Prior to founding Filament, Dan worked as a teacher, an instructional designer, and a game developer. Dan’s passions include learning games, sustainability, mindfulness, and modernizing institutional education.

Founded in 2005, Filament Games is a full-service digital studio that specializes in learning game development on a for-hire basis. We’ve completed over 400 projects since our founding and have worked with some of the biggest names in education – folks like Amazon, Scholastic, Smithsonian, Oculus, National Geographic, PBS, Television Ontario (TVO), McGraw-Hill, and even the US Department of Education.

Links:

https://www.filamentgames.com/
https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/more-excellent-edtech-stem-and-game-based-learning-podcasts/
https://www.filamentgames.com/blog/the-power-of-educational-games-with-dan-white-podcast/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UNSPJEXAkc
https://www.thepocketlab.com/podcast/dan-white
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5Emjt3fNpY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRaNqXxNr9Y&ab_channel=RoboCo

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more