Friends of Filament, fans of games for impact, and AR/VR for education fiends – welcome to What’s New in Game-Based Learning! A monthly recap of the 🔥hottest🔥 news stories, interviews, and announcements from the world of digital play, our series aims to help you stay informed of the latest trends in our industry. Check out this month’s featured articles, and be sure to reach out on Facebook or Twitter if we missed anything!

As a leader in the game-based learning space, our team is passionate about all things related to accessibility and inclusion in gaming – which is why we were so thrilled to see fellow educational games developer ObjectiveEd’s assistive technology efforts highlighted in an all-new article from EdSurge. Backed by more than $1 million in investment funding, ObjectiveEd is currently beta testing a suite of skill-based games designed to help visually impaired learners practice key skills like Braille literacy, orientation and mobility aim in an engaging, game-based fashion. [READ MORE]

Here’s a neat application of games for medical education, direct from the American Medical Association themselves. HealthBytes – a free app that aims to help physicians better understand and reduce the challenges that lead to doctor burnout – released late last month, and features tons of integrated information and practice simulations designed to help doctors optimize and improve their practice efficiency. Learn more about the app on the AMA website, then try the game yourself – HealthBytes is free-to-play for web browsers, iOS, and Android! [READ MORE]

The future looks bright for game-based learning! According to the latest Global Game-Based Learning Market report from industry analysis firm Metaari, the United States recently eclipsed China as the top buying country for game-based learning products and services. Following in-depth analysis of more than 2,000 educational game developers across the world, Metaari’s report also predicts that the total learning game industry will quadruple in size by the year 2024 – surpassing $24 billion in revenue driven largely by new investments in AI, AR/VR, and global distribution. [READ MORE]

We previously highlighted coding education site CodeCombat in our roundup of high-quality computer science learning games – and it seems the game-based platform is a hit among investors, too! According to a new report from VentureBeat, CodeCombat has successfully raised $6 million in a new round of series A funding, adding to its previous investments of approximately $2 million in seed funding. In the article, CodeCombat co-founder and CEO Nick Winter shares that the site has served more than 12 million learners to date, and plans to further supplement their offerings by introducing new games like Ozaria (currently in beta) and expanding to additional territories throughout the United States and China. [READ MORE]

It’s no secret that VR can positively impact learning outcomes – and according to an all-new article from EdTech K-12 Magazine, immersive tech can serve as a particularly effective tool for assistive learning. In his article, reporter Eli Zimmerman offers insights into how XR can help support learners who require additional assistance in the classroom by reducing external distractions, encouraging the practice of key soft skills, and offering users the ability to virtually visit locales previously inaccessible within traditional school contexts. [READ MORE]

Did you miss out on last month’s entry of What’s New in Game-Based Learning? Have no fear – view our August entry here!