After watching video Video Games and Learning I answered the following question to complete this quest:
(The philosophies of many games designers, including James Portnow, are highlighted in this video:)
"What things are most important to remember about 'Gamifying' education?"
Daniel Floyd said it best in the video, “Enhancing the players experience without getting in the way of the fun.” The game designer has a huge responsibility to make sure there is a good balance of Tangential Learning and fun built into the game. According to Wikipedia - Tangential learning is the process by which people will self-educate if a topic is exposed to them in a context that they already enjoy. Make the self-education easy of the player by placing information on transition screens and linking to external wikis or blogs.
Standard: ISTE 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and
Creativity
Details: Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and
learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student
learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual
environments. Teachers: a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative
thinking and inventiveness. b. engage students in exploring real-world issues
and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. c. promote
student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students'
conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. d.
model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with
students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
This quest is titled: The Future of the Internet and Games. To complete the quest I watched the embedded video and reflected on.
My Reflection of the Future of the Internet and Games:
The best example of the power of the Internet I can think of today, February 25, 2012; is the Costa Concordia Cruise Ship disaster. During the actual event people where filming the unfolding of this accident and sending real time to people all over the world. Within minutes the world was informed of this unreal disaster. In less than a month there was a documentary about this tragedy on cable TV. To think 30 years ago it would have taken a day or two for the media to broadcast something like this and the documentary would follow a year or so later, today it is as it happens. The future of the Internet is here we can view the world in real time. As for its impact on education it is starting to make a difference and the Kahn Academy and 3D Lab are beginnings of a new era of learning.
After completing 36 quests in 3D Lab, for my course titled Edtech 532 - Educational Games and Simulations, I’m starting to see a future in gaming and education. To clarify this I’m not talking about games that are designed in such a way that the games determines the learning of player but games were the player determines their direction of learning within the game. The educational games I have seen, in the K12 environment, are great for teaching the player basic skills, I have yet to see games that go beyond knowledge to developing synthesis.
In this final action game quest I was directed to play Rhythm Fireworks 2 Flash Game for 20 minutes and report my insights into this game type, so play the game for yourself here's the link: http://www.offuhuge.com/media/23001/Rhythm_Fireworks_2_Flash_Game/
My audio reflection:
Here are links to similar games in this game type:
My reflection for this quest was done after play both these games for 20 minutes each: Mario Forever Flash and Sonic: The Hedgehog. These games are classified as platform games and Wikipedia defines them as follows:
A platform game (or platformer) is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles (jumping puzzles).
Here is a link to a similar game that I really like:
This is the first in a series of 6 quests that I need to complete for a graduate class. For this quest I need to play the classic game Asteroids and a modern game Galaga for 20 minutes and reflect on their significance as a game. Here my audio reflection:
National Standard: ISTE NETs Teachers
Grade: Professional Subject: Technology Sub-Focus: None Standard: ISTE 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Details: Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers: a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
This is how I see the three main learning theories
interacting with each other. First, I see behaviorism as the theory that
everybody encounters to begin to learn how to learn. We begin to shape our
identity by learning how to respond to outside stimuli. The community dictated
how we should respond to this stimulus. Secondly, “Cognitivism uses the
metaphor of the mind as computer: information comes in, is being processed, and
leads to certain outcomes.2” In cognitivism the information that
comes in is dictated by the community and how it is processed leads to the
identity of certain outcomes. Thirdly, constructivism is simply learning by
doing. Within a community we are always active and learning from our community
members, but we are always developing a sense of identity. Regardless of the identity
to the subject matter we are studying or were we belong in the community. These
theories are intertwined just as research states we all learn differently these
theories are applied as needed for an individual or community to learn. Finally,
the ultimate goal of these three theories is to gain knowledge and be able to
synthesis that knowledge.
1Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012, February). at
Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved February 20th, 2012 from
http://www.learning-theories.com/
2Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012, February).
Cognitivism at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved February 20th, 2012 from
http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitivism.html
National Standard: ISTE NETs Teachers
Grade:
Professional
Subject:
Technology
Sub-Focus:
None
Standard:
ISTE 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Details:
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model
lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and
professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use
of digital tools and resources. Teachers:
a.
participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative
applications of technology to improve student learning.
b.
exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion,
participating in shared decision making and community building, and
developing the leadership and technology skills of others.
c.
evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a
regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital
tools and resources in support of student learning.
d.
contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the
teaching profession and of their school and community.
After reading Becker's chapter - Pedagogy in Commercial
Games I reflected my thoughts in the Voice Thread below or via link https://voicethread.com/share/1729257:
Voice Thread transcript reflection below:
“People enjoy games and learning when…” What did you find
meaningful about Becker’s emphasis on fun?
I found it meaningful when Becker wrote, “Clearly there is something else at
work beyond pleasure or entertainment,” when gamers are playing a game. So to
complete the sentence, people enjoy games and learning when the person feels in
control of the game and learning. Even if they fail a good game design draws
the person back until they learn how move through the challenge. After reading
this chapter I have to wonder, can game designers create educational games that
will attract all learners? I feel the gaming industry has been so successful
because they have variety on their side. Meaning the players can select from
many different genres until they find one they like. This is what I believe has
made gaming so popular, share variety.
What are your impressions
of Gagne’s 9 events relative to gaming and learning?
What credence do you give to Merrill’s first principals
of instruction as applied to gaming and learning?
Merrill’s first principals, as applied to gaming and
learning, is true because:
1.In education teacher are always taping
into prior knowledge to help develop new concepts. In gaming this can be compared
to the back story of the game.
2.In education teachers model learning
behaviors they want their students to follow. While in gaming the player learns
what is needed to succeed by any number of avenues, like video, audio clips, etc.
3.In education teachers provide
worksheet, projects, or other assessment to allow the leaners to apply new
skills. Games do this by having the player advance levels or rewarding them.
4.In education teachers have
students work in groups to use the new skills or concepts and the student help
each other learn. In gaming this is done IM, chat rooms, Wiki’s, etc.
Do you find the concepts of Gardener or Kiersy
valuable or relatable to the topic? Is one more valid or meaningful in your
sphere of influence?
After reading this chapter I feel that both concepts
can be related to gaming, but this is interpretation of each person’s
understanding of the concepts. For me Gardener’s Multiply Intelligences are
more of a guideline into how people learn. As research has already established that we
all learn difficultly and Gardener has tried to categorize how people might
learn and the can be said for Kiersy Temperament Sorter.
Do “good games” already embody sound pedagogy in their
designs, as Becker eludes?
This is a personal view point because I believe game
designers created the game because people like playing it. I don’t think they
really understand why building a game in a curtain way worked, they just knew
it worked. If you look at pedagogy as Wikipedia defines it “is the study
of being a teacher
or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of
instruction, or a style of instruction.” Then yes there is a sound pedagogy in commercial
game design today.
What meanings can you take away from Becker’s assertion that
instructional design for games must “come out of the game design itself”? Are there
any take-away points you would add?
Form my own experience with games in education I agree with
Becker because games or “toys” like Jump Start software is a fancy drill and
practice game. Whereas games like World of War Craft the players are in control
of game unlike Jump Start where the game is in control of the player. My
take-away from this article is a good game allows the player to control the
pace and learning of the game instead of the game controlling what the player’s
pace of learning.
National Standard: ISTE NETs Teachers
Grade: Professional
Subject: Technology
Sub-Focus: None
Standard: ISTE 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Details: Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work
processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital
society. Teachers: a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the
transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. b.
collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital
tools and resources to support student success and innovation. c. communicate
relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers
using a variety of digital-age media and formats. d. model and facilitate
effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze,
evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
National Standard: ISTE NETs
Teachers
Grade: Professional
Subject: Technology
Sub-Focus: None
Standard: ISTE 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Details: Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers: a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
As I explore the modern idea of gaming in education I’m see the benefits of creating a game that is classified as nonlinear gameplay as describe in Wikipedia’s Nonlinear Gameplay article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonlinear_gameplay. I like the idea of having the game player able to decide which topics he/she wants to learn about, but all players achieve the same final goal. This design not only satisfies many different leaner but will meet or excess common core standards that are being adopted across the country. I would base my nonlinear game on the game taxonomy labeled as adventure as outlined by Chris Crawford in his 1982 book, The art of computer game design. The book is embedded below. My educational topic for the game would focus on the skills needed to successfully write different genres like: descriptive, expository, journals and letters, narrative, persuasive, and poetry. I believe educational games that focus on these two types of game development will promote deeper learning by all players.
The player will be able to select a hero or heroine from stock
characters. They have come from the land of words and sentences, and
going to the world of writing genres. At this point the player will be
able to split off into different directions like learning how to write
different types of poems, or explore writing purposes. As the character
masters each writing genre they get closer to slaying the dragon and
freeing the gold in the gold room. Each time the player successfully
completes a genre they will receive a reward, like the Haiku Master or
Narrative Commander.Chris Crawford - The Art of Computer Game Design
