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| Virtual Reality |
Researching gaming this week as an educational tool has been
an eye-opening experience. When I think of ‘gaming’ I think of hours wasted
staring at a screen, graphic violence and youngster exposed to inappropriate
content. This assignment has made me sit back and look at gaming from a whole
new perspective.
Schools are beginning the
transition from blocking web-based games to integrating them into their
classrooms and curriculum (Horizon Report, 2011 K-12 Edition). Many educational
games take real world applications and turn them into fun learning tools –
having students invent, implement solutions, solve social issues, budget money,
and evaluate supply and demand and much more. Students are engaged in ways that
they have never been before.
One of the gaming sites I
investigated further was IndustryPlayer. This site allows for students to make
strategic decisions as an entrepreneur and see the consequences of their
business decisions. This method of learning gives the students a more realistic
‘feel’ to managing a company as compared to more traditional teaching methods.
Simulation games such as this ‘offer second-by-second decision making that
takes players over and over through the loop of decision, action, feedback and
reflection that is the basis for all learning’ (Edutopia, Prensky 2007). This ‘loop
of learning’ encourages the learners to practice in order to earn the reward of
‘leveling up’.
Next I looked into World Food
Programme’s (WFP) Food Force game. This game allows students to tackle the challenges
of delivering food aid in emergency responses. Players are required to pilot
helicopters, airdrop food and negotiate with armed rebels. This game of
humanitarian effort gives kids the benefit of learning how to cooperate,
collaborate and work in teams; make effective decisions under stress; take
prudent risks in pursuit of objectives; make ethical and moral decisions and
much more (Edutopia, Prensky 2007).
The third site reviewed was that
of ‘Virtual Cell’. This site is an exploratory virtual/visual education environment.
There is substantial research reporting computer simulations to be an effective
approach for improving students’ learning. Three main learning outcomes have
been addressed: conceptual change, skill development and content area knowledge
(Strangman, N., &
Hall, T., 2003). ‘Virtual Cell’ is a science-based learning site that takes
learners on virtual journeys through cells and parts of cells. As I worked my
way through some of the videos, I was amazed at the detail of the graphics and
how each aspect of a cell or part of a cell was explained in simple terms that
were easily understood. I am not that into science, but this site actually made
me interested in learning more about cells!
Simulation, Virtual Reality and Gaming have come a long
way in the last ten years. As more demand for these education tools begin to
emerge, we can expect to see to more content available for delivery to our
students. We as educators would be remiss if we dismissed these technologies as
nonsense and time wasters. These educational tools can be used to teach
children in ways that they have not been exposed to before. Before using these
tools with our students, we need to educate parents on the advantages as well.
With parental support, use of gaming in the classroom will add more learning
opportunities for students at all learning levels.
‘To win you have to get in the
game and stay in the game’
IndustryPlayer:
http://www.industryplayer.com/Food Force:
http://www.wfp.org/how-to-help/individuals/food-force
Virtual Cell:
http://vcell.ndsu.nodak.edu/animations/atpgradient/movie-flash.htm
Prior to starting each session we should probably be required to give our perspectives on what the weeks content is going to be about before we jump in. This week with gaming would have been interesting...
ReplyDeleteWhat's interesting is that I too think of very large blocks of time eaten up by youngsters playing games. I look at EVERYTHING as an instructinoal too though and do not appreciate how our children are learning to steal cars, attack culturally sound good values, and become mesmerized as if they had just injected a "drug". I do fall into the gamer type mindset but am AWARE of what is going on.
Integration of gaming into the curriculum is an interesting endeavor. In some respects it is an evolution of our teaching methods to include culturally relevant technologies engaging students to expland their creation of ideas. Simulations grant access for students to experience instances of learning that otherwise they would not have an opportunity to do. Life and education can only go so far but adding case studies and practical applications of lessons gets the juices flowing. As educators the more we get the student motivated to learn the better.
Also I see throughout our blogs that many of us chose the WFP Food Force program to look into. Samples such as this, games about train companies or airline company business simulations, the one mentioned in the Utopia video with the home safety simulation, or Sim City type simulations make learning an intriguing proposition to students. They connect well with real world applications... and God forbid LEARN. I love when students say something like "I want to take a break from learning. All I do is learn all day! So I am going to sit here and play this game." Turns out the lessons they are learning through the game influence their learning more than they know. Now if we can get them to BAN Grand Theft Auto the world may be a better place...
I agree that there will be alot of explaining to do to parents if we said that we were going to play computer games in the classroom. They probably have the same view on games that you did before this assignment. I think the idea of making school fun and educational has been a difficult thing to do for awhile now. We are all so programmed to the "old school" way of doing things. The textbook and a teacher lecturing is the vision most get when they think of school. Obviously this does not work and has not for a long time. With some more public education and teacher education about the benefits of gaming I think most would agree that this could be a better future for students who have otherwise been struggling.
ReplyDeleteI definitely learned a new way to view gaming. The variety and quality of the games was eye-opening. It is interesting to consider that many teachers/parents who might say that learning can be fun would probably balk at the idea of using gaming in the classroom. I think very often the assumption is that kids spend too much time on games and that maybe the classroom should be an electronic-free zone. The gaming opportunities we learned about this week support solid curricular goals while keeping the students engaged. They even introduce students to new places and concepts. The WFP is a great example of how students become aware of important global concepts and improve academic skills at the same time. Beyond the motivation to "win" or "move up a level," kids can envision how their actions can truly make a difference.
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