In January this year Jeffrey Young published an article, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, about a study by Assistant Professor Steinkuehler into the use of games such as World of Warcraft as part of the curriculum. Steinkuehler maintains that her studies indicate that even games with no apparent educational value result in students who “spend hours on difficult tasks, and actually learn quite a bit in the process.” http://chronicle.com/article/5-Lessons-Professors-Can-Learn/63708/
Clearly if the goal is to cover specified curriculum content then the games used must be able to deliver that content. However, Steinkuehler’s work indicates that if the aim is to develop skills such as problem solving, collaborative learning and concentration then it is possible to be more liberal in choosing games. She cites instances of students, playing World of Warcraft, communicating in chat rooms and using complex maths to generate a plan of attack to defeat the beasts. Even at primary level the use of games requiring high levels of problem solving opens up opportunities to use blogs and wikis to communicate and collaborate. It does, however, put an onus on educators to teach students about the risks and responsibilities of social networking (Adams, 2007, p.33).
Steinkuehler urges instructors to remember that games succeed because they are fun. She advocates instructors playing the games and doing lesson planning to identify likely outcomes, areas suited to solo or collaborative work, scaffolding requirements and above all that the game is engaging and fun.
As a frequent user of digital games in my own classroom I concur with Steinkuehler’s findings. Using such games as I Spy and Rush Hour Online I have seen high levels of engagement, cooperative problem solving and mathematical brainstorming, even from children who don’t collaborate well and who consider themselves poor at maths and/or literacy. I have, however, had to justify my games and therefore still find myself attracted to the idea of an evidentiary instrument such as the one developed by Hong et al., even though Steinkuehler does not consider such formality necessary (Hong et al., 2009, pp431-435) .
References
Adams, H. (2007). Social Networking and Privacy: A Law Enforcement Perspective. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 23(10), 33. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from ProQuest Education Journals.
Hong, J., Cheng, C., Hwang, M., Lee, C., & Chang, H. (2009). Assessing the Educational Value of Digital Games. In Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25 (5), 423-437. Retrieved August 9, 2010 from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2009.00319.x/abstract;jsessionid=182E79E79086FBD204D652B4084020CB.d03t02
Young, J. (2010, January 24). 5 Teaching Tips for Professors – from Video Games. [Electronic format]. In The Chronicle of Higher Education (technology), (n.p.). Retrieved September 9, 2010 from http://chronicle.com/article/5-Lessons-Professors-Can-Learn/63708/
A comment from Michelle:
ReplyDeleteIt is really encouraging to read about research in support of the use of video games in education and especially support for the value of mainstream games “with no apparent educational value” not just the ‘edutainment’ style fare that is usually considered when the use of games in education is considered. As a teacher and avid gamer I am well aware of the value of games in promoting collaboration, problem solving and experimentation, but convincing school administration (and parents) of that value has always seemed to be a very large task.
Jenkins et al. also recognise the value of games in education, citing ‘play’ as one of the new core skills which are required for participating effectively in the new media landscape (2006, p.21). Jenkins et al. suggest that ‘play’ provides a mode of engagement which encourages students to experiment and take risks and to view problem solving as a relevant and important process (p.23). It is this engagement with games that I believe makes them such a valuable tool for learning. While students might lack the confidence to take risks in classroom situations, games allow that risk-taking in a safe environment. Where students find problem solving in the classroom boring and irrelevant, games provide the scaffolding and rewards to make the problem-solving worthwhile and fun.
Steinkuehler’s suggestion that educators actually play the games and undertake planning to identify likely outcomes and scaffolding would also serve to overcome some of the objections which some might hold towards the use of games in education as it demonstrates that the potential educational value of the game has been thoroughly investigated.