What Can We Learn From Video Games for Classroom Application?
Dr. Michael EnglandProfessor of Education
Southwestern Adventist UniversityAugust 2012
If the games generation are Digital Natives, what does that make the older generations – those who make or buy the e-Learning that the Digital Natives use?
One way to think of them is as “Digital Immigrants.” They came to the digital shores later in life, and they had to learn to cope with digital technology as adults.
“For the first time in history, we are no longer limited by our teachers’ ability and knowledge.”
– Mark Anderson
Product of the Environment
Video games Computers Email
GenerationX
The Web Multiple,
mobile devices
Instant messaging
Online communities
MillennialsBaby Boomers
TV generation
Typewriters Memos
Our Digital Native’s e-Life
Communicating email, IM, chat
Sharing Blogs, webcams
Buying & Selling ebay, papers
Exchanging music, movies, humor
Creating sites, avatars, mods
Meeting 3D chat rooms, dating
Collectingmp3, video, sensor data
Searching Info, connections, people
Analyzing SETI, drug molecules
Reporting Moblogs, photos
Programming Open systems, mods search
SocializingLearning social behavior, influence
Growing UpExploring, transgressing
Coordinating Projects, workgroups, MMORPGs
Evaluating Reputation systems–Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot
Gaming Solo, 1-on-1, small & large groups
LearningAbout stuff that interests them
EvolvingPeripheral, emergent behaviors
Mind Boggling Statistics
Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes
(7:38) to using entertainment media across a typical day (more
than 53 hours a week).
And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’
(using more than one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes
(10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.
Number of minutes per week that parents spend in
meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5
Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000
Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
The average gamer will have played 10,000 hours by age 21 with 99 percent of male
gamers (94 percent for females) under the age of 18 playing five days a week.
The average young person racks up 10,000 hours of gaming by the age of 21 -- or 24 hours less than they
spend in a classroom for all of middle and high school if they have perfect attendance.
It's a remarkable amount of time we're investing in games. 5 million gamers in the U.S., in fact,
are spending more than 40 hours a week playing games -- the equivalent of a full time job!
Reading. Over the past 5 years, time spent reading books remained steady at about :25 a day, but time with magazines
and newspapers dropped (from :14 to :09 for magazines, and from :06 to :03
for newspapers).
The proportion of young people who read a newspaper in a typical day dropped from 42% in 1999 to 23% in 2009. On
the other hand, young people now spend an average of :02 a day reading
magazines or newspapers online.
Media and homework. About half of young people say they use media either “most” (31%) or “some” (25%) of the time they’re doing their
homework.
Rules about media content. Fewer than half of
all 8- to 18-year-olds say they have rules about what TV
shows they can watch (46%), video games they can play
(30%), or music they’re allowed to listen to
(26%). Half (52%) say they have rules about what they
can do on the computer.
Gender gap. Girls spend more time than boys
using social networking sites (:25 vs. :19),
listening to music (2:33 vs. 2:06), and reading
(:43 vs. :33).
Boys spend more time than girls playing console video games (:56 vs.:14),
computer games (:25 vs. :08), and going to video websites like
YouTube (:17 vs. :12).
Tweens and media. Media use increases substantially when
children hit the 11-14 year-old age group, an increase of 1:22
with TV content, 1:14 with music, 1:00 using the computer, and :24 playing video games, for
total media exposure of 11:53 per day (vs. 7:51 for 8-10 year-
olds).
Texting. 7th-12th graders report
spending an average of 1:35 a day sending or receiving texts. (Time
spent texting is not counted as media
use in this study.)
Why Kids Drop Out of School
47% Classes weren’t interesting.43% Missed too many days and couldn’t catch up.42% Friends weren’t interested in school.38% Too much freedom & too few rules in my life.35% Was failing in school.
But 70% were confident they could have graduated. and 81% recognized that graduating was vital to their success.
Today’s Students
Online 3 -5 hours per day.
97% play video games
50% played yesterday
Today’s Students
Today’s Students
Accustomed to high level of empowerment
Today’s Students
Live in a world with lots of content to
choose from.
Today’s Students
Are active learners
Today’s Students Are active builders
How Millennials Learn
Themes of Millennials
• Digitally literate • Always on• Experiential•Mobile• Community-oriented
Conventional Speed
TwitchSpeed
Step-by-Step Random Access
Linear Processing
ParallelProcessing
Digital Immigrants Digital Natives
Text First
GraphicsFirst
WorkOriented
PlayOriented
StandAlone Connected
Digital Immigrants Digital Natives
21st Century Learners•have had technology forever•have found new processes for critical thinking•have embraced the concept of change•have managed to strike fear into the previous generation
What was your favorite game?
What was enjoyable about it?
Why Games Engage UsFun
PlayRulesGoals
InteractiveOutcomes & Feedback
AdaptiveWin states
Conflict, competitionProblem solvingInteraction with
peopleRepresentation &
Story
Enjoyment and Pleasure
Intense involvement Structure Motivation Doing Learning Flow Ego Gratification Adrenaline Creativity Social Groups Emotion
We have learned to “play school.”
We study the right facts the
night before the test so we
achieve a passing grade and thus
become a successful student.
– A high school student
“...how many educators are able to keep
the undivided attention of 5th graders
multiple hours
straight without a
break...and yet video
games manage to do
so...”
The gamer's world ─Move over, I'm driving; buckle up!
There is always an answer
There is always a problem(s) that has a
solution(s) which lead to an end result -- the object
of the game.
Video games are fair.
There is always an answer
A correct answer will give you information which will be useful in reaching the goal; thus you
must persevere to find a correct answer.
The answer is rarely
obvious.
The answer is always relevant.
You might be frustrated for a while and you may need help in finding it, but it is always there.
Cheats (hints) are built into the program and
are part of the resources available to you.
There is always an answer
Cheats are OK, because you are learning (gaining valuable information) as
you move forward toward the goal.
In schools, the answer is given to you; it is often not linked to anything relevant.
There is only one right answer and one right way to get there and cheats are not to be
tolerated!
There is always an answer
Students rarely, if ever,
associate fairness with
schools.
Nothing isimpossible
You have the power to control your destiny. You can accomplish anything you
want, and therefore you are
motivated.
In any game, you have the tools and
the talent to be successful on your own, or you may
connect with someone who has the information you need
in order to move forward
(collaboration).You see yourself and
your friends do amazing things such as save the world from terrorists or alien invasions, create
thriving civilizations, and manage a successful
small business.
Competition &
Collaboration
Competition and collaboration are
symbiotic rather than mutually exclusive
concepts.
Competition is inherent in game
structure. Competition is the
motivatingfactor
Competition does not eclipse collaboration;
in fact, collaboration is often an integral part
of furthering your success.
Roles are clear
You understand
the rules, the tools at your disposal and
you are willing to take
the risks.
In games, roles are clearly defined. You
choose your role and understand its
powers and limitations.
At the secondary level, a child may
have several teachers a day who all have
different definitions of the
child's role depending on the activity chosen or the concept being
taught.
Roles are clear
In schools, the roles are not as clear. The child's
role of “student” is defined at the discretion
of the teacher.
Roles are clear
If a child comes into the learning environment with an identity that
is contrary to the role the teacher is asking them to
perform, he or she will not be successful. Thus, a child with a history of failure in math may
have difficult time accepting the role of “math student.”
They dominate
their culture
Their experience tells them that with patience
and perseverance,
they will succeed.
They are the stars in their own adventure. They are responsible for their own success.
Games vs.Schools
Compared to the classroom, games are empowering,
motivating, individualized differentiated learning
environments with set rules which value the efforts of
the individual child.
Games are challenging and
motivating.
Games vs.Schools
The structure is apparent; the rules are clear
and unambiguous;
and your role in the game is well
defined. The goal is always
attainable.
Games offer the child a shared experience with
their peers in a collaborative
environment. They are a platform for problem
solving.
Games arerule-based
Consequences of player behavior are
clearly either positive or
negative. If there is a disagreement
about the rules of the game, the game is stopped until the disagreement has
been resolved.
The rules are applied equally to each player. The rules of the game have to be sufficiently
well-defined so there is no room for individual
interpretation.
Games arerule-based
In schools we tend to consider our classrooms rule-based. However, the teacher is the keeper and
the interpreter of the rules.
The teacher chooses the
game.
The teacher makes the rules and can change the rules at will, either for the class or for the individual.
The game continues even when rules are
broken.
Player effort influencesThe game outcome
Yet these are the same students who spend hours playing games
which they find relevant, challenging
and fun.
The amount of energy the player puts into
the game invests the player with the
outcome.
Teachers are frustrated with the
lack of effort students are putting
into their assignments and
coursework.
The Bad News!Educators have been slow to pick up on this fundamental shift in the way the video game generation learns. They know something is very different in the classroom; they
just can't pin point what it is.
Teachers are frustrated by their inability
to connect with students.
The Bad News!
We are dealing with a new, rapidly
growing culture that refuses to be
force fed a “canned
education.”
This attitude is a slap in the face to
our traditional educational system, but it is a fact and it
is not going to go
Apathetic students are willing to be in school, perhaps, but motivated only by their parents,
their friends or the law. Even though they are
physically in attendance, they are not engaged in
the “game” we call school.
The Bad News!
The structure of the game molds the
gamers‘ experiences, leading to a different way of looking at the
world and, given a certain situation,
determining how best to interact. Teachers who are not gamers
do not live in the same world and
therefore cannot see the possibilities.
The Bad News!
The gamers are trying to send a message to their
teachers and to the educational system as a whole. Clearly, teachers are going to have to rethink how they present
material in the classroom.
Kids will walk away from homework because
it is “too hard.”
Kids will walk away from a computer game because it is“too easy.”
ENGAGE MEor
ENRAGE ME
In Fact, LEARNINGIs The BIG SECRETREASON
We Play Games!
OUR JOB IS TOCOMBINE
GAME PEDAGOGYWITH
THE CURRICULUM
Fifteen Principles of Gaming
• Risk-taking: Good video games lower the consequences caused from failure. Risks are encouraged.
• Customization: Games provide different difficulty levels and allow players to solve problems in different ways.
• Agency: Players gain a sense of ownership.
• Well-Ordered Problems: Problems players face are built to lead players to form strategies that will work later, on harder problems.
• Challenge and Consolidation: Games allow players to gain mastery, then requires them to learn something new and consolidate their skills.
• “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand”: Games give verbal commands versus written.
• Situated Meanings: Games always situate meanings of words in terms of actions, images and dialogue.
• Pleasantly Frustrating: Game are “doable” but challenging.
• System Thinking: Games encourage players to think about relationships, not isolated events.
• Explore, Think Literally, Rethink Goals: Games encourage players to explore thoroughly before moving on, thinking laterally not just linearly.
• Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge: Players often work with other characters to complete the game, knowledge and tools are shared.
• Cross-Functional Teams: Many games require players to be apart of multiplayer teams.
• Kids who play games with their parents feel a stronger connection with them and also perform better in school.
• Playing "pro social" games like Super Mario Sunshine where you help out the world makes you three to four times more likely to help others in real life.
• As far as music games, 67 percent of respondents in a pool of 7,000 reported inspiration to play an instrument in real life after playing a music game.72 percent of musicians reported spending more time playing real instruments after playing music games.
So what are positive side effects of games?
• Playing as an attractive, heroic character in a video game for 90 seconds will make players more confident for the next 24 hours. More likely to put themselves out there.
• The second most positive mental activity in soldiers was found after they played games for three to four hours. The most positive activity came from five to six hours of daily exercise.
• Gamers are more likely to have lucid dreams and are more likely able to take control in nightmares for positive outcomes.
So what are positive side effects of games?
The Future1. Video games / simulations will have a
significant impact upon learning in the next 5 years that will be verified by hard data.
2. Games and simulations will transform learning in the next 10-15 years.
3. Institutions prepared to develop and use these simulations will have an edge.
4. There will be need to teach with, develop, and learn from these games and simulations.
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