Zondle team play: Games-based learning for whole-class teaching, beta release.

Today we are delighted to beta-release a brand new zondle games-based learning experience.


Developed with Dr Paul Howard-Jones, one of the UK’s leading educational neuroscientists, zondle team play enables teachers to use the power of zondle games-based learning for whole-class teaching.

Zondle team play is a highly engaging teacher-led FREE interactive whiteboard app, which can be used to support the teaching of any class topic, and to consolidate learning through competitive play. 

Zondle’s unique approach draws on some key neuroscience research, that competitive play can boost motivation to learn and that uncertain rewards can help reinforce the learning.


There are three steps to teaching with zondle team play.

1. Teachers teach part of a class topic using their preferred teaching methods, but supported by slides imported into zondle team play and shown on an interactive whiteboard.

2. Using zondle team play the students are then asked questions taken from the class topic and, working in teams, they choose their answers.
   

  

3. Finally, the teams decide whether or not they wish to game their score: whether they are prepared for their scores to be doubled or zeroed on the turn of the zondle team play wheel of chance.
   
   

   

For those of you familiar with zondle, zondle team play uses standard zondle topics (multiple choice questions only), with the addition of references (images or text) and learning materials (slides exported from PowerPoint).


Zondle team play is still in beta, which means there are likely to be some changes over the coming weeks. In the meantime, here are some videos to get you started:

As always, we are very keen to have your feedback, to help us ensure that zondle team play is easy to play and useful in your classroom. 


So please do tell us what you think!
COMING SOON: 
A free CPD event to introduce zondle team play... and show how easy it is to use!

How much do you know about the Queen's Diamond Jubilee 2012?

Just for a little fun we thought you might enjoy this little topic about the upcoming Diamond Jubilee. 

zondle - games to support learning

Improved zondle connect competition results

Today we have improved the competition results email that you receive when your zondle connect competition has ended.

Results are now sorted first by percentage topic score (how well the learner knows the topic) and then by the game score (how well they did in their game play).

Here is an example for Javelin Challenge:

________________________
1) with 100% and a game score of 52.69m
Name: Frankie (frank@domain.com)  ---  WINNER!
________________________
2) with 100% and a game score of 16.81m
Name: Dougi (doug@domain.com)  ---  SECOND PLACE!
________________________
3) with 66% and a game score of 20.39m
Name: Jen (jen@domain.com)  ---  THIRD PLACE!
________________________
3) with 47% and a game score of 17.30m
Name: Harvy (harvy@domain.com)

We look forward to any feedback you may have!

"Listen to the word, then type the translation" question type released

Today we release a new zondle question type “Listen to the word, then type the translation”. This was a suggestion from Madame Lagarde so thank you very much!

This video gives a brief overview of the new question type and shows you how to use it.

Any feedback is, of course, very welcome.

New Adobe Flash SDK released for creating zondle games

If you are a budding Flash developer then here is your chance to show your skills off to the world by developing a game for the zondle platform.

We have always had a game development SDK, but we have now simplified it greatly so that it is a lot easier to code with.  To build a zondle game all you now need to do is populate the game play elements in the template that we have created.

You can download the SDK here.

The following video explains the SDK in some detail:

New zondle game – “Banana Slinger”

Today we release a new game called “Banana Slinger”.  How many times can you hit the target with your bananas whilst controlling your monkey in the tree?

This game was created with the new Adobe Flash SDK which we release later today.

zondle - games to support learning

Lots of upgrades to the zondle game interface!

Today we uploaded some significant changes to the way that zondle games work making improvements (hopefully) to the following things:

• Improved game window layout
• Improved game scoring
• Translatable game interface
• Game play instructions
• Ability to collect zollars for good achievement

Improved game window layout

We have now brought the start and end screens in line with the rest of the zondle site adding a new menu of most commonly used items on the left hand side.  Most notably though we have split the view into topic score and game score and added a new leaderboard button so that players can compete against their classmates as they learn.

Improved game scoring

By splitting the topic and game score into separate things we have, hopefully, made it a lot easier to understand.  Your game score is now shown relative to your actual game play achievement rather than how well you did in the questions. 

Translatable game interface

The new game interface plugs directly into the translationsystem for zondle.  So you can now have the start and end screens displayed in any language you wish.  Click here to find out more about translatingzondle into your own language.

Game play instructions

We have been asked a number of times for instructions as to how you play the games.  We have now added this as a feature in the left hand menu when the game first loads. 

Ability to collect zollars for good achievement

Now players can collect zollars if they do well in games.  In time zollars will be used for unlocking games or features on zondle and maybe even purchasing items to decorate their zondle wall (another feature coming soon).

Any feedback is, of course, very welcome!

The following video introduces these features in a little more detail.

Lidija and Bossi complete Croatian translation of zondle.

Wow, yet again we feel humbled by the amazing efforts and commitment of the zondle community. 

Today we are delighted to announce that the translation of zondle into Croatian is complete!

This is totally thanks to Lidija of OŠ Veliki Bukovec and Bossi of Osnovna škola Zapruđe Zagreb who have so kindly given their time to this translation.

Lidija and Bossi have enabled students, teachers and parents in Croatia to see the zondle site in their own language, which is fundamental to the mission of zondle to reach anyone, anywhere and enable them to customise zondle to their needs.

Find out more about translating zondle into your ownlanguage.

Zondle welcomes Manor High School to the affiliate program

Today we are delighted to welcome Manor High School in Oadby, Leicestershire, UK to the zondle affiliate program and thank you for your support.

It is always great to build relationships with people in the zondle community and we are blessed with some wonderful users.  So a special thanks to Frederique for her help with the translation of zondle into French which will help learners around the globe to access zondle in their native tongue.

Today we welcome Chetopa, Kansas to the zondle affiliate program

We are delighted to welcome Chetopa, Kansas to the zondle affiliate program today. 

We would also like to thank Natalie for her tremendous contribution and support.  It is fantastic to work with people so clearly dedicated to the progression of young minds.

Check out the Chetopa – St Paul website to find out more.