About Institute of play
Institute of Play: Revolutionizing Education through Game Design
Institute of Play is a non-profit design studio that was founded in 2007 by a group of game designers in New York City. The Institute's mission is to revolutionize education by creating learning experiences rooted in the principles of game design. With an interdisciplinary team of designers, strategists, and learning practitioners, IoP has been able to create innovative and accessible approaches to transforming education through play.
The Institute's research and design work has been widely featured as an innovative approach to transforming education through play. IoP believes that games have the power to engage learners on a deep level, providing them with opportunities for exploration, experimentation, and problem-solving. By leveraging the principles of game design, IoP creates immersive learning experiences that are both fun and effective.
IoP's approach is based on three core principles: engagement, agency, and mastery. Engagement refers to the ability of games to capture learners' attention and motivate them to learn. Agency refers to the sense of control that learners have over their own learning experience. Mastery refers to the feeling of accomplishment that comes from mastering new skills or concepts.
IoP's work has been recognized by educators around the world for its effectiveness in engaging students and improving academic outcomes. The Institute has worked with schools across America as well as internationally in countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland Germany Japan Mexico Norway Singapore South Korea Sweden Taiwan United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Vietnam.
One example of IoP's work is Quest Schools - a network of public charter schools located throughout Chicago which use game-based learning techniques developed by IoP staff members during their time at Quest2Learn (a school they co-founded). These techniques include using narrative structures like quests or missions instead traditional lesson plans; incorporating feedback loops into assignments so students can see how they're progressing towards mastery; designing challenges where students must collaborate with each other solve problems together.
Another example of IoP's work is the GlassLab Games initiative, which was launched in partnership with Electronic Arts and the MacArthur Foundation. GlassLab Games is a research and development project that aims to create games that are both fun and educational. The project has produced several games, including SimCityEDU: Pollution Challenge!, which teaches students about environmental science by allowing them to design their own cities.
IoP's work has also been recognized by industry leaders such as Microsoft, who partnered with the Institute to develop Minecraft: Education Edition - a version of the popular game designed specifically for use in classrooms. Minecraft: Education Edition allows teachers to create custom lesson plans using Minecraft's block-based building system, providing students with an immersive learning experience that encourages creativity and problem-solving.
In conclusion, Institute of Play is a non-profit design studio that has been at the forefront of revolutionizing education through game design since its founding in 2007. With an interdisciplinary team of designers, strategists, and learning practitioners, IoP creates innovative and accessible approaches to transforming education through play. Their work has been recognized by educators around the world for its effectiveness in engaging students and improving academic outcomes. If you're looking for a new way to engage your learners or improve academic outcomes at your school or organization - look no further than Institute of Play!