Game On: Making Science Fun. ‘“OK class, put away your paper and pencils and start your computer. It’s time to play your video games.”
These once unlikely sentences may soon become commonplace, as researchers at North Carolina State University’s Friday Institute work to engage middle school students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) content through the use of online games.
Through a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the HI FIVES (Highly Interactive, Fun Internet Virtual Environments in Science) program is working to help middle school teachers design and implement fun Internet games that help teach students STEM content and that are based on the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in science. All teachers involved with this project are Kenan Fellows, public school teachers selected through a competitive process to participate in a prestigious two-year fellowship … all while remaining active in the classroom.’
HI FIVES – Highly Interactive, Fun Internet Virtual Environments in Science. ‘Teachers and Students harnessing the power of video games for learning science, technology, engineering and mathematics.’
Update: Larry Ferlazzo has a very good list of eight sites that offer original, free, effective, creative, and fun games for students of all ages and in all subjects at TechLearning.