Game Manufacturers Association

Games In Education

The Games in Education program is dedicated to helping teachers learn to use social games in their classrooms. GAMA believes that games are excellent educational tools and works to help teachers find appropriate ones for their curricula.

Teacher's Hall Pass

The Teachers Hall Pass program is an outgrowth of the Games in Education one. THP is held annually at the Origins Game Expo in Columbus OH. Admission to the convention is free to any educator with a valid license. A series of seminars by hobby-games and educational experts shows teachers how to use games in their classroom in hands-on fashion. Concepts are taught, discussion is held, and actual game-play tutorials occur all to help teachers find ways to use these powerful educational tools — games — in their classrooms.

For more information on the Teachers Hall Pass program or to help sponsor it or volunteer as a speaker, please send an e-mail to Trey Reilly (programs(at)gama.org).

If you are an educator and would like to join our ongoing discussions on games in education, you can join the THP mailing list. This is a moderated list, and we reserve the right to deny any post that is deemed off-topic.

Educational Game List

This is a listing of some of the currently available games with notes and suggestions as to their educational capabilities.

This list was compiled by Mr. James Dietz. Mr. Dietz, the President of Jolly Roger Games, has four years experience teaching at the secondary level and an additional ten years experience teaching at the college level, having taught at two-year and four-year schools. In addition Mr. Dietz has designed simulations specifically for use in a high school history classroom. Mr. Dietz holds an M. A. from Iowa State and another from the University of Illinois.

The full list is here, but is also in a PDF below.

Educational-Game-List.pdf

Game Publisher Information

Some game publishers have pages on their Web sites dedicated to using their games in the classroom. Below is a list of links to such sites.

Palabra Enterprises

A math review, as it applies to Palabra
A handout on how Palabra may be used in the classroom

Steve Jackson Games

Dino Hunt in Education

TriKing Games

Anachronism in the Classroom

Games In Education Pamphlets

In 2003, GAMA produced a number of Games in Education brochures. These documents pinpoint games that teach specific skill sets or concept, and help educators find appropriate games for their classrooms. No new brochures are planned at this time, though we do have a list-serve where teachers help each other with using games in the classroom. Sign up for the list-serve below.

Games In Education, Pamphlet 1 - Introduction, Nuts & Bolts (pdf)

Games In Education, Pamphlet 2 - Language Arts & Literature (pdf)

Games In Education, Pamphlet 3 - History & Social Studies (pdf)

Games In Education, Pamphlet 4 - Math (pdf)