Learning With Portal: Video Games in Education

Attention: Valve, the Makers of Portal is giving away free Mac and PC versions of the 2007 physics-based puzzle game until September 20th.  Hit this link. 

Valve, the creators of  the popular and award-winning game Portal, is promoting their Learning with Portals Educational Program by offering their 2007 phyics-based game Portal free for the Mac and PC. Valve has recognized the increasing role video gaming is playing in education. Portal and Portal 2 are being used in by educators and students to teach critical thinking, and physics.

Video gaming has the potential to capture the students interest and teach them physics, critical thinking, math, logic, spatial reasoning, probability, and problem solving. It also offers the students the opportunity to be creative while trying to apply skills. (And they have fun too.) A great way to integrate tech and  goal-oriented learning.

Any time you mention video gaming in education you are going to have critics.  I think that is too bad.  I would love to see more schools implementing this, but doing it the right way.  If your reaction is immediately negative, I encourage you to hit the link to the video below.  This is NOT turning children lose on video games. It’s about investigating and exploring math, physics and more inside a virtual world and about how people can make such cool products.

Download the free game now until September 20 and see for yourself.

From Valve’s website:

Intrigue. Engage. Inspire.

When we heard the buzz surrounding the new role video games are playing in education, we had to throw our hat in the ring. Today, innovative educators are finding ways to incorporate Portal™ and Portal 2 into their classrooms—helping teach physics and critical-thinking skills. It’s eye-opening to see how video games can be used in amazing and unexpected ways to help educate our next generation.

One of the biggest challenges in teaching science, technology, engineering, and math is capturing the students’ imaginations long enough for them to see all of the possibilities that lie ahead.

Using interactive tools like the Portal series to draw them in makes physics, math, logic, spatial reasoning, probability, and problem-solving interesting, cool, and fun which gets us one step closer to our goal—engaged, thoughtful kids!