Gamification!?

Blog Entry by Daniel Donahoo: Researcher and author on
 childhood learning and development technology

23 August 2011

Gamification in Education : Should we play?

Firstly, for those who are unfamiliar with gamification, it is the use of game design techniques and mechanics to solve problems and engage audiences. In education, it relates to ways educators can use games (and not just video games) to create engaging learning experiences for children. What struck me about this topic was the similarities it has to James Paul Gee’s literature on how teachers can learn from games. He advocates that teachers should examine how ‘good games’ engage children in meaningful learning and apply this to their own practice.  

Donahoo (2011) comments on the criticisms gamification is receiving in the business sector for ‘butchering the essence of play by aligning it to sales targets.’ He goes on to explain that this should not apply to education and that teachers are using gamification to engage students in learning 21^st century skills. His focus shifts throughout the blog and he also makes comments about the importance of play to human development, not just for children, and how games can assist in this development. 

 What I found most interesting were his views on standardised testing and the barriers these kinds of practices put in the way of schools really engaging in gamification. Such a backlash against gamification ,whether it is related to the education sector or not can have dire consequences. People who already believe that education should stay the way it is, with skill and drill and standardised subject matter have more ammunition for their cause. This, Donahoo (2011) says, is very problematic. 

Donahoo (2011) closes by saying that video games are as entrenched in our popular culture as movies or books and will inevitably attract criticism from both lovers and haters depending on how and why they are being used. What is important, he says is that “games and game-based learning should have a place in our schools and curriculum, now and in the future.”

Taking the Wii Under the Sea with Year Three: Implications for teaching practice

Most teachers would agree that video games are a great motivator for student learning. However, most do not go further than this. It is important, as teachers that we delve deeply into how video games can enhance learning as well as consider what we can learn FROM them. Video games can teach us ways to make learning experiences engaging as well as allowing students to access ‘point in time’ meaningful knowledge building. The best way to get involved with the video games phenomenon is to just jump in, but start small. I have begun my journey by taking our Wii under the sea with year three.

The idea began while reading a journal article by Ben Williamson from futurelab (access the article here), where they provided a vignette of a teacher using Endless Ocean on the Wii to engage her lower school students in the discovery of fish species. Later, while browsing Big W’s discounted video games what should I come across but Endless Ocean 2: Adventures of the deep at a very reasonable price. It was meant to be! For those who are not familiar with Endless Ocean 2, it is a diving game that allows players to swim around and discover various species of fish. This is extended by allowing the player to click on the name of the fish, opening up a window with information regarding the colour, length, general information and a map of where the fish resides. There is also a story behind the game, so that players can progress through the different stages.

This was my small step, using video games to help teach students about fish species where knowledge was delivered at a logical point in time. And it works! I expected arguments over who was going first, at least a whinge of ‘why do I have to stop now?’ when a new fish was discovered, but no! All of them were so engrossed in entering the information in their ‘dive logs’ that I didn’t hear a peep. Even the reluctant writers and ESL students were powering along to the best of their ability. My next step will be to use the information in their dive logs to do maths activities with statistics and data representation. I am helping them make their learning explicit.

So what are the implications for my teaching practice? I will not underestimate the power of video games to deliver learning in a way that students understand. I can extrapolate from our experience with the Wii that engaging tasks need to be interspersed with knowledge building at a logical time for students to make sense of it. This does not just have to be related to video games. It can help me develop learning experiences that have the elements of ‘good games’ that allow students to extract the most out of the experience.  James Paul Gee is an advocator of what we can learn from video games to enhance our own practice. See my post

'Surmise the Possibilities' with James Paul Gee 

to learn more about him and his beliefs surrounding video games and learning.

As a Teacher-Librarian, there are other implications for me also. The role of the TL is evolving and it is often this person that introduces new educational technology and practices to the teachers. We have a responsibility to raise teacher’s awareness of what is available to them and how it can be used to assist them. For some, raising awareness might be enough, but others may need a whole lot more guidance and one-on-one interaction to fully understand and implement new technologies in education. This impacts on TLs as they need to be fully versed in educational technologies, such as video games in order to fully educate the teachers involved. On top of this is the resourcing component also. The TL needs to ensure that resources are available for teachers to use video games in learning and close consultation with the principal and IT technician or specialist is beneficial.

Not all teaching implications are positive, though. What are some of the negative implications for teaching where video games are involved and how can they be overcome? The first implication that comes to mind is ‘are we spoiling children for the other types of learning that is required in the classroom?’ It would be close to impossible, especially at this early stage to create a full curriculum of learning based around video games (and some would say, inadvisable). So, are teachers going to encounter difficulty when presenting explicit instruction or facilitating rote learning? (we won’t get into the pluses and minuses of this, just acknowledge that it occurs in classrooms). Will students become difficult to teach and manage because the teaching and learning is not living up to their expectations? Is this already occurring? Based on their gaming experiences at home, are students already voicing and acting out their displeasure with a type of learning they believe does not suit their needs?

Video Games: The Answer To Future Economic Growth

Video games have been touted as necessary inclusions in modern day classrooms, even by the business sector (Annetta, 2008).  What does the business sector have to do with the education of our children you may ask?  I myself initially thought the same thing.  I get frustrated hearing about all of the things we need to teach children today and here was yet another group of people telling us what we should be doing in our classrooms.  Where was it all going to end?  However I was also very curious, so with my interest piqued I read further and began to understand the connection between the business sector and our current educational practices.

The children we are educating today are going to be the participators in our future workforce.  According to A Report By the Business Roundtable (2005) cited in Annetta (2008), if the United States of America is to prosper as a country for the benefit of future generations, then today’s educators must be harnessing technological and scientific methodologies which will be relevant to the next generation workforce.  Annetta (2008) further concludes that future income, wealth and job growth of a country will be reliant upon people of the work force being able to ‘apply technology and new ideas to create new products and processes’ (p.231).  Bearing this in mind it stands to reason that if Australia is to continue to flourish economically we also need to be ensuring that what we do in today’s classrooms is relevant and connected to working in the 21^st Century.

Image retrieved from Creative Commons
19 October 2011
http://img.ehowcdn.com/article-page-main/ehow/images/a08/24/aa/disadvantages-language-games-teaching-vocabulary-800x800.jpg

Currently, many educators are still using practices and materials designed for use in classrooms of 40 years ago (Annetta, 2008).  Alone these resources and practices are not preparing students for successful participation in a modern work life.  Jenkins, Clinton, Purushotma, Robinson and Weigel (2006) point out however, that skills students were previously taught do not need to be abandoned completely but simply need to be built upon using mass and digital media forms. Annetta (2008) further claims that we need to be incorporating practices within the classroom that engage and motivate the students and allow them to experiment and construct knowledge using tools which they are accustomed to interacting and playing with. 

The Queensland Studies Authority (2006) developed the Early Years Curriculum Guidelines for use in Queensland Preparatory classrooms.  These guidelines have been based on extensive research which concluded that children learn best through play.  Annetta (2008) further adds that childhood is a time when people learn to make connections to and master the structures of the world around them through play.  In addition to this he concludes that in order for students to continue to master the structures of an ever changing world we need to extend the use of learning through play beyond the confines of the early years’ education.  One such method recommended by Annetta (2008) for incorporating play into all year levels and which will also ensure the future growth of a country is the adoption of video games. 

Image retrieved from Creative Commons
19 October 2011,
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/upload/images/chilekids.jpg

Children of today are growing up in a world dominated by newer and increasingly smaller and more mobile mass media devices.  According to Siwek (2010), gaming is an ever increasing market in the US, accounting for over $10 billion in sales in 2009.  As is evident from the US sales figures, gaming is a form of learning through play that many students are engaged with in their personal lives so why not include its use in the classroom?   Many of these modern video games are not designed solely for entertainment purposes; they also have great educational value for the learner.  Commonly video games of today situate the learner within a virtual world where they can create their own avatar.  According to Annetta (2008) this provides the learner with a sense of individuality and can lead to greater learning satisfaction.  Within this virtual world the player learns to navigate their way through a variety of problem solving tasks using critical thinking and trial and error and learns to negotiate the structures of the environment surrounding them.  It has been asserted by Annetta (2008) that incorporating gaming into the classroom can thus provide motivation, engagement and improved achievement levels for students.  Dede (2004) cited in Annetta (2008), further concludes that video games have the potential to improve participation in the classroom by providing those previously disengaged students with a learning environment they can connect to more readily than the conventional classroom.

Video games can be used across all year levels and across all curriculum areas.  Not only can video games be used to teach core content, test and engage students but they can also be used as a basis to teach students the elements of game design and process so as students themselves can become the creators of video games (Annetta, 2008).  HI FIVES (Highly Interactive Fun Internet Virtual Environments in Science) is one such program discussed by Annetta (2008) in which students used software called Virtuoso to create their own video games as an assessment piece to demonstrate their knowledge learned in a science unit.  It seems the closer one examines the uses of video games in education the more the potential options become endless. 

It is however important to remember, as Annetta (2008) points out, using video games in the classroom is not a replacement for good teaching.  Video games should be thought of as a supplement to a good educational setting.  They should be used to engage and motivate learners, inspiring them to grasp more in depth and complex knowledge on a topic and should not take over the classroom completely.  As an educator of young children I need to ensure that I follow the advice of Annetta (2008) and consider carefully how I could integrate video games into my teaching practices to compliment what I currently do. This requires reflection on my current practices, contemplating future direction and consideration of resources available so as to enhance student learning, not just adopt video games because it is the new ‘fad’ tool to use in education.

References:

Annetta, L. (2008). Video Games in Education: Why They Should Be Used and How They Are Being Used. Theory Into Practice. 47(3), 229-239.  Retrieved 19 October 2011, from   http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00405840802153940

Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. J. & Weigel, M. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21^st Century [Occasional paper]. Retrieved October 9, 2011 fromhttp://digitallearning.macfound.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=enJLKQNlFiG&b=2108773&ct=3017973&notoc=1

Queensland Studies Authority (2006). Early Year Curriculum Guidelines.  Retrieved 19 October 2011, from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/early_middle/ey_cg_06.pdf

Siwek, S. (2010).  Video Games in the 21^st Century: The 2010 Report.  Retrieved 19 October 2011, from http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/VideoGames21stCentury_2010.pdf

Task-based language learning and video games. The wonder that would be RezWorld

The rapid pace at which digital and interactive gaming technologies have advanced in recent years has strong implications for the future of pedagogical approaches to language learning. The above video article features collaboration between forward-thinking designers and educators who wish to embrace new gaming technology and harness its potential as an effective teaching tool.

“RezWorld” is a fully immersive video game designed to teach languages to young learners using the task-based teaching methodology commonly adhered to in modern language teaching (Ellis, 2000). The game was primarily designed to teach, and therefore preserve the language of the native Cherokee Indians, but since then it has been adapted to other languages, and has, for example, been 3^rd party tested on over 25,000 learners of Arabic.  Users are immersed in a virtual 3D world where they must interact with characters exclusively in the target language. As Dr Johnson points out in the video, the strength of the game in relation to task-based learning is that players can take part in a variety of realistic tasks that would be unrealistic or impossible to complete in a classroom context.

In spite of the successful rates of learning and positive reviews received from those who participated in the piloting program for the software, the full version is still yet to see the light of day due to a lack of investors. The developer attributes this to the current financial climate; however, in my opinion this lack of support could also reflect the slow rate at which many educators are accepting new digital media and the need for an understanding of current youth cultures.

A lack of teacher knowledge regarding media education (Jenkins et al., 2006) could well result in a resistance to the implementation of a variety of digital media in education, including games. Nevertheless, at the very least this video demonstrates the existence of a belief among certain educators who are beginning to recognise the need to adapt pedagogies to meet the needs of youth and changing culture.

References:

Ellis, R. (2000). Task-based research and language pedagogy. Language Teaching Research, 4 (3), 193−220.

Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A. J., and Weigel, M. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century: The MacArthur Foundation.

(Posted by Josh)

Books Versus Video Games

Books - image from Creative
Commons Retrieved 19 October 2011 from
http://www.lindseypollak.com/uploads/2010/05/books-pile.jpg

The world it seems is quite divided when it comes to the use and educational benefit of video games for children of today.  Yet the same scepticism does not appear to surround the use of books.  In fact I think there would be an uprising if education systems worldwide decided to discontinue the use of books to educate students. So, why does there seem to be so much controversy over the introduction of video games as an educational tool into modern classrooms?

10 Truths About Books and What They Have to do with Video Games, a post on James Paul Gee’s blog, makes some interesting comparisons between these two highly powerful tools of education.  Gee (2011) explains that books have the ability to promote peace if read and nurtured in the correct environment however books can also have the complete opposite effect and promote aggression and violence, such as has occurred with some extremist religious groups.  Aggression and violence is a common reason people use when advocating against the use of video gaming in educational settings, however as Gee (2011) points out video games to date do not yield the same amount of power that books can. This viewpoint makes one really begin to question the emphasis that we as educators place upon books as a tool for learning.

Are books positive learning experiences for all students?  Are books the best way for students to learn?  Are books the way of the future? Or will gaming and technology reign supreme?

This post makes for an interesting read because it points out that books have their good and bad points just like every other educational tool.  As Gee (2011) explains, on their own books will not make for a more educated person.  So if books are just one method of educating why not begin to explore other options: options that have cultural significance to students of today; options that offer technology devices from which students can create meaning.  Gee (2010) is not advocating for the use of books to disappear from classrooms, he is simple pointing out that video games can operate effectively in the classroom alongside books as both are “suited for certain jobs and best used in certain ways” (par.1).   

References:

Gee, J. (2011, May 15). 10 Truths About Books and What They Have to do With Video Games (Web log post).  Retrieved from http://www.jamespaulgee.com/node/52

Video games - image from Creative
Commons Retrieved 19 October 2011 from
http://schoolkids09.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/video-games4.jpg

Language Learning the Cool Way

As a keen gamer and teacher, I have long argued for the benefits of video games in education, specifically within my context of language learning. I feel that it is high time others began to think this way, or at least explore the possibilities. From the growing number of online articles concerned with the role of digital media in education, it would seem that I am not alone in my thoughts.

A recent article on mlive.com highlights the increasing role that video games are playing in our education system and the way in which high profile educational institutions are beginning to take games more seriously. It details the progress of fifth and sixth grade students in Michigan who are participating in the ZON program, which teaches students Chinese language and culture by means of an enjoyable video game.

The program is operated through Michigan State University, and professional instructors interact with the young students by means of both text and video chats.

Students are also given the opportunity to run through virtual survival scenarios such as going through customs, ordering food and introducing themselves.

The project has been in development since 2006 and has so far received positive reviews from students. One student reported how fun it was as a result of the interactive video game medium; stating that she wouldn’t want to participate otherwise.

Ito et al. (2010) discuss the need for schools to play their part in being aware of the way in which children engage with new social media. By focusing on what youth prioritise as being meaningful and motivational, developers can design educational media that can encourage learning. ZON is a good example of the way in which an awareness of youth interests can lead to the development of enjoyable learning tools.

Reference:

Ito, M. et al. (2010). Hanging Out, Messing Around and Geeking Out: Kids Learning and Living in New Media. MIT Press.

Students playing games and learning Chinese through ZON software
(Taken from http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2011/10/flushing_students_learn_chines.html)

(Posted by Josh)

'Surmise the Possibilities' with James Paul Gee

In the past few years there has been a lot of literature supporting the contribution modern video games make to learning. “A number of people, from various disciplines, have argued either that we should use games for learning (Squire, 2006; Squire & Jenkins, 2004) or that we should learn from games how to build better learning spaces that need not be games” (Gee, 2003). These are the words of James Paul Gee, one of the more prolific writers in this area.

James Paul Gee was born April 15, 1948 in San Jose, California. He is currently the Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University and has been there since 2007. His CV is lengthy, to say the least and highlights his passion for video games and learning, especially in the latter years. Along with his passion to see learning inspired by video games, Gee also comments on what he sees as the failure of the school system to provide students with engaging, meaningful learning in the 21^st century. Something he hints can be transformed if we (as teachers & administrators) looked to gaming as a way of immersing students in the process of learning. These views demonstrated in a few of his publications (accessed here) as well as in youtube videos.

In one particular paper, ‘surmising the possibilities: Portal to a Game-Based Theory,’ Gee uses the game Portal to highlight the amazing properties that ‘good’ games have that enable all of us (not just the students) to engage in problem-solving situations that lead to learning. Not the kind of learning that he says is normally deployed in schools: the skill and drill rhetoric based around ‘academic subject matter,’ but a learning that enables us to use ‘knowledge tools’ to solve problems, build knowledge and surmise possibilities (Gee, 2009). It would be timely now to give you some background information about the game ‘Portal’ and the kind of world it pulls its players into. It is set in a 3D world where the female avatar that you are controlling has a ‘portal gun’ that produces a blue or orange portal. You go through one portal and emerge out of the other. The game follows gravity laws and other principles from physics (Gee, 2009).

According to Gee (2009), this game is particularly interesting because it highlights the distinction between ‘entertainment games’ and ‘serious games’ normally used for educational purposes. This game is fun and entertaining, yet at the same time is teaching players implicitly about principles such as conservation of momentum. The problem, says Gee (2009) is that these tacit understandings don’t always get represented by explicit understandings or can be articulated by players. This is where fan fiction sites, websites, forums and game communities can help players articulate what it is they are discovering (i.e. learning) while playing the game.

One of the things I found most interesting about this paper is Gee’s questioning around why schools are teaching what they are. He is challenging the fundamental content that today’s students are learning in various subjects. Now, I believe Gee (2009) is relating to a more secondary school context when surmising this possibility, however it is a great question for any teacher to ask oneself: Why am I teaching this? Gee argues that schools today are very much about factual content and ensuring adequate ‘coverage’ of that knowledge (Gee, 2009). Although he is from the United States and is talking about a US model of schooling, those same assumptions can easily be applied to Australian schools also. His views on what people should be learning are shared by Kuhn (2007) who says that beyond basic literacy and numeracy, determining what a 21^st century learner needs to know is next to impossible. Gee (2009) contrasts this ‘coverage’ view of schooling with the emerging phenomenon of Pro-Ams, people, who as amateurs become experts at their own passion. Gee (2009) gives the example of a young girl who wanted to photograph real clothes and use them in ‘The Sims’ game to create virtual clothes. This required her to find a version of Photoshop and spend many, many hours perfecting her creations. It didn’t just require technical computer skills, she had to gain tacit and explicit knowledge about ‘texture, hue, layering, mesh, perspective and design’ (Gee, 2009, p.13). Gee challenges us to consider whether this girl is learning something ‘serious.’ It is not related to a particular school subject nor does it have an ‘academic discipline’ attached. Nonetheless, it is deep, relevant knowledge and something that could guide her to great heights in the future (if not now).

Gee’s article has implications for teachers not only in terms of how we teach, but what we teach. Most would argue, especially with the implementation of a national curriculum that we have little choice in what we teach. We can’t just forget accountability, parent and student expectations and leave behind all we have trained and worked for. So what is the compromise? Do we focus instead on how we teach, drawing ‘knowledge tools’ from ‘good games’ to assist students’ real-world problem solving and knowledge building? So, what are some practical solutions? Gee (2009) provides some great food for thought and breaks down for us the conceptual thinking behind how games can help us help our students. However, in this instance, he doesn’t articulate the how. How do we bring games out of the ‘entertainment’ sphere and into the ‘education’ sphere without departmental access, flexible timetabling and resources that cater for this learning?

What is your take on this issue? Is it possible or are James Paul Gee and his like-minded advocates too far ahead of the schooling system?

References

Gee, J. P. (2009). “Surmise the possibilities”: Portal to a Game-Based Theory of Learning for the 21^st Century. Retrieved September 30, 2011 from http://www.jamespaulgee.com/node/32

Kuhn, D. (2007). Is Direct Instruction an Answer to the Right Question? Educational Psychologist, 42(2) p.109–113. Retrieved October 17, 2011 from http://www.usc.edu/dept/education/cogtech/publications/kuhn_ep_07.pdf

Authors cited in ‘Surmise the Possibilities’

Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave/Macmillan.

Squire, K. & Jenkins, H. (2004). Harnessing the power of games in education. Insight 3.1: 5-33.

Squire, K. D. (2006). From content to context: Videogames as designed experiences. Educational Researcher 35(8) p.19-29.