What2Learn

Once you have made an interactive learning game using the What2Learn game generator there are many different ways you can use it. One way which is growing in popularity is to embed the game into your Moodle Virtual Learning Environment. This is a great way of providing some fun and effective learning opportunities to your online materials.

Step One: Make a game using the What2Learn game generator. This is quick and easy to do – simply select the game engine you want to use and fill in a form stating the questions and answers you want.

Step Two: When you play your completed game you should see some ‘embed code’ to the right of your game (see below). You need to highlight and copy the embed code.

Step Three: Log in to your Moodle as a teacher and go to the subject you want to add your new game to. Then press ‘Turn Editing On’. From one of the ‘Add a resource’ drop-down boxes you should select ‘Compose a a webpage’.

Step Four: Give your new resource a name and a quick description.

Step Five: In the ‘full text’ window, press <> to toggle the view to HTML Source view.

Step Six: Paste in your embed code and save your new page. Your game will now be available through your Moodle VLE.

What2Learn version 3 has been launched. We are handing over development of the system to you.

For the first time ever, teachers can add their own content to the inside of W2L and see the scores students attain on these games.

If W2L does not have what you think it should then you can add it and share it with others. Please become an active member of the W2L community – use what others have created and add your own content.

Here is how the key new elements of W2L v3.0 work…

Step 1: Create As a teacher you create a topic and add games you have created using our free game creator or pick from the existing 20,000 available games. Give the share code of your topic with your students.

Step 2: Play Students enter the share code of your topic and play your learning games to develop their understanding. They will access new game engines not available in the core W2L content.

Step 3: Assess Teachers can sit back while W2L automatically marks and records all student attainment in the topics you have created.

Step 4: Share Spread the benefits of your efforts by sharing your topic with colleagues in your school and in others. How popular will your topic become?

This is now live on the W2L website but we are putting together some finishing touches, updating the teacher guide and creating some video tutorials. In the meantime, if you have any questions about getting up and running with adding your own topics full of your own games to W2L, please get in touch via our ‘contact us’ page in the menu.

On 1st December 2009 the What2Learn project was the first ever recipient of a prestigious national award. At the Microsoft Innovative Teachers forum in Birmingham, W2L was awarded the ‘Impact and Improvement Award’, sponsored by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT).

The award recognised the importance of games-based learning in modern education and the opportunity for teachers to impact on the learning of youngsters outside their own classrooms through contributing to the sharing community ethos of the website.