A fresh month has arrived, which can only mean one thing – it’s time for an all-new roundup of game-based learning news! We’ve scoured the web, searching far and wide to bring you the 🔥hottest🔥 updates from the world of educational gaming, virtual reality for learning, and serious games. Check out our hand-picked selection of stories below, and be sure to let us know on Facebook or Twitter if we missed any noteworthy news or announcements!
As a Madison, Wisconsin-based educational game developer, it’s likely no surprise that our studio has deep ties to the University of Wisconsin–Madison – which makes it especially exciting for us to see cutting-edge interactive learning research happening right here in our backyard! This new project, led by UW-Madison’s Mitchell Nathan in collaboration with researchers and educators at UW-Madison and Southern Methodist University, aims to study the effects of AR and VR in helping students improve their understanding of key math concepts through movement, spatial reasoning, and imaginative thinking. [READ MORE]
We recently highlighted online game platform and game creation system Roblox in our roundup of classroom-friendly commercial games – and now, the Roblox Education team has announced the launch of a free Digital Civility curriculum designed to help kids and teens better understand key digital citizenship concepts. Through computer science, design thinking, and 3D modeling-based lessons, students learn how to keep themselves and others safe online, while also building positive relationships with their peers along the way. Digital Civility is one of many free lessons offered by the company for educators, parents, and individuals alike – learn more on the Roblox Education website! [READ MORE]
Money, money, money, money – and a lot of it! With the popularity of remote learning solutions growing tremendously amidst the backdrop of an ongoing pandemic, California-based company Osso VR has announced a whopping $14 million dollars raised as a result of their latest fundraising round. For those out of the loop, Osso VR is a distribution platform that creates and deploys custom virtual reality training software for companies like Johnson and Johnson. With around 30 customers at time of writing – including 12 in the medical device space – Osso’s founder Dr. Justin Barad hopes to utilize the newly raised funds to expand their presence in the surgical and medical training space, ultimately using VR to help solve key problems facing today’s healthcare providers. [READ MORE]
Recently, our VP Jennifer Javornik joined Wisconsin Public Radio for an in-depth discussion on all things Filament Games – our company history, design philosophy, the value of digital games as tools for learning, and so much more. Throughout the interview, Jennifer highlights some of our biggest collaborations with clients like iCivics, Scholastic, and Oculus – offering a deep and rarefied perspective into what it’s like to be a part of one of the world’s most celebrated educational game development studios. [READ MORE]
Since the start of quarantine, U.S. video game usage has skyrocketed – which makes sense, as gaming is not only a safe and socially-distanced activity, but online gaming can offer players socialization, togetherness, and community-building during a time in which shared spaces in real-life remain largely inaccessible. And with many K12 districts opting for remote or hybrid learning for the 2020-2021 school year, USA Today has put together a handy guide to help parents and families better acquaint themselves with some of today’s hottest online games – check it out! [READ MORE]
Curious which articles made last month’s roundup? Check out our September 2020 entry here!