Videogames: A resource for exploring identities

http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/validate.asp?j=elea&vol=2&issue=1&year=2005&article=2_gee_elea_2_1_web

Introduction

In his article, Gee breaks down the design of video games to show how a good game includes principles which have a positive influence on motivating youth to participate in and enhance learning. One particular principle that is of interest to me is that of identity in video gaming. As an early childhood educator, helping young children form their own identity is a crucial educational task. While this continues through adolescence, and often beyond, videogames offer players one avenue through which to explore alternative identities. The purpose of this blog entry is to examine three of Gee’s ideas on identity and video gaming for 21^st Century learners.

Idea #1: Good video games “should immerse the player in issues of identity and responsibility.”

I have often observed students of all ages who become so immersed in a videogame that they require some form of physical touch to be roused back to their present surroundings. I have never considered the role identity plays in this or how it facilitates the effectiveness of a videogame as a learning tool. When commenting on previous research of Gee’s, Henry Jenkins (2006) explains the relationship between immersion and identity: “projected identity allows the player to strongly identify with the character and thus have an immersive experience within the game, and at the same time to use the character as a mirror to reflect on his or her own values and choices” (p. 28). This suggests that playing through the role of another character is essential to exploring identities. What is not discussed is the value of videogames that do not include an element of role playing. This is perhaps more an early childhood matter where there are no characters or students are asked to help a character accomplish a task or are playing the role of an inanimate object or animal although gender and ethnicity identities are often included. Further research into the differences between youth and early childhood videogame identities would be a worthwhile study. However, merely playing the role of another character is not enough for students to explore identity issues and keep them immersed in learning as Gee explains in his second idea.

Idea #2: “Learners need to know what the ‘rules of the game’ are and who plays it.”

Gee discusses throughout his article the concept of the importance of the player understanding the rules and roles of the videogame in order for them to successfully experience new identities. Gee explains, “[youth] need to know how to take on the identity of a certain sort of scientist, if they are doing science, and operate by a certain set of values, attitudes, and actions. Otherwise they have no deep understanding of a domain and will surely never know why anyone would want to learn – and even spend a lifetime learning – in that domain in the first place” (p. 8). Quest to Learn http://q2l.org is a school which has embraced this model of learning and recognises that commercial games often do not meet this requirement for exploring identities and as such is “a school that uses the underlying design principles of games to create highly immersive, game-like learning experiences” (http://q2l.org/node/13). This includes integrating technology and real-life identity experiences so that students can participate in various methods of understanding the rules and roles involved. My training and experience in early childhood leads me to favour a hands on, real-life approach to learning. However, as Gee also points out in his article, technology can allow students to experience other identities and roles that may not be available to them in their current circumstances.

Idea #3: Meaning and learning come through identity and action.

It is a tenet of early childhood pedagogy that young students learn by doing and do this best in contexts they can connect to. Gee agrees and explains that “when learners adopt and practice such an identity and engage in the forms of talk and action connected to it, facts come free... Out of the context of identity and activity, facts are hard to learn and last in the learner’s mind a very short time indeed” (p. 8). Therefore, not only can students consciously learn through good videogames but also internalise subsequent information. Gee’s article however, focuses on the learning of skills and problem solving through identities related to the abilities or occupation of characters. Cultural, gender, generational, peer and other identities are limitedly discussed. Ito et al. (2010) recognise that videogames and other new media can relate to different categories of youth culture and identity. As such, the many aspects of identity should be considered by students and teachers as they select videogames for learning. A wider variety of ‘free fact’ learning can then be experienced.

Conclusion

The reading of Gee’s article has opened up some points of consideration for me in relation to youth, identity and video gaming. Firstly, all of Gee’s ideas are interrelated and build upon each other to support the need for the sort of good videogames that immerse students in identities. Secondly, where the teacher has the responsibility, the selection of games is vital to ensure all aspects of identity can be experienced. Part of that responsibility should include teaching students how to make those same correct choices. As an early childhood educator, I am beginning to acknowledge that it may be my duty to start this process during my time with the future youth of the world. I think of my three and four year olds exploring the role of an ambulance driver on the playground as they ride on a tricycle and deliver ‘medicine’ to their friends in Hawaii. Perhaps there is a videogame out there that would allow this role playing learning to continue.  

References

Gee, J. P. (2005). Learning by design: Good video games as learning machines. Retrieved from http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/validate.asp?j=elea&vol=2&issue=1&year=2005&article=2_gee_elea_2_1_web        

Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture: Media education for the 21^st Century. Retrieved from http://digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2108773/apps/nl/content2.asp?content_id={CD911571-0240-4714-A93B-1D0C07C7B6C1}&notoc=1

Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Boyd, D., Cody, R., Herr-Stephenson, B., Horst, H.A., . . . Tripp, L. (2010). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

http://q2l.org