This podcast is a recording of a presentation by Dr. Bernie Dodge at MacWorld 2007 at the K-12 Educators Market Symposium produced by California’s Computer Using Educators Inc. His topic was Engaging Brains with Games and Simulations. The theme of using games to engage students in learning is common to many educational technology conferences, but the depth of analysis which Dr. Dodge lends to this subject is refreshing. He discussed a formula for learning power (Learning Power = Attention x Depth x Efficiency) in his presentation that can assist educators attempting to use games in their instruction. He also reviewed three gaming environments for learning: Inform 7 (interactive fiction,) Star Logo TNG, and Second Life. His department at San Diego State University has its own virtual home in SL, and Dr Dodge outsourced its construction to a designer in Hawaii. Clearly we are living in the 21st century. Now our challenge is to transform our learning environments utilizing the tools of engagement available to us!
Show notes for this podcast include:
- Dr. Dodge’s handouts and links from this session
- My notes from Dr. Dodge’s session
- MacWorld Speaker Bio: Dr. Bernie Dodge
- Beginner’s Guide to Interactive Fiction with Inform7
- Star Logo TNG
- Second Life
- Teen Second Life
- QuestGarden: Where Great Webquests Grow
- WebQuest Portal
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Note: As of 1 Oct 2026, this is a FULL STATIC COPY of all 6,390 posts shared on this blog since 2003. Updated content and ideas from Wes Fryer are still available!
Comments
4 responses to “Podcast117: Engaging Brains with Games and Simulations”
I just finished listening to the presentation from Macexpo. This is amazing. Can you imagine increasing learning power by using games in the class. Thank you for sharing this. The Glassbead game is really interesting to me as a review of a unit. My students are good with gliffy and would be able to blog about the relationships they create in this game.
Thanks again for sharing this idea and presentation. I hope you get home safe and soon.
Thank you so much for sharing all these Macworld presentations. They all gave me many new ideas that will hopefully be turned into real and engaging learning activities.
I was also really interested in hearing about the Glassbead game and its Gliffy adaptation. Definitely an idea to try out with our students!
Correction: my email is hipbone at earthlink.net — not hipbone.earthlink.net