game-based

80 game-based products for higher-ed coming soon


New game-based learning products focus on critical thinking, psychology, science, and more.

game-basedToolwire will launch 80 new game-based learning products in 2015. Covering topics such as writing, student success skills, critical thinking, psychology and environmental science, these games aim to help higher education institutions engage and retain students within core general education courses.

Colleges and universities are increasingly being held accountable for student success and graduation. Of students who attend college, 53 percent struggle to complete their degrees, and 33 percent drop out entirely. Half of all student drops occur in the first 20 units.

Toolwire games aim to support institutions focused on enhancing foundational courses by delivering scalable, personalized learning experiences with built-in formative assessment capabilities, dynamic remediation, and performance analytics that measure outcomes as students build skills and knowledge.

(Next page: How instructional design plays a role in targeting learning objectives)

A defining feature of Toolwire’s new game-based simulations is an instructional design architecture strategically developed with users such as Millennials and busy, working adults in mind.

Toolwire’s new games are short, stand-alone practice units that take approximately 10-20 minutes to complete. Each game targets one to three specific learning objectives. To support instructors, Toolwire maps the learning objectives to top textbooks. Instructors assign these games as an engaging way for their students to practice essential skills and demonstrate mastery of learning objectives.

“Since 2011, Toolwire has delivered more than 540 million minutes of games and simulations to 100 of the nation’s leading colleges and universities,” said John Valencia, Toolwire’s president and CEO. “We’ve channeled this industry-leading experience into our new products, and we’re extremely excited for the opportunity to showcase these new products at this year’s ASU+GSV Summit, one of the premier events in cutting-edge technology innovation for education.”

A sponsor of this year’s ASU+GSV Summit (April 6-8, Scottsdale, Ariz.) and a nominee for the Summit’s Return on Education (ROE) Awards, Toolwire unveiled its new product strategy and led several sessions on game-based learning at the conference.

“Ultimately, meeting the many needs of our higher education clients goes well beyond creating a great product,” said Brian Boyd, vice president of Toolwire Studios and Support. “From supporting implementation and LTI integration to faculty onboarding and year round, 24/7 student and faculty support, our team takes a 360-degree view of the customer experience in order to continually improve our products and provide clients with the best possible experience.”

Unlike the majority of games available today that leverage animated characters and environments, Toolwire produces highly authentic game-based simulations with live characters filmed in real locations.

“Through customer feedback and user testing, we’ve learned that authenticity of experience is essential for engaging higher education students,” said Jon Garcia, Toolwire’s new vice president of products. “Also, there is considerable cognitive research about how vivid experiences facilitate deeper learning. Our photo-realistic learning experiences are uniquely able to deliver this level of immersion.”

Material from a press release was used in this report.

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Laura Ascione

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