Breakout EDU Updates for October
Let’s check out what’s new with Breakout EDU!
Happy October! Our team has been hard at work making updates that we believe you and your class will love! Let’s explore the new Breakout EDU features and functionality that have been released this month.
New Search Capabilities
First, the Breakout EDU search is better than ever. Just type in your keyword to browse our ever-growing collection of games. OR click on “EXPLORE ALL” to see all the available categories. Need to narrow it down even further? Use one of the three filters beside the search bar to dive deeper into grade levels, subject areas, or game type. The magnifying glass will focus your sights on games that are perfectly-suited to you and your classes.
The bigger and better search results are packed with information so you can quickly evaluate which game is right for you. AND we’re especially excited about the updates to our game details screens! Here you’ll find everything you need to set up and facilitate a Breakout EDU game. With game resources and answer keys that you can access with a quick click, and clearer, more concise set-up instructions for kit games, your students will be playing in no time. Best of all, each lock now has its own information section with explanations to help you know how players will solve it. The combination is hidden until it’s clicked so you don’t accidentally give it away. And coming soon, your favorite games will even include an image of the puzzles your players will use to crack the codes and conquer those combinations.
New Game Player Design and Functionality
The new digital game player is now better than ever with some great upgrades to the user experience. With a sleeker layout, not only do the games look amazing, but they now have some fantastic tools that will provide some accessibility features to make games easier to play for all learners. First, players now have access to Immersive Reader that allows them to see AND hear clues in an empowering way. With just a click they can hear text clues read aloud to them - they can even customize the timbre and speed of the reader’s voice. They can adjust the readability, too, with controls for text size, spacing, typeface, and background color. If they want to dig even deeper, they can highlight syllables and parts of speech - GREAT for early or second-language readers. If they need to narrow their focus, they can eliminate distractions or even SEE the meanings of words - in their own language with the inclusion on Immersive Reader. These features are available in any text field within the game player.
Another great feature, particularly for those who struggle to distinguish colors, is the hover text. Players will now see the color word when then bring their cursor over an input option for the digital color lock.
Lock of the Day Calendar
Breakout EDU has added some great new functionality to one of our most exciting features! First, by popular request, LOCK OF THE DAY is now automatically enabled for all students by default. Each day’s puzzle will now be available in the student dashboard unless you choose to toggle it off. Change your mind? Turn it on again with just a click.
From your teacher dashboard in “My Classes,” clicking on Lock of the Day now allows you to track progress by day. See who’s completed the puzzles, the amount of time it took them, and even the number of tries. Plus, you’ll now be able to see students’ Lock of the Day weekly streaks!
You’ll also be able to view the puzzle image, download the results, or even get a quick glimpse of the solution right there from your teacher's view. Want to try the Lock of the Day yourself? Go ahead and give the game a try (BEFORE checking the combination!)
And here’s a little spoiler alert: coming very soon, students will have access to their very own calendar view, where they’ll be able to build their streaks - and even unlock with some fun rewards, right in their Breakout EDU account!
We hope that you enjoy these updates as much as we do. Stay tuned for more exciting updates coming every month!