The notion that video games might be directly used in classrooms is not new as it has been claimed for years that games provide learning experiences more compelling and challenging than the traditional school-style learning. And there has been an increasing interest in putting this new ‘learn through play’ approach in the classroom context. However, some people still have the doubt whether this approach really works in classrooms. Here is a video clip from YouTube about applying a series of video games from JASON project (http://www.jason.org/public/whatis/start.aspx) into a science class, which convincingly demonstrates the benefits video games bring into classroom education.
The success of this edutainment game is based on two key factors: students’ engagement and integration with curriculum. The biggest potential of using games is to increase students’ motivation and thus make them fully engaged in learning. The boy said, ‘it is fun but it’s frustrating…” As Seymour Papert said, “Children who do not like school will tell you it’s not because it’s too hard. It’s because it’s–boring”. The students do not feel bored of the difficulty they meet in the game. Instead, “they are working and working and smiles cross their faces, because they have made discoveries.” Games challenge youth in ways they appreciate and provide young people with opportunities to find out themselves. Isn’t this type of spontaneous, self-directed and motivated learning what all the educators pursue? Well-integrated with the curriculum, video games also make play meaningful. Students gain the knowledge through their own exploration. With a challenging target, students can also learn skills of problem-solving. ‘How would 11 or 12- year-old students understand about energy transformation?” Video games provide an answer.
However, some obstacles in using edutainment games are inevitably emerging. Before teaching children, teachers should know how to play the game first. And for many of the teachers, it is not an easy job to play the game well. So teacher training in playing and using the relevant games in their classrooms is in demand. And also explaining the game and the rules to students needs substantial investment of classroom teaching time, which is very limited already. All these issues should be taken into consideration. (Posted by Ronda)
It is helpful to see a real experience of how to use videogames in the classroom, especially the students’ own positive comments. The theme running through most of the posts on this blog have included the need for the integration of videogames into the curriculum for them to be of benefit and this shows it once again, particularly integrating videogames with other traditional learning tools such as books.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the need for teachers to be confident in playing the videogames and knowing the rules they expect their students to use. I know I am not a confident game player and I only have to play them in my native language. As you teach speakers of other languages I wonder, for example, if the varying accents available across videogames would be confusing or intimidating to your students, or would they provide realistic experiences and encourage engagement? There are so many things to consider about videogames and their users and how learning and teaching all fits together. It is good know that the option is there if we wish to explore it and is becoming more widely accepted throughout all areas of education.
I found myself agreeing with many aspects of your blog….
ReplyDeleteVideo games can be powerful learning tools if they are founded on these principals:-
• Student’s engagement
• Interaction with the curriculum
• Spontaneous, self-directed and motivated learning
• Learn through play
However, I wonder if teachers really have to master a game before their students are able to play. Honestly, if my students had to wait for me to master the game, they would never get to play it. I am hopeless! (My children will attest to this.)
I think part of the social interactions and discourse afforded by playing video games is the dialogue between the students and their teacher and acknowledging the student as the expert. Most gamers instinctively know how to play the game and as teachers we concern ourselves with the rules and how to play but children generally do not. Those who do not know the rudiments of the game, will learn very quickly from their friend beside them.
Games that rely heavily on scientific knowledge, (as this class’ topic definitely did), requires targeted instruction from the teacher. I notice that the game was not the only tool in the teaching tool bag employed by this teacher. Effective teachers make use of many different and varied teaching tools, video games being just one of them.