News on Relevant Science: The 20 Best Blogs About Game Based Learning

Adults these days (especially those who love themselves some Dateline) seem really into chastising video games those crazy kids are into as symptomatic of the human race’s inevitable, steady decline. Like every hobby and medium, legitimate concerns regarding these technologies certainly exist, but their complete lack of validity is decidedly not amongst them. Intrepid educators, developers, administrators, and parents alike know that new and digital media can be harnessed for more productive ends, such as helping students soak up various academic subjects or training new employees. Even the FBI recognizes and uses video games as valuable learning tools! Because the push toward incorporating these resources still exists in a comparatively inchoate state, anyone curious about how they apply to educational settings should keep up with the latest movements and technologies currently shaping the movement’s future. Blogs can help with that.

Gamification:

Learn all about how games revolutionize more than just education through the extremely useful, insightful Gamification blog. Not only does it deeply explore how teachers and parents can utilize gaming platforms and developments in the interest of getting kids (and adults!) to hone their academic and practical skills alike, the site also goes into how they assist law enforcement and other initiatives.
SeriousGameBlog.com:

Read SeriousGameBlog.com in English or French when seeking all the latest news about game-based learning and other serious applications of digital gaming. Anyone interested in the market especially will find plenty of interesting reading here, and Succubus International’s decade of experience in serious gaming lends it considerable credence.
Educational Games Research:

Although this resource’s update schedule crawls when compared to some of its contemporaries, it certainly merits visiting when looking to find out what sort of conferences and other relevant game-based learning events are taking place. In addition, it also follows through on the title and posts information about the latest studies into the most and not-so-most educational games strategies.
Serious Games Market:

Anything and everything involving both game-based learning and serious gaming gets covered here, regardless of structure or application, making it a wonderfully thorough read. It’s especially interesting to catch up on how gaming can prove a valuable educational tool outside the classroom.
PIXELearning Blog:

One of the most comprehensive blogs about GBL boasts perspectives from several different writers and delves into all sorts of different and exciting corners of the concept. The eponymous company specializes in delivering learning sims and other gaming technologies at the most affordable possible cost.
GALA Blog:

GALA stands for Games and Learning Alliance, which should probably clue readers in on what they’re all about (PROTIP: It ain’t the Hokey Pokey). Multiple representatives from multiple serious gaming companies open up about their latest developments and approaches to the nascent industry.
Pamela M. Kato, Ed.M., Ph.D.:

Serious gaming expert Pamela M. Kato travels around the world to promote and discover the latest and greatest movements within game-based learning. She only recently took to blogging her experiences, readings, and research, but has nothing but interesting and highly informative things to share so far.
David Renton’s Educational Blog:

This popular edtech resource focuses mainly on the role gaming might very well play in a classroom setting, but looks into other digital venues from time to time for a broader glimpse at what all tech-savvy teachers have at their disposal. David Renton especially adores the Kinect’s educational applications, so anyone looking to harness its potential will likely find plenty to love and appreciate here.
Ray Chambers:

Like David Renton, Ray Chambers stands as a devoted acolyte of the Kinect, though his blog definitely covers other game-based learning strategies, though not nearly as often. Stop by here when looking for some of the best games and ideas connected to the device he adores — or even share something new and exciting from your own experiences!
Cooney Center Blog:

Of interest to parents and teachers of preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school students, the official blog of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop covers gaming and other digital media’s potential to get kids learning. Follow their progress in developing some great methods for harnessing the newest technological developments and participate in discussions about GBL’s possible futures.
MyGamification.com:

Hit up MyGamification.com for updated information regarding the latest gamification news, which impacts GBL in the classroom and boardroom alike. BigDoor Inc., which provides such services to Dell, MLB.com, Nickelodeon, and more, knows a few things about harnessing gaming for both promotional and educational ends.
The UK Schools Blog:

Microsoft’s UK Education Team illustrates how the company’s technology can be harnessed in order to provide students of all ages with engaging educational tools. While not exclusively about gaming, the ubiquitous corporation certainly provides plenty of excellent expert information on the subject.
Bill MacKenty:

This edtech enthusiast frequently covers gaming’s role in getting both kids and adults learning, though he doesn’t shy away from writing about other new media phenomena, either. Read through his posts for some fabulous insight into how all these developments fit together for a uniquely 21st century educational experience.
Sealund’s Serious Games Blog:

Both the blog and its accompanying podcast focus on Sealund’s serious gaming innovations and developments, which they hope provide maximum learning and engagement in its user base. Despite its somewhat erratic updating schedule, it really does offer up a great, detailed look at how educational games are created, developed, marketed, and utilized in the classroom.
The Official World Education Games Blog:

Thanks to the magic and wonder that is the Internet, schools now compete in international competitions testing students’ math and spelling acumen – even if thousands of miles and cultural boundaries galore separate them. All the events associated with the World Education Games, which partners with UNICEF, stand as excellent examples of serious gaming’s highly effective, incredibly enjoyable potential.
Serious Games at Gamasutra:

Despite Gamasutra’s status as a general resource for game developers and similar professionals, it pays more than lip service to the game-based learning community, offering up an entire section devoted solely to serious gaming. Give it a look when wanting to absorb all the most recent goings-on in getting kids learning and audiences enthralled using new media formats.
Unity Technologies Blog:

More tech-oriented teachers might want to try creating their very own educational games using Unity 3D, which simplifies the process and allows them to concentrate more on content than style. At their official blog, anyone curious about the platform can pick up further information about getting the most out of the product and how to utilize it for various useful purposes.
Ian Bogost:

Step up those GBL practices by learning a few things about the theory and practice of video games themselves, from a man who has studied the ways in which it has and might very well revolutionize politics, education, and more. Giving both Ian Bogost’s blog and website a look makes it easier to understand how all the intricate little components of technology and serious gaming fit together.
Future of game-based Learning:

With a title like that, it’s not too difficult to glean exactly what this blog hopes to share, but — for all those out there whose reading comprehension skills aren’t so hot — it’s about the future of game-based learning. Developers, educators, and others fascinated by the topic gather here to exchange ideas and information about what works, what doesn’t, what’s available, and (obviously) what’s to come.
Center4Edupunx:

Even visitors not adhering to the DIY and/or edupunk movements these days could still easily pick up some great pointers about using games and augmented reality for educational ends from the Center4Edupunx blog. Its content centers around getting the most out of GBL without compromising “creativity, whimsy … and a very limited budget,” making it great for the cash-strapped home or mainstream classroom.