The terms play and game are quite similar, so much so that some might use them interchangeably. In fact, in the German language a game is any activity executed only for pleasure and without conscious purpose. Doesn't that definition sound a lot like play? So, where do the two forms of entertainment diverge?
According to Peter Grey in Psychology Today, play must meet four basic criteria: 1) Play is self-chosen and self-directed; players are always free to quit. 2) Play is activity in which means are more valued than ends. 3) Play is guided by mental rules. And 4) Play is non-literal, imaginative, marked off in some way from reality. To synthesize the criteria into a succinct definition of play for myself, I see play as a participatory activity in which those involved rely on imaginative self directed interactions within the framework of unwritten but agreed upon rules.
A game, while sharing a confluence of traits with play, has its own distinguishing features. Primarily, a game has fixed rules which guide player interaction. A game also has an final objective which motivates players to fulfill. A third defining characteristic of games is that they must have some sort of counterbalancing challenge to establish some degree of difficulty. As we pursue the final objective of a game, by nature of game play, we require frequent feedback on performance. How are we doing compared to the challenge, the clock, a points system, or other players? Finally, unlike play, games by definition must be competitive.
Though the focus here has been on the difference between play and games, the conclusion must not be reached that the two are mutually exclusive. To the contrary, they are quite complimentary and supplemental. Nevertheless, for the sake of understanding their relationship with one another, it is important to understand how each is identified by their own merits.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Learning Theory Mashup: Social Constructivism Learning
Born of Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory and Jean Piaget's Constructivism Learning Theory, what I call Social Constructivism Learning Theory marries principles of both philosophies into a working model of how we learn today.
What I took from Bandura's Social Learning Theory is his idea that we learn by observation. According to Bandura, observation can take one of three forms: 1) Live Model observation, which is watching the behavior of a person in the same physical space, 2) Verbal Model observation, which describes observing a behavior mentally as someone describes it verbally to you, and 3) Symbolic Model observation, which reserves observational learning for real and/or fictional characters' behaviors as demonstrated on TV, in movies or books, and as I would like to add, in games and virtual worlds.
Piaget's Constructivism Learning Theory offers up some complimentary principles to join to those taken from Social Learning Theory, mainly that we arrive at knowledge construction and understanding through our own unique experiences.
The diagram which I have created to represent my Learning Theory Mash up shows the three models of learning as outlined in Bandura's approach. These three models are interconnected, lending themselves to a comprehensive observational approach to learning. And as illustrated behind the triangle, Constructivism Learning Theory is depicted as a branching tree. I chose this metaphor to capture the variance in our experiences as learners. While we all participate in some degree of each of the three models of observational learning, we do so from our own unique context as prescribed by the experiences we have enjoyed through life.
As you consider Social Constructivism Learning Theory, ponder the following questions. Leave your thoughts in the comments thread below if you would like.
- How significant of a contribution do you think observation makes to our overall learning?
- Is one model of social learning (Live, Verbal, or Symbolic) more influential than the others?
- Will we become more intelligent as we have more frequent and richer experiences?
- What do we need to do to ensure an experience is meaningful?
Friday, January 24, 2014
Different Types of Games
Shoot 'em Ups
The closest thing to a shoot 'em up (or SHMUP) game that I had played before this assignment is probably Angry Birds. Yeah, I know. Angry Birds isn't exactly a shooter style game. But SHMUPS just hasn't ever really been a genre of gaming that appealed to me. Yet, as I embarked on this quest and played three different SHMUP games, I found myself increasingly engaged in them as the story became more real.
To begin with, I played Asteroids. A simple game with a simple objective along with simple controls, this retro SHMUP game was fun for a fleeting moment. I did find myself face-palming myself as my ship would be destroyed by a meteor fragment or an invading foe, but without context, Asteroids didn't hold my attention for long.
Next, I went to AddictingGames.com, and found Awesome Pirates under the Shooter tab. The objective of this game is to defend your fort against increasingly larger swarms of pirates. In the same style as Angry Birds, you and the pirate invaders take turns angling your cannons at one another and firing with the objective of either destroying my fort or sinking the pirate crews. Obviously, what I liked most about this was the story which added context to the game. Not only was there a plot present, but the pirates would exclaim things like "Yiaarrrrr!" when they were hit and "ROFL" when my cannon balls missed them. Additionally, as I conquered more pirates on subsequent levels I earned money which could buy me both more and better cannons to take on the ever-growing challenges. With this option available to me, I quickly found myself considering the economics of the game. Should I purchase the next best cannon now or see if I can get by for a few more levels to buy the grand daddy of them all? Awesome Pirates is certainly bookmark worthy, but don't tell my boss that.
Finally, I played Sniper Team, also found at AddictingGames.com. This game was far outside of my comfort zone, which is to say that I shy away from the simulated real-world violence of military-style games. However, just as happened with Awesome Pirates, I found the storyline to grab my attention and take me further and further into the game. In Sniper Team, you are a member of a group of snipers who are stationed throughout a military base. As waves of intruders approach, your objective is to get them in your cross hairs and wipe them out, so to speak. However, these intruders are strategic and aren't in a hurry to give you the easiest shot or wait their turn. Instead, they use simulated precision as they fire from relatively secluded stations with weapons of varying intensity. Not only did Sniper Team force me to focus on my attention to detail as I surveyed the base, it also encouraged improved hand-eye coordination in a short amount of time. Kill or be killed as they say. To my surprise, I enjoyed this game much more than I initially expected myself to. The storyline was epic and the required skill level was just enough to offer a moderate challenge without being overwhelmed as a "newb".
Other Games
This genre of gaming includes card games, board games, dice games, etc. Perhaps the easiest of all games to play, the games in this category don't require as much energy as others might, which could appeal to a population of casual gamers (those who play Solitaire at work, for example) more than, say, MMORPGs.
While these types of games are relatively more passive, many of them do require an element of strategy to at least be good at playing them. Chinese Checkers is an example of this. Until this quest, I had never played Chinese Checkers before. And as I started my first game, I had no idea what the rules or objective were. However, as I watched the nature of the other players' moves, I was able to deduce the rules and objective which in turn helped me to devise a strategy which helped me to win my very first game.
Yhatzee also requires some strategy and a good understanding of probability to master this family-night game. If you simply roll the cup of die without thinking about potential outcomes, sequences, and patterns, playing Yhatzee is nothing more than a game of luck for you. But, if you play with an understanding of number frequency, the probability of rolling a straight sequence against rolling a pair and so on, you will gain some sense of purpose leading to a potentially successful strategy of game play.
Though designed for the casual player, this genre of games still offers many of the positive emotional and psychological benefits of other types of game play. When we engage in casual games we still experience appropriate levels of challenge, scaffolded failure, immediate feedback, acknowledged successes, and membership into a community when played with others online or around the dinner table. Perhaps this is why even those most averse to video games occasionally find themselves procrastinating work with Solitaire.
The closest thing to a shoot 'em up (or SHMUP) game that I had played before this assignment is probably Angry Birds. Yeah, I know. Angry Birds isn't exactly a shooter style game. But SHMUPS just hasn't ever really been a genre of gaming that appealed to me. Yet, as I embarked on this quest and played three different SHMUP games, I found myself increasingly engaged in them as the story became more real.
To begin with, I played Asteroids. A simple game with a simple objective along with simple controls, this retro SHMUP game was fun for a fleeting moment. I did find myself face-palming myself as my ship would be destroyed by a meteor fragment or an invading foe, but without context, Asteroids didn't hold my attention for long.
Next, I went to AddictingGames.com, and found Awesome Pirates under the Shooter tab. The objective of this game is to defend your fort against increasingly larger swarms of pirates. In the same style as Angry Birds, you and the pirate invaders take turns angling your cannons at one another and firing with the objective of either destroying my fort or sinking the pirate crews. Obviously, what I liked most about this was the story which added context to the game. Not only was there a plot present, but the pirates would exclaim things like "Yiaarrrrr!" when they were hit and "ROFL" when my cannon balls missed them. Additionally, as I conquered more pirates on subsequent levels I earned money which could buy me both more and better cannons to take on the ever-growing challenges. With this option available to me, I quickly found myself considering the economics of the game. Should I purchase the next best cannon now or see if I can get by for a few more levels to buy the grand daddy of them all? Awesome Pirates is certainly bookmark worthy, but don't tell my boss that.
Finally, I played Sniper Team, also found at AddictingGames.com. This game was far outside of my comfort zone, which is to say that I shy away from the simulated real-world violence of military-style games. However, just as happened with Awesome Pirates, I found the storyline to grab my attention and take me further and further into the game. In Sniper Team, you are a member of a group of snipers who are stationed throughout a military base. As waves of intruders approach, your objective is to get them in your cross hairs and wipe them out, so to speak. However, these intruders are strategic and aren't in a hurry to give you the easiest shot or wait their turn. Instead, they use simulated precision as they fire from relatively secluded stations with weapons of varying intensity. Not only did Sniper Team force me to focus on my attention to detail as I surveyed the base, it also encouraged improved hand-eye coordination in a short amount of time. Kill or be killed as they say. To my surprise, I enjoyed this game much more than I initially expected myself to. The storyline was epic and the required skill level was just enough to offer a moderate challenge without being overwhelmed as a "newb".
Other Games
This genre of gaming includes card games, board games, dice games, etc. Perhaps the easiest of all games to play, the games in this category don't require as much energy as others might, which could appeal to a population of casual gamers (those who play Solitaire at work, for example) more than, say, MMORPGs.
While these types of games are relatively more passive, many of them do require an element of strategy to at least be good at playing them. Chinese Checkers is an example of this. Until this quest, I had never played Chinese Checkers before. And as I started my first game, I had no idea what the rules or objective were. However, as I watched the nature of the other players' moves, I was able to deduce the rules and objective which in turn helped me to devise a strategy which helped me to win my very first game.
Yhatzee also requires some strategy and a good understanding of probability to master this family-night game. If you simply roll the cup of die without thinking about potential outcomes, sequences, and patterns, playing Yhatzee is nothing more than a game of luck for you. But, if you play with an understanding of number frequency, the probability of rolling a straight sequence against rolling a pair and so on, you will gain some sense of purpose leading to a potentially successful strategy of game play.
Though designed for the casual player, this genre of games still offers many of the positive emotional and psychological benefits of other types of game play. When we engage in casual games we still experience appropriate levels of challenge, scaffolded failure, immediate feedback, acknowledged successes, and membership into a community when played with others online or around the dinner table. Perhaps this is why even those most averse to video games occasionally find themselves procrastinating work with Solitaire.
The Seduction Secrets of Video Game Designers
Video games are sexy, and they offer a lot of insight into how we can make our classrooms and learning spaces sexy too. What I mean by that is that by applying some of the seduction secrets of video game designers to our teaching and learning, we have the potential to engage our students and ourselves in a grippingly attractive relationship with learning. So, what are those seductive secrets? I'll tell you.
The first secret deals with tools. Video game designers provide their players with tools needed to succeed throughout the game. On top of that, they also provide players with all the time they would like just to get past becoming familiar with these tools and to master them instead. Certainly there are many areas of classroom life where this practice could apply. Instead of giving our students the basics needed to skim by, we need to recalibrate our focus from a breadth perspective to a depth perspective. We need to give our students the best tools available and all the time in the world to master those tools for learning.
Video game designers also understand basic human motivation quite well, something that you would expect teachers to have a better grasp of. With regards to video games, designers have set players up be able to fulfill their human need for autonomy--the need to have control over oneself. Whether a game like The SIMS, Assassin's Creed, Angry Birds, or Minecraft, players have the opportunity to dream, draft, and do as they see fit. In the classroom, we often expect our students to perform a task to our standard with tools that we have prescribed for them to use. There is no creativity in this approach and certainly no room for autonomy to take place. How meaningful do you think this kind of work is to the students we are expecting to do it? Not very . . . at best.
Another secret of video game designers that we teachers would be wise to adopt is noticing what our students are doing and offering them disproportionate feedback when they succeed. Oftentimes, our attention as educators is monopolized by off-task or disruptive behaviors. When we give all of our time to troublemakers, what motivation do students have to behave and perform up to their potential? Catching students doing something good is okay. Disproportionately celebrating students doing good things is even better. Short of coming across sarcastic, make a big deal out of students' successes. Celebrate them with the class. Figuratively blast off fireworks when breakthroughs happen. When we focus on the things we like to see in this way, I would surmise that those things we dislike will either disappear or fail to catch our attention any longer.
Finally, along with celebrating successes, game designers understand the need for people to fail. Not only should we allow our students to fail without criticism or judgement, we should encourage them to fail spectacularly and often. The best learning and discoveries are not made through perfection, but through failure. To use gaming terminology, it's when we "almost die" that we store our greatest experiences to memory. In the classroom, it's when our science demonstration about divergent oceanic plates almost catches on fire that we recall everything about ocean floor volcanoes years later.
Yes, it's possible to make our classrooms and learning spaces sexy. We just need to be willing to embrace those dirty little secrets that the designers of our favorite video games are sharing with us. As any of us will attest, what's the fun in secrets if we can't share them with someone?
The first secret deals with tools. Video game designers provide their players with tools needed to succeed throughout the game. On top of that, they also provide players with all the time they would like just to get past becoming familiar with these tools and to master them instead. Certainly there are many areas of classroom life where this practice could apply. Instead of giving our students the basics needed to skim by, we need to recalibrate our focus from a breadth perspective to a depth perspective. We need to give our students the best tools available and all the time in the world to master those tools for learning.
Video game designers also understand basic human motivation quite well, something that you would expect teachers to have a better grasp of. With regards to video games, designers have set players up be able to fulfill their human need for autonomy--the need to have control over oneself. Whether a game like The SIMS, Assassin's Creed, Angry Birds, or Minecraft, players have the opportunity to dream, draft, and do as they see fit. In the classroom, we often expect our students to perform a task to our standard with tools that we have prescribed for them to use. There is no creativity in this approach and certainly no room for autonomy to take place. How meaningful do you think this kind of work is to the students we are expecting to do it? Not very . . . at best.
Another secret of video game designers that we teachers would be wise to adopt is noticing what our students are doing and offering them disproportionate feedback when they succeed. Oftentimes, our attention as educators is monopolized by off-task or disruptive behaviors. When we give all of our time to troublemakers, what motivation do students have to behave and perform up to their potential? Catching students doing something good is okay. Disproportionately celebrating students doing good things is even better. Short of coming across sarcastic, make a big deal out of students' successes. Celebrate them with the class. Figuratively blast off fireworks when breakthroughs happen. When we focus on the things we like to see in this way, I would surmise that those things we dislike will either disappear or fail to catch our attention any longer.
Finally, along with celebrating successes, game designers understand the need for people to fail. Not only should we allow our students to fail without criticism or judgement, we should encourage them to fail spectacularly and often. The best learning and discoveries are not made through perfection, but through failure. To use gaming terminology, it's when we "almost die" that we store our greatest experiences to memory. In the classroom, it's when our science demonstration about divergent oceanic plates almost catches on fire that we recall everything about ocean floor volcanoes years later.
Yes, it's possible to make our classrooms and learning spaces sexy. We just need to be willing to embrace those dirty little secrets that the designers of our favorite video games are sharing with us. As any of us will attest, what's the fun in secrets if we can't share them with someone?
CAVE Island Exploration
Today was the first time logging on to Second Life since our initial class meeting. I chose to explore CAVE Island as outlined in a 3D GameLab quest. While searching for the correct island and actually teleporting there proved somewhat challenging, upon exploring this virtual island, it was certainly worth it.
CAVE is an acronym which stands for Community of Academic Virtual Educators. It is an online gathering place for people affiliated with various organizations interested in virtual education. Some of the organizations involved include iNACOL, AECT, and Boise State. Though no one from any of these member organizations were actively present in CAVE Island, that didn't mean that I wasn't able to learn about it.
After taking in the beautiful scenery of this virtual world, the first thing to catch my eye was this gigantic CAVE Layout map. This was your typical "You Are Here" display showing you where everything else was. After giving it a brief look over, I set about exploring CAVE Island on my own.
I was pleasantly surprised to find various outdoor meeting places with interactive slide-based presentations teaching SL users about the organizations who meet in CAVE Island. One presentation that really interested me was iNACOL's. I had heard of the organization before, and I learned a lot more about their focus and mission by perusing their presentation.
Another presentation that engaged me was xLearning in Virtual Worlds. While the slides that I saw require additional explanation to understand, what I saw caught my attention and intrigued me. There were frequent slides illustrating a relationship between experience, emotions, and virtual learning.
While continuing to explore the island, I cam across a swing hanging from a tree branch. This really caught my attention due to the nature of the activity being a recreational child's venture. Why would something like this be in a virtual world like Second Life? I am still not sure as to the answer, but I enjoyed putting my basic SL interaction skills to the test by sitting down on the swing and going for a short ride.
After walking seemed to limit the places that I could explore, I set about flying and found a meeting hut on stilts. Among the interesting artifacts which I found in this hut was a door to an alternate reality room. How curious? Naturally, I entered. Though what I experienced on the other side didn't make much practical sense to me, I look forward to learning more about it and how others use this alternate reality room for their benefit.
Due to my general curiosity and willingness to roam around, my trip to CAVE Island was very successful. Not only did it acquaint me to another island and community in SL, it also allowed me to practice my navigation skills and user interaction with the software. Now, if I can only figure out how to get back to Prometheus . . .
CAVE is an acronym which stands for Community of Academic Virtual Educators. It is an online gathering place for people affiliated with various organizations interested in virtual education. Some of the organizations involved include iNACOL, AECT, and Boise State. Though no one from any of these member organizations were actively present in CAVE Island, that didn't mean that I wasn't able to learn about it.
After taking in the beautiful scenery of this virtual world, the first thing to catch my eye was this gigantic CAVE Layout map. This was your typical "You Are Here" display showing you where everything else was. After giving it a brief look over, I set about exploring CAVE Island on my own.
I was pleasantly surprised to find various outdoor meeting places with interactive slide-based presentations teaching SL users about the organizations who meet in CAVE Island. One presentation that really interested me was iNACOL's. I had heard of the organization before, and I learned a lot more about their focus and mission by perusing their presentation.
Another presentation that engaged me was xLearning in Virtual Worlds. While the slides that I saw require additional explanation to understand, what I saw caught my attention and intrigued me. There were frequent slides illustrating a relationship between experience, emotions, and virtual learning.
While continuing to explore the island, I cam across a swing hanging from a tree branch. This really caught my attention due to the nature of the activity being a recreational child's venture. Why would something like this be in a virtual world like Second Life? I am still not sure as to the answer, but I enjoyed putting my basic SL interaction skills to the test by sitting down on the swing and going for a short ride.
After walking seemed to limit the places that I could explore, I set about flying and found a meeting hut on stilts. Among the interesting artifacts which I found in this hut was a door to an alternate reality room. How curious? Naturally, I entered. Though what I experienced on the other side didn't make much practical sense to me, I look forward to learning more about it and how others use this alternate reality room for their benefit.
Due to my general curiosity and willingness to roam around, my trip to CAVE Island was very successful. Not only did it acquaint me to another island and community in SL, it also allowed me to practice my navigation skills and user interaction with the software. Now, if I can only figure out how to get back to Prometheus . . .
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Gaming in the Classroom Reflection
It's no wonder that gaming in the classroom is so preferable to traditional "sit and get" instruction. Games activate the brain while lecturing, well, doesn't. More specifically, as outlined by the Gaming in the Classroom infographic, "computer games stimulate the brain to produce dopamine" which helps students to focus and build connections between neurons. In other words, utilizing digital games in the learning process primes students for real learning to take place.
What does real learning entail? To begin with, it allows students actively manipulate objects and variables. Additionally, it gives these students direct control over themselves and their actions. And simultaneously, they engage in experiential learning. Not only do these opportunities describe what occurs in the midst of real learning taking place, they also explain what kids love so much about their favorite video games.
While gaming in the classroom might sound like a novel trend, the writing is on the wall for its effectiveness in the teaching and learning process. At all levels and across geographic boundaries, students are engaging in digital game play as part of their educations, and in those same classrooms positive results are manifesting themselves.
Aside from higher grades and resilient attitudes in the face of academic challenges, students who participate in game-based learning are learning life skills which include "problem solving, collaboration, communication, and negotiation" which might just be as important as content knowledge in the 21st-century world that we are living in.
It's great to see research supporting this wild idea that kids learn best when they are genuinely engaged in something that naturally piques their interests. And while naysayers will certainly continue to vilify game play as escapist or a complete waste of time, young people, those whose opinions on the subject actually matter, are overwhelmingly drawn to educational gaming with a positive opinion of its effectiveness for kids and meaningful learning. It's time for the rest of us to level up.
What does real learning entail? To begin with, it allows students actively manipulate objects and variables. Additionally, it gives these students direct control over themselves and their actions. And simultaneously, they engage in experiential learning. Not only do these opportunities describe what occurs in the midst of real learning taking place, they also explain what kids love so much about their favorite video games.
While gaming in the classroom might sound like a novel trend, the writing is on the wall for its effectiveness in the teaching and learning process. At all levels and across geographic boundaries, students are engaging in digital game play as part of their educations, and in those same classrooms positive results are manifesting themselves.
Aside from higher grades and resilient attitudes in the face of academic challenges, students who participate in game-based learning are learning life skills which include "problem solving, collaboration, communication, and negotiation" which might just be as important as content knowledge in the 21st-century world that we are living in.
It's great to see research supporting this wild idea that kids learn best when they are genuinely engaged in something that naturally piques their interests. And while naysayers will certainly continue to vilify game play as escapist or a complete waste of time, young people, those whose opinions on the subject actually matter, are overwhelmingly drawn to educational gaming with a positive opinion of its effectiveness for kids and meaningful learning. It's time for the rest of us to level up.
Games Can Make the World Better Reflection
Jane McGonigal never fails to amaze me with the perspective that she has of gaming, not to mention the synthesis that she has performed between her area of expertise and the real world. The TED talk associated with this assignment is one of my favorites from the TED library, and I think it is because of the resonance of her message with me.
I've always felt that play and learning not only can be combined, but shouldn't have been separated in the first place. As was mentioned in a previous quest, the idea of tangential learning describes learning in the human context of play. Quite possibly, the difficulty in "educating" students in the traditional method here in the United States might be the result of removing creativity, authenticity, and play from the process. Play is an emotional activity, and research has shown that we learn best when we learn emotionally.
Throughout the process of learning through play, one effective way to ignite positive emotions is to acknowledge progress. The consequences of this can be seen in any sort of game, or gamified graduate course for that matter. It is undeniable that we generally respond well to acknowledgement of our effort, sacrifices, and achievement. Currently, the trend of collecting badges in the classroom is one that is widely spoken of and praised in educational circles on Twitter. More than a simple pat on the back or a high-five in passing, giving students the opportunity to earn badges for their work along with leveling up in some cases leverages the positive relationship between acknowledgement of progress, attitude, and learning.
As Jane points out in her TED talk, experiences such as earning badges and leveling up, along with other offerings of game play, transform the players (re: students) into virtuosos. Gamifying the classroom takes the students' focus off of whether or not a given concept will be on the test and instead fuels them with an urgent optimism to master subsequent quests.
Likewise, rather that discouraging teamwork and collaboration in the learning process with such practices as grading on a bell curve and independent work, using effective game principles in education naturally leads to the construction of a social fabric which unites all players with one another and their environment and established culture. Such a chemistry would preclude many classroom management issues by engaging students in collaborative social learning, leading to more time exploring and discovering the real world and less time feeling like school was taking time away from the real world.
While engaged in learning in the context of a really good game, students no longer feel as though they are jumping through hoops to matriculate to high school graduation. Instead, they are infused with a sense of blissful productivity leading to the development of their own epic meaning. When a phenomenon like this occurs, a parent's inquiry about what was learned at school that day no longer goes unanswered. Rather, it starts a conversation where students continue to process and synthesize new learning in ways that will help them to progress towards mastery of the game being played.
In 20 minutes, Jane McGonigal outlines the secret to success for meaningful learning to be actualized in any setting. While not all of us are hardcore gamers, there is no getting past the fact that we all like to play some sort of game. Whatever that game might be, the risks are worth it and the consequences are welcomed, all because we are focused on mastering game play. Shouldn't that be what learning throughout life is all about?
I've always felt that play and learning not only can be combined, but shouldn't have been separated in the first place. As was mentioned in a previous quest, the idea of tangential learning describes learning in the human context of play. Quite possibly, the difficulty in "educating" students in the traditional method here in the United States might be the result of removing creativity, authenticity, and play from the process. Play is an emotional activity, and research has shown that we learn best when we learn emotionally.
Throughout the process of learning through play, one effective way to ignite positive emotions is to acknowledge progress. The consequences of this can be seen in any sort of game, or gamified graduate course for that matter. It is undeniable that we generally respond well to acknowledgement of our effort, sacrifices, and achievement. Currently, the trend of collecting badges in the classroom is one that is widely spoken of and praised in educational circles on Twitter. More than a simple pat on the back or a high-five in passing, giving students the opportunity to earn badges for their work along with leveling up in some cases leverages the positive relationship between acknowledgement of progress, attitude, and learning.
As Jane points out in her TED talk, experiences such as earning badges and leveling up, along with other offerings of game play, transform the players (re: students) into virtuosos. Gamifying the classroom takes the students' focus off of whether or not a given concept will be on the test and instead fuels them with an urgent optimism to master subsequent quests.
Likewise, rather that discouraging teamwork and collaboration in the learning process with such practices as grading on a bell curve and independent work, using effective game principles in education naturally leads to the construction of a social fabric which unites all players with one another and their environment and established culture. Such a chemistry would preclude many classroom management issues by engaging students in collaborative social learning, leading to more time exploring and discovering the real world and less time feeling like school was taking time away from the real world.
While engaged in learning in the context of a really good game, students no longer feel as though they are jumping through hoops to matriculate to high school graduation. Instead, they are infused with a sense of blissful productivity leading to the development of their own epic meaning. When a phenomenon like this occurs, a parent's inquiry about what was learned at school that day no longer goes unanswered. Rather, it starts a conversation where students continue to process and synthesize new learning in ways that will help them to progress towards mastery of the game being played.
In 20 minutes, Jane McGonigal outlines the secret to success for meaningful learning to be actualized in any setting. While not all of us are hardcore gamers, there is no getting past the fact that we all like to play some sort of game. Whatever that game might be, the risks are worth it and the consequences are welcomed, all because we are focused on mastering game play. Shouldn't that be what learning throughout life is all about?
Gamifying Education Reflection
I believe that gamifying education is a sensible approach to engaging students in learning, both in and out of the classroom. Nevertheless, it is sometimes difficult to rationally explain my beliefs to those unfamiliar with the concept. Considering the question "What things are important to remember to gamify education?" is a great place to start such an explanation.
To do so, let me outline three transcendent opportunities of effectively gamifying learning. I say transcendent because, when implemented appropriately, I believe that these opportunities can be present in any educational setting. They are 1) facilitation of learning, 2) enrichment of experiences, and 3) expansion of horizons.
When effective educational gaming happens and the above mentioned opportunities occur, learners are naturally engaged by the task at hand regardless of the overarching objective of teaching and learning taking place. Unlike traditional instructional delivery, the teaching and learning that happens in a gamified setting is fluid, meaning that both can take any number of directions and shapes depending on the relationships of the teacher and students with the content.
Ideally, gamifying learning takes the processes of exploration and discovery beyond the learning space in the form of tangential learning, or digging further into a concept that was introduced during the game because it caught the learner's attention and interest. There are a number of ways that tangential learning can be made possible, one of which is by placing referential object in games. Referential objects are items that have an identifiable reference to something outside of the game (a location, person, book, etc.). They are these that lead learners to bringing something from the gamified learning experience into their personal lives. Promisingly, they are these which also lead learners to bring something from their personal lives back into the gamified learning experiences.
To do so, let me outline three transcendent opportunities of effectively gamifying learning. I say transcendent because, when implemented appropriately, I believe that these opportunities can be present in any educational setting. They are 1) facilitation of learning, 2) enrichment of experiences, and 3) expansion of horizons.
When effective educational gaming happens and the above mentioned opportunities occur, learners are naturally engaged by the task at hand regardless of the overarching objective of teaching and learning taking place. Unlike traditional instructional delivery, the teaching and learning that happens in a gamified setting is fluid, meaning that both can take any number of directions and shapes depending on the relationships of the teacher and students with the content.
Ideally, gamifying learning takes the processes of exploration and discovery beyond the learning space in the form of tangential learning, or digging further into a concept that was introduced during the game because it caught the learner's attention and interest. There are a number of ways that tangential learning can be made possible, one of which is by placing referential object in games. Referential objects are items that have an identifiable reference to something outside of the game (a location, person, book, etc.). They are these that lead learners to bringing something from the gamified learning experience into their personal lives. Promisingly, they are these which also lead learners to bring something from their personal lives back into the gamified learning experiences.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Gamification Infographic Response
I was born in 1987, and it would be eight years before my family received our first computer as a Christmas gift. Though Carmen Sandiego debuted two years before I was born, in 1995, this computer game quickly became one of my favorite pastimes as it introduced me not only to the world of computer gaming but to computers themselves. Nineteen years later, I can still recall the graphics displayed after catching the globetrotting villain and pulling on the chain that would lock Sandiego's prison cell. While I don't remember much detail about how the game was actually played, what I do remember is how captivated I was controlling the fate of a fugitive even though I had little control over my own schedule.
As a second grader, being able to interact with a game on a computer was magic to me. I had seen monochromatic card games played on my grandfather's computer, but I was seldom allowed to play them myself. However, now that a computer sat in the dining room of my own household, an entirely new and burgeoning world was opening to me. This world included the whirring noises of inserting a floppy disk, installing some software, and seeing a game's user interface displayed right in front of me. That process alone was enough to make an eight year old boy without instructions feel like a god over his own realm. Then came the actual gameplay. While I enjoyed every minute of playing my very first computer games at home, I had no idea how quickly and how comprehensively such games would influence so many other aspects of my life.
From learning how to type with Mario on a Macintosh to finally understanding that fording the river in Oregon Trail is always a bad gamble, computers and the games which I played on them paralleled my formal education and defined much of my childhood. Now, as a young adult, I find myself using computers on a daily basis and playing computer games weekly, at least. I'm even going to post-secondary school to study how to leverage what such technology has to offer in education. I guess you could say that my relationship with computers and educational gaming has come full circle.
Now, as I begin to ponder the direction that I would like to take my own video game design, of course, I look backward to identify the qualities, characteristics, and features that attracted me to computer games and engaged me in learning so many years ago.
One of the most important aspects of those games that connected with me was a riveting story line to give the game context. Had Carmen Sandiego been nothing more than a series of random geographical questions and answers, my relationship with and memories of that first experience with using a computer and playing educational games would have been erased a long time ago. A captivating story line is essential in my own game design.
Additionally, the games that I played as a child (and the games that I play today all allowed me to choose my own paths, regardless of whether or not I was choosing to go in the right direction. Similar to a choose-your-own-adventure novel, the fun in some of my favorite computer games is not getting to the end as efficiently as possible, it is in exploring the intricate details of a world, making choices while weighing potential consequences, and writing my own mental and emotional story as I played.
Whether researching, analyzing, or designing my own game, there is no denying the profound influence that growing up with computers and gaming will have on my work. And like the games that I remember most vividly, that work will undoubtedly have its own story line with adventures that were chosen and those that will never be realized. So is the affordance of a really good game.
As a second grader, being able to interact with a game on a computer was magic to me. I had seen monochromatic card games played on my grandfather's computer, but I was seldom allowed to play them myself. However, now that a computer sat in the dining room of my own household, an entirely new and burgeoning world was opening to me. This world included the whirring noises of inserting a floppy disk, installing some software, and seeing a game's user interface displayed right in front of me. That process alone was enough to make an eight year old boy without instructions feel like a god over his own realm. Then came the actual gameplay. While I enjoyed every minute of playing my very first computer games at home, I had no idea how quickly and how comprehensively such games would influence so many other aspects of my life.
From learning how to type with Mario on a Macintosh to finally understanding that fording the river in Oregon Trail is always a bad gamble, computers and the games which I played on them paralleled my formal education and defined much of my childhood. Now, as a young adult, I find myself using computers on a daily basis and playing computer games weekly, at least. I'm even going to post-secondary school to study how to leverage what such technology has to offer in education. I guess you could say that my relationship with computers and educational gaming has come full circle.
Now, as I begin to ponder the direction that I would like to take my own video game design, of course, I look backward to identify the qualities, characteristics, and features that attracted me to computer games and engaged me in learning so many years ago.
One of the most important aspects of those games that connected with me was a riveting story line to give the game context. Had Carmen Sandiego been nothing more than a series of random geographical questions and answers, my relationship with and memories of that first experience with using a computer and playing educational games would have been erased a long time ago. A captivating story line is essential in my own game design.
Additionally, the games that I played as a child (and the games that I play today all allowed me to choose my own paths, regardless of whether or not I was choosing to go in the right direction. Similar to a choose-your-own-adventure novel, the fun in some of my favorite computer games is not getting to the end as efficiently as possible, it is in exploring the intricate details of a world, making choices while weighing potential consequences, and writing my own mental and emotional story as I played.
Whether researching, analyzing, or designing my own game, there is no denying the profound influence that growing up with computers and gaming will have on my work. And like the games that I remember most vividly, that work will undoubtedly have its own story line with adventures that were chosen and those that will never be realized. So is the affordance of a really good game.
Reflection: 7 Ways to Reward the Brain
I was first introduced to the idea of games and positive psychology while attending a keynote address by Jane McGonigal at ISTE 2013. It was here, for the first time, that I began giving serious thought to video and computer games as something valuable to society. Though I have never antagonized video gameplay, I hadn't seriously contemplated their greater value until listening to Jane.
Tom Chatfield shares very similar research-based ideas in his TED talk as I heard Jane share at ISTE. That our bodies, minds, and emotions react so positively to a well-designed game structure is promising for those who are willing to acknowledge this and capitalize on such opportunities to enhance their individual pursuits.
As a teacher, I now see a lot of value in incorporating principles of gaming into my learning space, instructional delivery, and student motivation. Rather than forcing students to adhere to a contrived schedule or set of rules in order to "pass" a class, drawing on principles of gameplay (such as XP and badges) seems to be a more natural and engaging way to motivate students to pursue learning. Additionally, it seems to present a more authentic and rewarding approach to facilitating learning for the teacher.
While I am still only a casual gamer, I now see the value that computer/video games have to offer not only us in our pursuit of entertainment, but the world in terms of solving real problems.
Tom Chatfield shares very similar research-based ideas in his TED talk as I heard Jane share at ISTE. That our bodies, minds, and emotions react so positively to a well-designed game structure is promising for those who are willing to acknowledge this and capitalize on such opportunities to enhance their individual pursuits.
As a teacher, I now see a lot of value in incorporating principles of gaming into my learning space, instructional delivery, and student motivation. Rather than forcing students to adhere to a contrived schedule or set of rules in order to "pass" a class, drawing on principles of gameplay (such as XP and badges) seems to be a more natural and engaging way to motivate students to pursue learning. Additionally, it seems to present a more authentic and rewarding approach to facilitating learning for the teacher.
While I am still only a casual gamer, I now see the value that computer/video games have to offer not only us in our pursuit of entertainment, but the world in terms of solving real problems.
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