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| Institute of Play | |
|---|---|
| Name | Institute of Play |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founders | Nicholas Negroponte, Gabe Zichermann, Katie Salen |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Key people | Katie Salen; Jane McGonigal; Mitchel Resnick |
| Focus | Game-based learning; K-12 education; learning design |
Institute of Play
The Institute of Play is a nonprofit organization focused on game-inspired learning, learning design, and school reform. Founded to translate practices from game design and interactive media into K–12 contexts, the organization worked with designers, educators, and policymakers to develop playable curricula, assessment frameworks, and professional development programs. It operated in close relation to urban school districts, foundations, and technology organizations to pilot innovative school models and digital learning environments.
The Institute of Play emerged amid early-21st-century interest in remixing Serious game approaches, following initiatives linked to New York City schools, philanthropic organizations such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and networks associated with MIT Media Lab researchers. Early work drew on precedents from projects like Quest to Learn, collaborations with designers from IDEO, and influences from scholars associated with Columbia University Teachers College and Harvard Graduate School of Education. The organization expanded during the late 2000s with programmatic experiments tied to technology funders including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and partnerships with cultural institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and American Museum of Natural History. Over time the Institute engaged with district-scale pilots in cities including Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans and partnered with national networks like EdSurge and Education Week to disseminate findings.
Key initiatives included school design projects, digital curriculum platforms, and professional development cohorts. The Institute helped develop the Quest to Learn school model in collaboration with the New York City Department of Education and design firms linked to IDEO. It created playable curricula inspired by titles and franchises from the video game industry and consulted on adaptations with studios connected to Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and independent developers tied to Independent Games Festival participants. The organization operated teacher-training programs comparable to fellow travelers such as Teach For America cohorts and partnered with research organizations like SRI International and American Institutes for Research for evaluation. Public-facing initiatives included conferences and exhibitions aligned with events like SXSWedu and Games for Change.
The Institute advanced a pedagogy that adapted mechanics from role-playing game design, project-based learning models promulgated by organizations like High Tech High, and assessment approaches influenced by competency-based frameworks used by New Tech Network. Curriculum design emphasized iteration, failure, and feedback loops drawn from authors and theorists associated with Seymour Papert’s legacy and John Dewey-style experiential learning as interpreted by practitioners at MIT Media Lab and Harvard Project Zero. Instructional strategies incorporated design thinking techniques from IDEO and formative assessment practices advocated by researchers at University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
The Institute collaborated with a wide array of partners across sectors. Educational partnerships included district offices in New York City, Chicago Public Schools, and San Francisco Unified School District; academic partners included Teachers College, Columbia University, MIT Media Lab, and Harvard Graduate School of Education. Foundation partners included the MacArthur Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation. Technology and media collaborations connected the Institute with organizations such as Mozilla Foundation, Khan Academy, and Microsoft Education. Cultural collaborations spanned institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and the American Museum of Natural History, while convening partners included Games for Change and Serious Play Conference organizers.
Evaluations of Institute programs were conducted by external researchers at institutions such as SRI International, American Institutes for Research, and teams linked to University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. Impact studies reported mixed outcomes: some pilots demonstrated increased engagement metrics similar to those found in studies from Carnegie Mellon University and improved 21st-century skill indicators tracked by networks like Partnership for 21st Century Learning, while large-scale academic achievement gains mirrored findings from experimental evaluations in districts documented by Rand Corporation. The organization contributed case studies and design principles that influenced subsequent ventures in game-based learning, influencing practitioners connected to Edutopia and policy discussions featured in outlets such as Education Week.
The Institute operated as a nonprofit entity with a leadership team, program directors, and a board that included figures from philanthropy, design, and academia. Funding sources combined philanthropic grants from the MacArthur Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, earned revenue from consulting engagements with districts and cultural institutions, and project-specific support from corporate partners including Microsoft and technology incubators associated with New York University. Staffing drew from practitioners with backgrounds at MIT Media Lab, IDEO, and district leadership teams formerly employed by New York City Department of Education and Chicago Public Schools.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Game-based learning