Dirksen (2012) expands upon Haidt's (2006) idea that each of us has an "elephant". This is the part of our brain that is emotional and is attracted to experiences that are fun, interesting, and familiar. Games are often highly motivational because they speak to the "elephant".
The examples of multiple means of engagement on this page use games to teach Bible, Hebrew language, Jewish history, and values.
The Wheel of Engagement
Mobile apps like this Word Match game provide
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options for recutiing interest, and
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optimize individual choice and autonomy
An online version of the Hangman game can be found at http://www.my-jewish-games.com/hangman/index.php
Minecraft, https://minecraft.net/, is a 3-D, building game that has found its way into many schools. From a motivational standpoint, Minecraft is challenging enough to engage and sufficiently scaffolded so that the learner can experience gratification through success. The above example is a recreation of the Temple as described in the Bible.
Jewish Time Jump is an augmented reality game that teaches the history of the Labor Movement in New York. In this game, the combination of a real time tour of New York City is combined with information and video that specific locations trigger on a mobile phone or tablet. http://www.converjent.org/jewish-time-jump-new-york_page/
Can you guess which game is called America's Favorite Quiz Show (R) ? Jeopardy. There are a number of online Jeopardy creating tools that can be used for reviewing facts and information. A truly ambitious game designer could use all of the answers as embedded clues to a "higher level" thinking puzzle. click on the game if you would like to experience this stock Jewish Jeopardy game.