7 Things You Should Know About Gaming Pedagogy

 

1. What is it?

Video games deliver information as it is needed or "just-in-time." A good game delivers information interactively, requiring the player to make decisions and learn necessary information to achieve a goal or win. It also affords an opportunity to approach a topic in a playful manner that allows for failure. "...games work as rule-based learning systems, creating a world in which players actively participate, use strategic thinking to make choices, solve complex problems, seek content knowledge, receive constant feedback, and consider the point of view of others...they serve to exemplify the complexity and promise of systems. Understanding and accounting for this complexity is a fundamental literacy of the 21st century." Katie Salen, (Klopfer, p. 18).

2. Who's doing it?

Experimental Game Lab at Georgia Institute of Technology, Games for Entertainment and Learning at Michigan State University, MIT, NC State University's Mobile Gaming Research Lab, University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin, Indiana University School of Education.

Dr. Christine Ballengee-Morris in Art Education at OSU uses Second Life to explore identity issues through creating avatars and asking students to think, reflect and write about them.

3. How does it work?

Games can provide an avenue for discussion about social problems and issues, history, anthropological issues such as identity, race, feminism, advertisement, as well as scientific endeavors. There are three ways to use games with students:

• Have students build games using free or low cost game engine software: http://scratch.mit.edu/
• Have educators and/or developers build educational games from scratch or use game engine software: a more difficult approach
• Integrate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games.

4. Why is it significant?

Preparing students with 21st century skills is a fundamental part of future education methodologies. Many students have had access to computers throughout their development and have adapted their thinking and ways of processing information. Electronic gaming can be utilized by several disciplines, teach teamwork skills, technology literacy, brainstorming skills, time management and even programming and math concepts. As students learn new ways of communication, they also want to interact, contribute and alter media. Modifying is becoming a prevalent part of our culture and as it leaves the hands of the creator to be recreated by the consumer, it becomes public.

5. What are the downsides?

Creating a game that is both engaging, challenging and educational requires depth and breadth of expertise and time. In addition to knowing the subject matter that one wants to communicate, one must also think about how you want the student to explore, interact, and experience the information. Using video games with students requires the use of computers that have adequate game cards, graphics cards, and processing power, which varies depending upon how the game is made and delivered: CD or online. Currently there are many different gaming platforms, with none that are standard and fully accessible.

6. Where is it going?

Many games already employ ITS - intelligent tutoring systems. Information can be presented both in a declarative manner: text or graphics that communicate some learning concept, and a procedural manner: through the act of employing game mechanics to change the game world in some meaningful way. Games can be created with assessments built in, allowing instructors to monitor and track a student's progress. Certain academies may consider forging partnerships with commercial entities and other facets of industry to facilitate the flow of knowledge, ideas and technology-generation.

7. What are the implications for teaching?

Interactive games could increase student motivation and provide context for the subject to aid its application. Games shift the focus off of the instructor as the sole possessor of information. Well-designed games teach collaboration, communication, problem-solving, analytical and critical thinking, as well computer literacy. "The promise of games is that we can harness the spirit of play to enable players to build new cognitive structures and ideas of substance." (p. 5, Klopfer).