Engaging VG in Education

I was asked to read and respond to an article by Gary Stager in the District Administration magazine.  Normally I don’t take requests, but since I know Ric Weinberg, I’ll make an exception.  The title was Speaking Out: Edugaming a Bad Idea for All Ages. Located here: http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1172

After, reading the article, I was doing some thinking about many of the statements he was making.  There are some that I agree whole heartedly with, and others that I disagree vehemently with.  In order to understand some of my points I will make use of quotations from his article, however, I do encourage you to read his entire text.

OK, so right off the bat he states, “This current edugaming craze is based on sloppy thinking that (a) kids hate school, (b) kids love games, therefore, (c) we should sneak school into games.”  First of all let me address (a) and (b).   It’s not a question of “kids hate school” or that “kids love games.”  It’s a question of engaging learners in a medium to which is “natural” to them.  Let’s step back for a moment and look at where education has been from the past to the present. 

Over 100 years ago, school consisted mostly of the teacher, the students, a chalk board, maybe slates, and books.  After a while Radio (recorded audio) was invented, and even further on Television was invented.   Some “futurists” at the time probably could envision educational uses for these diversions, but it took a while for them to work their way into the classroom.  How many years? I am not exactly certain, but I would pose a wild guess that it would correlate with a generation of “natives” for those technological devices to become teachers themselves.  When I went through school in the 80’s, there was audio available, and video too.   I also remember people saying that the internet would never have a place in education back in ’92 and ’93.  By the year 2000, schools were using it on a semi-regular basis, and now it has become an indispensible extension of the classroom for many educators.

In response to (c) in Gary’s text, I would present this argument.  I grew up with games, and yes I spent many hours honing my skills at Mario or any number of games.  For the most part, they were linier and very heavily scripted.  But games have been changing over the years.  While many games still have a script, many of the more popular games, have it more as a goal or objective, out of a number of goals or objectives that can be done in any order, and leave the gamer to figure out how to reach the goals or mission objective.  They may have to manage resources by engaging in commerce to buy or build a particular device they need, or to provide proper care for their citizens.  They may have to work collaboratively with other online gamers to accomplish the task at hand.  They may have to manage troop movements, while trying to problem solve.  To deny this medium to this current generation, would be similar to denying the internet to the previous generation, or to deny audio and video the generation before that.
 
Many of the skills listed above, are what employers are looking for in new employees.  These skills are also in line with the five ODCB Key Competencies. (See my previous post for more info on these- http://scordo.edublogs.org/2007/08/03/select/ .)   These skills are often glanced over, because most curriculums that I’ve seen focus solely on the content as do the tests that schools are, unfortunately, judged by.   So, rather than sneaking school into games, maybe, perhaps, we should look at sneaking games into school?

But then again, after re-reading his article several times, I also came a few startling (to me) conclusions.  On some key points, I agree with Gary Stager’s viewpoint. 

First let’s take “edugame.”  I agree that until very recently an edugame was (from Gary’s article) “drill and practice programs” that are sometimes wrapped “in expensive management systems that promise to adapt to each learner and report progress” and “are little more than quizzes with primitive rewards and punishments.”  Yes, that is something that I can agree upon.  I have never been a big fan of an ILS (integrated learning system), as most teachers never bother to read the reports that such systems can provide, and individualize their instruction for specific students’ specific weaknesses.    Nor are such edugames, promoting the skills needed for the 21st century.  They are focused almost solely on, again, content.  Also, these are marketed almost exclusively to schools, and if you ask the kids, are generally not very popular.  The rest of Gary Stager’s article and his arguments against gaming in schools are based upon this term alone (with the exception of the last paragraph).   In that context I would have to agree with him.

That is, until Tabula Digita developed their DimensionM games (http://www.dimensionm.com/).  I was playing the demo for Evolver  pre-algebra, when my seven year old son noticed.  He was instantly excited about the game and was asking about the coordinate plane that serves as your map and guidance system.  He was asking me to show him how to read the coordinates because he wanted to know the math to play the game.  Of course, he didn’t understand he was asking to teach him the math, it was just the game . . .   Still, the initial research looks promising regarding these games from Tabula Digita and the games are aligned to many states’ standards.  See their website to read the research reviews, standards alignments, testimonials, etc.  Gary also had this to say, “A company can invest years and millions of dollars on a game only to have it rejected. This is a highstakes gamble that most developers lose. Edugames simply cannot compete in the marketplace economically.”  It’s probably true, given our early exploration of “edugame.”  It’s also why most edugames are the way they are, - yesterdays technology and not very fun.  Time will tell how Tabula Digita fairs economically, but I can see big things from them in the years to come.

Now that that is out of the way, let me put forth a second term, “edutainment.”  Edutainment is a broad category, but for this I’ll focus on edutainment games.  These are marketed mostly for the home market, so that parents can feel good about letting their child have too much screen time.  “Hey they’re learning.”  These games, must contain enough educational content to appease the parents, but still be fun enough that kids want to play them.  My kids, for example, love the Reader Rabbit stuff, games for the Leapster, and other edutainment games I have lying around the house.  However, I wouldn’t see these types of games in use in school other than during “free play” or recess times.

Lastly, we have contemporary video games and MUVES (Multi-User Virtual Environment). Regarding video games, I found it ironic, that a link off of Stager’s article linked to an article about the American Federation of Scientists views on gaming.  “The theory is that games teach skills that employers want: analytical thinking, team building, multitasking and problem solving under duress.”    Also from the same article, “Doug Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association, said there will soon be 75 million Americans who are 10 to 30 years old — an age bracket that grew up on video games.  “Common sense tells us that a medium so basic to the lives of these ‘millennials’ has potential beyond the living room,” Lowenstein said. “We would be crazy not to seek ways to exploit interactive games to teach our children.” (Feller, 2006).  No intended offense to Mr. Stager, but, when reading his bio, and finding that he was creating a computer camp in 1982, it is obvious that he is not in this group of video game “natives” the millennials.  I myself missed this group by only three years, which is close enough to see things through their eyes a bit.

The Seatle Times article, above, then led me a series of explorations, into the potential benefits of contemporary video games.  And I must admit that I found some interesting things.  Here’s just a blurb about some of what I found.

• •    “After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly, even when other symbols crowded in.” from Action Video Games Sharpen Vision 20 Percent.

• •    “ . .  . an interdisciplinary team of researchers concludes that some games “promote sociability and new worldviews.” From Some Online Video Games Found to Promote Sociability, Researchers Say.
• •    “Immersion in a virtual world of monsters and aliens helps children feel less pain during the treatment of severe injuries such as burns, according to a preliminary study by Karen Grimmer and colleagues from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide, Australia.” From Immersion in Virtual World Alleviates Pain From Injury
• •    “Surgeons who had played video games in the past for more than three hours per week made 37 percent fewer errors [in the Top Gun course], were 27 percent faster and scored 42 percent better overall than surgeons who never played video games. Current video game players made 32 percent fewer errors, were 24 percent faster and scored 26 percent better overall than their non-player colleagues,” from Surgeons With Video Game Skill Appear To Perform Better In Simulated Surgery Skills Course.
• •    (This doesn’t really fit with the other bullets, but I thought it should be pointed out nonetheless.)   ALA TechSource, in collaboration with the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL), recently held their first annual Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium in Chicago on July 22-24, 2007.

There is even more research being done about the possible impact (good and bad) of video games.   However, given the findings above, and the fact that there are national organizations, American Federation of Scientists, American Library Association, Association of College & Research Libraries, and even ISTE (with second Life), and given that this is a medium natural to the current generation, I find it ignorant to simply state that it’s a bad idea for all ages, and write off the potential future possibilities.

As for me, at least I now know what to ask the surgeon if I every need to have surgery.  Do you play video games?

References

Definition and Selection of Key Competencies: Executive Summary: http://www.oecd.org/LongAbstract/0,3425,en_2649_34859051_35070368_1_1_1_37455,00.html

Tabula Digita http://tabuladigita.com/

Feller, Ben. “Scientists Say Video Games Can Reshape Education.” The Seattle Times 16 Oct. 2006. 10 Aug. 2007 <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2003309887_videogames18.html >.

“Action Video Games Sharpen Vision 20 Percent.” Science Daily. 10 Aug. 2007 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070206100601.htm>.

“Some Online Video Games Found to Promote ‘Sociability,’ Researchers Say.” Science Daily. 10 Aug. 2007 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060818014551.htm>.

“Immersion in Virtual World Alleviates Pain From Injury.” Science Daily. 10 Aug. 2007 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/03/050309120803.htm>.

“Surgeons with Video Game Skill Appear to Perform Better in Simulated Surgery Skills Course.” Science Daily. 10 Aug. 2007 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/02/070220012341.htm>.

Blogged with Flock

I’ve been reading a blog lately by Jenny Levine “The Shifted Librarian.”  (www.theshiftedlibrarian.com) It has been a both a delight and yet an unsettling dismay to see that many public libraries are, or have been, embracing gaming as a new literacy.  Let me clarify the part about the dismay.  The dismay comes from that most of the people that work in public schools that I have come in contact with, just outright dismiss the concept of gaming in schools, and do not want to discuss it further.

On a recent post on the Jenny’s site, I came across this:
”
OECD Five Key Competencies for Life and Learning
- managing self
- relating to others
- thinking
- participating and contributing
- using language symbols and text”

That got me first thinking . .  what in the blazes is OECD?  Well upon doing a little research I found that it stood for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.  (That is in an international spelling of organization.)  Which is an international organization or 30 member countries.  One of which, is the US.

The Five Key Competencies for Life and Learning above are originally within the OECD report Definition and Selection of Key Competencies: Executive Summary. You can see the paragraph abstract of that report here, or click the name of the report to download the PDF version of it.

As I’m looking at these five key competencies, I can’t help seeing very few of these deal specifically  with “content” like  — When was the war of 1812? and When did the Roman Empire Fall? (476 AD by the way).  But rather is about social constructs, the ability to think and manage, and communication.    When I think to the typical history class topic of WWII, I see the standard of the Teacher lecturing in front of the class, while the students take notes, and memorize facts and dates for the exam.  There is very little real “thinking” going on, let alone relating to others, and any sort of management.  Even having the students create a powerpoint, is not much more than regurgitating facts  from the text.

Take the same topic, WWII.  Now , introduce gaming into the classroom with a game such as Making History: The Calm & The Storm, and watch as students not only learn the “content” but do so while “managing, relating, thinking, participating and contributing, and using symbols and text.”  Now we’re also hitting 21st century skills.  They also provide a great host of instructional materials, including a teacher’s guide, bibliography, history resources, and student handout with assessment and discussion questions.

I can’t help but thinking, that by pushing games like this to the side, that we are do a great disservice to the youth in this country.  And for all those nay-sayers out there —-  you must first download and play the demo, and look at the teaching materials of Making History before making any judgments about the learning that takes place in playing a game like that.

This is the direction we need to look towards.

Till Next Time.

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Blogged with Flock

OK, well it’s been a little while since I posted last, so I thought I’d better give a little update.

I have some thoughts on some aspects of “gaming” in education that have been running though my mind lately, but I’m not sure where to begin. I am running short on time this morning, so I’m going to think a little more and do a “real” post on Friday. In the meantime, let me pose a request and see if anyone reads this, and cares enough to leave a comment. OK so here goes… please name one “console game” that can be used for learning. Please include the game name, console, and what it can be used for or simply comment on the one below.

To get the ball rolling I’ll go first.

Paper Mario, Wii virtual console (N64). My son (he’s almost seven) loves this game. He, however, like many boys his age, does not enjoy reading, and complains when we have him read to us, but this game has a lot of reading, and I mean, a lot of reading. It’s mostly at his level . . once in a while we have to help him with a word . . and I’d say that it’s very similar to if we had him read a comic book, except that it’s interactive. There is also a lot of decision making and higher order thinking going on. The best part about this is that he is limited to 30 minutes of TV time a day (including this). He can earn another 30 minutes by doing “talking to mom time.” Talking to mom time comprises of him actually reading a real book, and/or working on his writing for 30 minutes with my wife (she teaches HS). He begs to do this “talking to mom time” so he can play Paper Mario, which is mostly reading, decision making, problem solving, etc.

So would a game like this have a place IN school? What are your thoughts?

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Well, my time is limited today, but I thought I should get a little something up here. My aim for this blog to have a place to explore video games in education. This exploration will include a broad gambit of directions, and my thoughts and questions as they develop. I can see exploring using games that are out there to teach, to video game creation in schools, to what video games could teach us. Hopefully, this will also be a journey for me personally, as I begin to try to develop a meaningful workshop (whatever that may mean) that model concepts during the course of the workshop itself.

I also, hope that everyone can feel free to voice their opinions and perhaps we can all get something useful out of this interchange.

I must also admit, that “blogging” is not something that comes all that natural to me. If anybody was at NECC for the keynote address on the Sunday night, if you can remember the couple of slides that showed the characteristics of the the past several generations . . . I was a true and true member of the one that wasn’t all that social. But alas, it’s not about me, then, is it? It’s about the students, the place where they’re at, the unknown that they are headed towards, and using the tools that are natural to them, to engage them and make education relevant to them. I must thank Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach for reminding me that in order to teach the teachers these tools (ie. Blogs) I should be using them myself. This was during a conversation we had during lunch at the High Schools New Face conference .

So I do want to pose a question to start . . . if you know of any blogs that would be related to this idea of video games in education, that I should be reading and linking too, please let me know.

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