Using Game-Based Learning to better engage learners in Agricultural

Environments

by

Katherine F. Williams

A creative component submitted to the graduate faculty

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

Major: Agricultural Education

Program of Study Committee:

Dr. Scott Smalley, Major Professor

Dr. Mark Hainline

Dr. Robert Martin

The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the
program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this creative
component. The Graduate College will ensure this creative component is globally
accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred.

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

2019

Copyright © Katherine F. Williams, 2019. All rights reserved.

 ii

DEDICATION

For my family for supporting me through this trying journey. Without their

support, I would not have completed this and likely would have regretted it later on.

Thank you now and forever.

 iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... iv

LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. vi

ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER 2. UNDERSTANDING TODAY'S LEARNERS .......................................... 4
Purpose and Objectives ................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 3. GENRES OF GAMES ................................................................................ 7
Game Examples ............................................................................................................. 7
Game of Piglets .................................................................................................................... 8
AgriVillage ............................................................................................................... 9
WeShareIt Game ...................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER 4. IMPACT ON LEARNING ........................................................................ 11
Impact in Agricultural Education ........................................................................................ 11
Using Games in Agricultural Education: A Resource Guide ................................. 13

REFLECTION .................................................................................................................. 26

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 27
 iv

LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 1 Game Based Learning Model ......................................................................... 9

Figure 2 Agriculture Education Instructional Model .................................................. 12

 v

LIST OF TABLES

Page

Table 1 Strategies for Engaging Millennial Learners ................................................ 11

Table 2 Genres of Games ........................................................................................... 14

 vi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my committee chair, Dr. Scott Smalley for taking me on and

for sticking with me even when I felt I had fallen short. Without your support in this final

year I am confident I would have walked away from this experience and thanks to you, I

have completed this creative component. I am also appreciative of Dr. Mark Hainline and

Dr. Robert Martin for serving as members on my committee.

I would also like to share my appreciation for the Department of Agricultural

Education and Studies at Iowa State University. At all stages through my journey in

higher education, this department has never faltered in their ability to support and

encourage me to meet my goals, press myself and provide opportunities for me to

succeed. I thank the many people who have been a part of this journey including:

Dr. Nancy Grudens-Schuck, Dr. Greg Miller & former professor Dr. Ryan Anderson in

addition to those serving on my committee and other professors and staff for their

encouragement. Without them I would never have felt the confidence to continue with

this program in the beginning.

 vii

ABSTRACT

Today’s learners are among the most technology literate generations our world

has seen. This presents a great challenge and opportunity for educators to implement new

tools into learning experiences. One of these tools is game-based learning. Games are a

tool that can enhance the topics and concepts being taught in the classroom. Agriculture

classrooms should be considered when implementing game-based learning. The

agriculture industry is continuing to grow and preparing learners to enter careers in the

industry is a priority. Games exist and are being developed to help provide learners with

the opportunity to learn processes, test knowledge and prepare for hands-on experiences.

By providing these opportunities for learners, interest in agricultural industries grows and

learners enter the workforce with ready-to-use skills.

There are a variety of games available, each serving their own purpose. Game

genres include: action, strategy, role-playing, simulation, construction and management,

adventure and puzzle. Using games in the classroom has the ability to improve skills in

mathematics, engineering, science, technology and others. By using new and emerging

tools to teach today & future learners, we are working to prepare an educated workforce

from the beginning.

 1

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Gaming as a learning tool is not a new concept in education, however it has evolved

in recent decades as computer technology has become more common. Since the 1970s,

developers have been creating games for educational and entertainment purposes. One classic

example of this would be The Oregon Trail computer game. The game was originally

developed in 1971 by three student teachers from Minneapolis, MN who wanted to better

engage students in their learning outside of a textbook. The computer game became “the

most successful educational game of all time” (Garnjobst, acc. 2019) and is still being

published today in a variety of forms including as a video game, card game, and a

smartphone application. Due to the popularity of the game, the Minnesota Education

Computing Consortium (MECC) created in 1973, hired Don Rawitsch, the creator of The

Oregon Trail, and made the game available to all school districts in Minnesota. Since then,

the game has engaged generations of learners and many of the elements used to engage

learners then can still be used today for all ages.

Today, more and more classrooms have chosen to implement games, particularly

online or digital games, into their classrooms to help students learn various subjects. “40

percent of administrators say that their classrooms now include” (Project Tomorrow, 2015)

these types of technologies as tools for learning. In the past decade schools around the United

States have also been implementing 1:1 laptop and tablet programs to allow their students

access to digital technology and how to use these tools for success in the classroom. 60

percent of school principals report use of a laptop, tablet or Chromebook in their schools

(Evans, 2018).
 2

Game-based learning is defined as “a comprehensive learning experience where

[learners] engage in interactive cycles of assessment and feedback through the use of game

mechanics” (Nadolny). Game-based learning involves elements such as “motivation, player

engagement, adaptivity, and graceful failure” (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015) that help to

encourage players to continue play, develop strategy, and learn from their mistakes and

adjust accordingly. This is all relative to the model of game-based learning (see Figure 1).

The continuous cycle of being challenged, responding to the challenge, and receiving

feedback creates an engaging environment for learners.

Figure 1 Game-based learning Model (Plass, Homer & Kinzer, 2015)

Agricultural education envelopes multiple learning subjects into its curriculum

focusing on agriculture, food and natural resources. These educators teach applicable skills in
 3

many areas including “science, math, communications, leadership, management, and

technology” (National Association of Agricultural Educators). Developing these skills can be

overlapped in a single course of learning versus taking multiple courses to achieve the same.

This puts agricultural education in a unique position to utilize many learning vessels to help

learners achieve success. Game-based learning is one of these vessels that has the potential to

boost engagement in the realm of higher education and keep learners motivated for success

as they work towards their careers.

In this paper, I will discuss how game-based learning can help stimulate motivation

and engagement of learners, develop needed skills for future agricultural professionals and

how the skills learned can help propel learners forward as they pursue a career in agriculture

all from the perspective of higher education students in postsecondary study.

 4

CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S LEARNERS

The Millennial Generation, the most educated (Morrison-Williams) and largest

proportion of today’s workforce (Fry, 2018), has a strong reputation of engagement with

technology. Many Millennials know little to no portion of their life without some connection

to the internet or a computer. In 2015, 78 percent of households in the United States had at

least a desktop or laptop and 77 percent had a type of internet subscription (Ryan & Lewis,

2017). This use of computer technology is changing how today’s learners want to learn and

how they learn, and higher education must change with it to keep learners motivated and

excited about learning.

Pintrich and Zusho (as cited in Edgar, Retallick & Jones, 2016) stated that “student

motivation is a persistent and pervasive problem for faculty and staff at all levels of

postsecondary education”. This leads to the suggestion that postsecondary educators need to

be incorporating more engaging modes of teaching that help learners to remain connected to

the material being taught and add value to what they are learning. Morrison-Williams offers

six items to implement with Millennial learners:

Table 1
Strategies for Engaging Millennial Learners – Source: Morrison- Williams
1. Ensure that students have a hands-on methodology with the material.
2. Ensure there are mentors in the subject matter. That can be the instructor but should also
include guest speakers and other industry experts who can give students valuable
information not found in the textbook, as well as personal anecdotes and feedback about
their own life and work experiences.
3. Allow Millennial students to bring their own experiences into the learning process thereby
actively engaging their prior learning in the process.
4. Engage in the use of technology with apps, blogs, social media and gamification.
5. Allow Millennials to use their naturally collaborative skill set to work in teams to
accomplish learning goals.
6. Encourage social responsibility in their projects as a way for students to bring their personal
experience and philosophies into the learning process. Millennials value experiences and so
they like to travel, volunteer and do things which make them feel better about themselves.
They are serving a greater purpose than themselves.
Adapted from Millennials – Changing the face of higher education. By S. Morrison-
Williams. The Pacific Institute.
 5

The six strategies detailed in Table 1 are steps in the right direction when matched

with goals set by the current American Association for Agricultural Education’s national

research agenda. “Creating and evaluating meaningful learning environments is essential to

educating future generations” (Edgar, Retallick & Jones, 2016). The agriculture education

instructional model (see Figure 2) is built on integrating experiential or hands-on learning

into educational programs. This pairs closely with these goals as well as many of these

experiences allow students to interact with current working professionals and develop

Figure 2 Agriculture Education Instructional Model (National Association of Agriculture Educators)

personal relationships and network in a certain field of study. Developing a quality

relationship between the learner and a mentor or teacher has proven successful as was found

by Bird, Martin, Tummons, and Ball (2013). They concluded that “the educational value of

well-structured internship experiences and placement Supervised Educational Experiences

(SAE) in agriculture programs should not be overlooked” (Bird, et al. 2013). These mentors

have the potential to provide unique experiences for students to learn about a profession
 6

before making the choice to pursue that as their career. By developing these types of

opportunities for learners, they are able to engage in experiential learning before entering the

workforce.

For today’s learners, agricultural educators must be prepared to educate with current

21st century learning tools, this includes game-based learning. “[Gamification] will allow

people to understand complex topics faster and with more nuances, and make the learning

process more anticipated and less feared or avoided” (Anderson & Raine, 2012). Gaming

technology has immersed itself into the culture of young adults with 60 percent of 18-29

year-olds reporting that they play video games often or sometimes (Brown, 2017). This

included “games played on a computer, TV, game console or portable device…”. This

evidence indicates many young adults today have some interest in gaming and suggests

education can take advantage of this to capitalize on learning results.

In agricultural education there are many ways in which game-based learning can add

to the learning experience and potentially improve the quality of learning for students in

agricultural education and encourage continued life-long learning.

Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into using game-based learning strategies in

the agriculture classroom. After reviewing this article, the reader should 1. Have improved

knowledge of game-based learning; 2. Understand more about the goals of today’s learners;

3. Improve knowledge of game genres; 4. Identify how games can be implemented in

agriculture education.
 7

CHAPTER 3: GENRES OF GAMES

There is a wide range of genres when discussing gaming including: action, strategy,

role-playing, simulations, construction and management, adventure, and puzzle games

(Rollings & Adams, 2003, p 42-43). This variety provides flexibility in incorporating these

into lessons and using them to help learners better engage with and understand concepts. See

Table 2 for more information on each gaming genre.

Table 2
Genres of Games
Include physical challenges, puzzles, races and a variety of conflict
Action challenges, mostly at the personal level. Can also include economic
challenges, usually involving collecting objects.
Include strategic, tactical, and logistical challenges, in addition to the
Strategy occasional economic ones. Can also include personal conflict
challenges.
Involve tactical, logistical, and exploration challenges. Economic
Role-Playing challenges are also common in the form of collecting currency or
exchanging tools.
Simulations Involve physical and tactical challenges, but do not usually include
exploration, economic or conceptual challenges.
Construction and Games that usually involve building a world and managing that world.
Management These games are primarily about economic and conceptual challenges.
Adventure Involve exploration and puzzle-solving. Conceptual challenges are
also common.
Puzzle Challenges are primarily logical, however some may include time
pressure or action elements.
Adapted from Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design by A. Rollings and
E. Adams. (2003). Indianapolis, IN. New Riders Publishing. p.42-43
Game Examples

Today’s learners entering postsecondary education are considered to be the most

computer literate group to date. This is due to the lifestyle that members of the Millennial

generation and the following Generation Z, those born after 1996, have become accustomed

to. In 2010, freshmen entering their first semester at The Ohio State University Agricultural
 8

Technical Institute were asked about their perception of their computer skills going into

college. Sixty-five percent of those involved believed they had an “Intermediate” level of

skill with computers and ninety-one percent of the participants believed they would gain

more skills while attending college (Hostetler & Deeter, 2012). This level of skill with

computers helps to support the idea that gaming in the agriculture classroom is a viable

option for postsecondary agriculture educators. The following are a few examples of gaming

technology have been used or designed as educational tools.

Game of Piglets (Klit, Pederson & Stege, 2018)

Game of Piglets was developed in Denmark as a tool to better educate new

international employees working on Dutch pig farms and use in schools as new and

innovative learning. The game is classified in the simulation or adventure genre, placing the

player on a virtual pig farm. The objective of the game is to practice and learn the various

procedures they would face on an actual pig farm including skills in external biosecurity and

farrowing management. These skills are gained through a series of tasks that must be

completed in a particular order. This is used to model the same actions made on an actual pig

farm. If the tasks are not completed in the specific order or steps are skipped, the player will

have a decreased survival rate of their farrowed piglets. Throughout the process of the game,

the player can ask for help from the virtual farm manager, who will provide advice for how

to properly complete the tasks. Once all the tasks are completed, the player will receive an

evaluation of their work, including successfully completed tasks and mistakes made along

the way.

Game of Piglets was used in a study of 186 young adults to determine the

effectiveness of gaming technology versus hands-on experience. Eighty-four percent of the

 9

students who played the game reported that they learned skills to increase the survival rate of

piglets and of those players 23.7 percent had prior experience in pig production (Klit,

Pedersen & Stege, 2018).

AgriVillage (Prada, Prendinger, Yongyuth, Nakasoneb, Kawtrakulc, 2014)

AgriVillage is a game created to educate on the environmental impact of agriculture.

Its intended purpose is to promote awareness and add to the discussion around this topic. The

game is considered a farming simulator that allows the player to act as a farmer in making

decisions about growing food and how their actions impact their local environment. The

player’s main challenge is to produce vegetables and sell them for profit at the local market.

Since climate conditions impact the growth and value of the produce at the end of the season,

players are tasked with preparing their plants and making decisions on what to harvest when.

The conditions that impact growth in the game are water, temperature, and fertilizer.

For each plant option, the player is provided with optimal conditions for that plant to help

make the decision on when to plant the vegetable, how to best maintain the plants growth and

when to harvest. The game also requires the player to use money for all actions, adding

management features to the game.

This game was used in its pilot version in a study with 20 university individuals

between the ages of 21 and 50 (Prada, et al. 2014). These players identified the game taught

them something about agriculture and the impact of agriculture on the environment.

WeShareIt Game (Onencan, Van de Walle, Enserink, Chelang’a, Kulei, 2016)

WeShareIt is a computer assisted board game aimed at assisting policy makers with

developing strategies to balance energy, food and nature needs in developing African nations.
 10

The game challenges players to make decisions on long- and short-term basis, and the

ultimate goal is to collect as many “happy faces” from citizens as they can. The decisions

made by the player creates positive and negative impacts which can affect their success later

in the game.

WeShareIt is a strategy game with components of a simulation style game. The game

challenges the player to make decisions healthy for planet Earth, by placing them into an

environment they know little about at first. However, as players learn more about their

environment and the resources available to them, they are able to develop structured ideas

with others in their group. These skills can be used to make real-life decisions later on in

similar situations and change the reaction to environmental disasters such as major storms or

drought.

Results from game play were only collected from 10 participants between the ages of

18 and 54. However, the results support that the game encouraged collaboration between

teams/nations for the best result and an understanding of solutions for potential problems in

their team/nation.

Conclusion

These examples provide a glimpse into the potential game-based learning has to offer

to learners gaining new tasks and skills. While all were used on a small sample of

participants ultimately, they were successful to their audiences, respectively. As these games

were developed with simulation-style components, they provide necessary learning of skills

to both those familiar with agricultural and environmental practices and those who are not.
 11

CHAPTER 4: IMPACT ON LEARNING

It is tradition in most every classroom from primary school through postsecondary

education lectures are a part of learning. Lectures were found to be one of the “most common

instructor behaviors” (Stains, et al., 2018) being used 74.9 percent of the time in

postsecondary Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) classes (Stains,

et al., 2018). While lectures may be able to provide a great amount of information to learners,

the main question to tackle is how these learners are engaging with the material being

delivered. Kober (2015, p. 23) writes “that student-centered instructional strategies are more

effective in improving students’ conceptual understanding, knowledge retention and attitudes

about learning…than traditional lecture-based methods”.

As instructors think about bringing their classroom material further into the 21st

century including incorporation of game-based learning methods, it may be wise to consider

using student-centered approaches to teaching as a supplement to lecture. By allowing

learners to be more involved in their learning process, they may have a greater chance of

engaging with the material and retaining more information.

Impact in Agricultural Education

Agricultural education provides learners with the opportunity to utilize STEM skills

in real-life situations. This has potential to aid learners in learning core concepts in science

and mathematics courses through application of their skills. Bunch, Robinson, Edwards, &

Antonenko (2014) studied secondary learners enrolled in an animal science course studying

swine disease at the time. Virtual Walking the Pens®, a game developed by Pfizer® Animal

Health was used to help students apply skills they had learned through their class to a virtual

animal feeding operation. The learners involved were measured on the impact of the game on
 12

their mathematical competence. Results of the study suggested that “digital games were

found to be equally effective as the traditional lecture and discussion method” provided in

their course (Brunch, et al., 2014). While this study did not find a significant impact in

learners’ mathematical performance, these researchers suggest that implementing digital

games in the classroom for learning would “not diminish student achievement” (Brunch, et

al., 2014).

Experiential learning has been shown to have an impact on students in postsecondary

study. Briggeman, Detre, Landford & Doye (2012) used the game Ag Bank Sim, a simulation

game developed by Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma Banker’s Association, to

determine if an internet based training program would enhance learning surrounding

agricultural banking activities. Ag Bank Sim was studied in classrooms at Oklahoma State

University and Louisiana State University. Through analysis of pre- and post- test scores

learners at both universities demonstrated an increase in their overall score including a 30

percent increase in the average score at LSU. Due to the game being available online, those

participating were able to access the game more easily and helped to develop a more clear

world view of how the banking industry operates.

Increasing the use of experiential learning at the postsecondary level should be a

consideration for new and updated courses. As the world learns towards technology driven

processes and practices, learners need to be prepared to enter a workforce that supports

learning with computer technology, but also provides quality learning experiences that focus

on developing skill and retaining knowledge.

 13

Using Games
in Agricultural
Education
A RESOURCE GUIDE
 14

Authors Note

It is the intent of this guide to provide information about

game-based learning strategies to agriculture educators.

It is the responsibility of the educator to assess their

classroom situation and environment to determine if a
game should be used as a learning tool.

It is important that games be used in a manner that allows

learners to master a skill and apply learning concepts in an
engaging way. Learning outcomes should be determined
by the level of skill or knowledge increased through playing
the game.

Games should be used as a supplement to other learning

activities with goals to enhance the learning experiences of
students.

Enjoy!
 15

What is Game-Based Learning (GBL)?

Game-based learning is a comprehensive learning experience where

learners engage in interactive cycles of assessment and feedback
through the use of game mechanics.

What are the benefits of using games in learning?

Games can help to engage learners more as they have the potential
to add diversity to traditional learning, that is commonly based in
lecture. Providing students opportunities to learn in a variety of ways
can help address learners with different learning styles and help
teach skills and processes virtually before engaging in hands-on
experiences.

What types of games can be used in learning?

All games are learning tools. From board games to digital games to
simulations. Each provide a different experience for the player that
can be used as a teaching moment. This is what makes adding games
to the learning experience important.

In this guide, you will discover tips to implementing different

types of games into future lessons and activities.
 16

Introduction to Game-Based Learning

Games can be used in teaching all ages from youth to adults. There
are a variety of games that you can use. See below for a breakdown
of the different types of games.

Include physical challenges, puzzles, races and a variety of conflict

Action
challenges, mostly at the personal level. Can also include economic
challenges, usually involving collecting objects.
Include strategic, tactical, and logistical challenges, in addition to the
Strategy
occasional economic ones. Can also include personal conflict
challenges.
Involve tactical, logistical, and exploration challenges. Economic
Role-Playing challenges are also common in the form of collecting currency or
exchanging tools.
Simulations Involve physical and tactical challenges, but do not usually include
exploration, economic or conceptual challenges.
Games that usually involve building a world and managing that world.
Construction and
These games are primarily about economic and conceptual
Management
challenges.
Adventure Involve exploration and puzzle-solving. Conceptual challenges are also
common.
Puzzle Challenges are primarily logical, however some may include time
pressure or action elements.
Adapted from Andrew Rollings and Ernest Adams on Game Design by A. Rollings and
E. Adams. (2003). Indianapolis, IN. New Riders Publishing. p.42-43

Choosing a game for your lesson might be the most challenging but
exciting part of using games to teach. In the pages to follow you can
learn how different styles of games can be used.
 17

Action Games

Action games can involve anything from physical challenges such as

races, physical puzzles or conflict challenges. These types of games
can also include collecting items for a goal.

How can I use action games?

Think about how you can get your learners active. Connect them with
information they are learning and reward learners for reaching their
goal.

Example 1: When teaching on crop science, have learners build a

common crop (corn, soybean, wheat, cotton, etc.) based on the
vegetative stages (V1,V2,R1,R2, etc.). This would involve a race style
of game with a puzzle.

Add a Challenge! Try mixing incorrect choices in. This added

obstacle can help get learners thinking.

Example 2: Use a board game (i.e. Monopoly ™, The Farming Game™,

Life on the Farm™) to teach skills in financial management. Use these
games as a base and make them your own by relating spaces to
material you are teaching.

Add a Challenge! As learners progress through the game add

obstacles such as storms, drought or market changes.
 18

Strategy Games

Include strategic, tactical, and logistical challenges. They can also

include personal conflict challenges. Strategy games can help teach
processes of working through challenging situations.

How can I use strategy games?

It is important to think about topics that require critical thinking with

strategy games. Try to get learners to make an action plan for how
they will work through challenges. Below are some examples to get
you started.

Example 1: Address the issue of world hunger. Divide learners into

teams to develop a plan to fight certain sectors of hunger (i.e. low
resources, no government assistance, poor health).

Add a Challenge! Have teams research current efforts and see

how they relate to their plan. Look for areas they believe they
could make an impact.

Example 2: Analyze current governmental policies and determine

how they are effective or ineffective. Have learners develop a
proposal for potential changes.

Add a Challenge! Create a game board that applies

opportunities and challenges in current policy to a character
and have learners navigate through the game.
 19

Role-Playing Games

Involve tactical, logistical, and exploration challenges. Economic

challenges are also common in the form of collecting currency or
exchanging tools.

How can I use role-playing games?

These types of games allow for learners to search for information and
explore. They have similar goals as strategy games.

Example 1: Have learners participate in a scavenger hunt or quest in

finding information. Use the internet, real objects or a packet of
materials as a means for exploring a topic.

Add a Challenge! Add a time limit and a reward at the end.

Example 2: For an animal science lesson, have learners act out

different biological processes (digestive system, reproductive process,
growth cycle, etc.).

Add a Challenge! Have an audience guess what is being acted

out or have audience members fill in the next step of the
process.
 20

Simulation Games

Involve physical and tactical challenges, but do not usually include

exploration, economic or conceptual challenges.

How can I use simulation games?

Simulation games allow for the opportunity to learn and practice

before interacting in real-life situations.

Example 1: Use a digital game to teach the operation of a

confinement animal operation. Allow learners to work through
everyday challenges and master the process of caring for animals.

Add a Challenge! Have learners react to less favorable situations

(sickness, feed shortage, broken mechanics, etc.).

Example 2: Have learners operate a tractor simulator. Provide the

opportunity for them to learn the basic operations of a modern
tractor and how it is used for different processes around a farm or
agricultural facility.

Add a Challenge! Have learners analyze the difference between

operating farm equipment versus a regular automobile.
 21

Construction & Management Games

Games that usually involve building a world and managing that world.
These games are primarily about economic and conceptual
challenges.

How can I use construction & management games?

Use these types of games to demonstrate what goes on in building a

structure, farm, or any other agricultural facility, and analyze costs,
materials and daily maintenance. These games share characteristics
of simulations and strategy games.

Example: Use a digital game that allows learners to start a farm from
scratch. Have them work in teams or individually to decide what type
of farm they want, what they will need to build it and initial costs and
maintenance costs.

Add a Challenge! Introduce risk taking as market prices change

positively and negatively.
 22

Adventure Games

Involve exploration and puzzle-solving. Conceptual challenges are

also common.

How can I use adventure games?

Adventure games offer the opportunity to discover new concepts or

dig deeper into concepts and ideas already learned.

Example 1: Have learners research a variety of careers in agriculture.

Have them compare the different careers and determine the range of
jobs that career has in agriculture.

Add a Challenge! Have learners find local professionals to

interview and shadow to learn more about daily duties of their
chosen professions.

Example 2: Games like Minecraft can be used to teach the complexity

of building a farm. Have learners use their knowledge of agriculture
and farming to build a farming operation.

Add a Challenge! Have learners diversify their farm by adding

different crops or animals to their farm.
 23

Puzzle Games

Challenges are primarily logical, however some may include time

pressure or action elements.

How can I use puzzle games?

Puzzle games can help learners process through knowledge and apply
that knowledge effectively.

Example: Have learners make cards with terms and definitions and
compile them together into a large matching game.

Add a Challenge! Have learners make clues using only pictures

or icons to make up the term.
 24

Market Options Available

Action Simulation cont.

• Farm Together • Farming Simulator
(https://store.steampowered.com/app/67395 (https://store.steampowered.com/franchise/F
0/Farm_Together/) armingSimulator)

Strategy Construction & Management

• PEWI • Minecraft
(https://www.nrem.iastate.edu/pewi/pewi3/) (https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/)

• Farmaggedon • Farm Manager 2018

(http://bit.ly/farmaggedon-game) (http://bit.ly/Farm-Manager-2018)

• Banished • Third World Farmer

(https://store.steampowered.com/app/24292 (http://www.gamesforchange.org/game/3rd-
0/Banished/) world-farmer/)

• Nutrient Calculator
(http://www.nutrien-ekonomics.com/tools-to-
calculate-fertilizer-needs/)
Adventure
• Range Rambler
(https://utah.agclassroom.org/student/games/
Role Playing gis/base_content.html)

• Farmers 2050 – Mobile • Agricola

(http://www.farmers2050.com/) (http://bit.ly/agricola-game)

• Fantasy Farming – Orange Season

(https://hudell.itch.io/orange-season)
Puzzle
• Jeopardy!
Simulation (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Jeo
pardy-Template-Review-Game-PowerPoint-842331)
• Farmers 2050 – Mobile
(http://www.farmers2050.com/) • Ag Overload
(https://utah.agclassroom.org/student/games/
• Discovering Farmland trivia/base_content.html)
(http://www.discoveringfarmland.com/virtual-
experiences)

Interested in making your own game?

• ITyStudio (https://itystudio.com/) • Build Box (https://www.buildbox.com/)
• GameSalad (https://gamesalad.com/) • Game Maker Studio 2
(https://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker)
 25

Plan it Out
Lesson Title/Topic: ___________________________________________________________

What type of game(s) would you like to use?

Action Construction and Management

Strategy Adventure
Role Playing Puzzle
Simulation Other

What materials do you need?

• _____________________ • _____________________
• _____________________ • _____________________
• _____________________ • _____________________
• _____________________ • _____________________
• _____________________ • _____________________

What outcomes are you expecting?: _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

How will you measure success?: ________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
 26

REFLECTION

Through working on this project, I have gained immense knowledge surrounding

game-based learning and the potential opportunities of using these strategies to teach in

agricultural education. Games and learning have always been present in my life and finding a

way to connect these to my love for agriculture has been an amazing experience.

The Agricultural Education graduate program has been nothing short of exceptional.

When I began looking into a graduate degree program, I never expected to be as supported,

motivated and encouraged as I have been through this experience. As an online student, I

expected to be viewed differently from other students as I would not be present physically in

courses and that interactions with students would be difficult. While the experience is unique

to online students, I never felt out of place or forgotten, rather I was supported by my peers,

encouraged by professors, and motivated to challenge myself. I learned from peers from all

corners of the United States and gained a wider perspective on the world of agriculture

education.

Through this experience I have learned greatly about myself and proved to myself

that I could conquer any challenge placed in front of me. I will forever advocate for this

program and department and look forward to the future of the program.
 27

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