Learning takes place effectively when learners are in control of the learning activity, able to assess and experiment with their ideas in the course of pursuing results and enquire by working with people in seeking new knowledge before planning for new actions (Ravenscroft, 2000). With the above explanation in mind, how do I justify 'playing games' for two hours? It is no secret that if we give a student an iPad with little or no guidance, they will just ' play around.' That said, however, examining the gaming practice as a structured interaction between computer games and game-based classroom pedagogy is warranted, as research is missing in the literature. They might be learning something from it, but do they really know what they have learned and how to record, articulate to others, and share in their ePortfolio? Meanwhile, it is fascinating to watch students frantically press the iPad screen in the hope that something will happen and with the expectation, they can win! It is even more rewarding when I interact with students, observe, listen and facilitate with their inquiry. The objective of the simulation app, Plague Inc., might be to spread the disease and avoid a cure being found before it has taken over. However, the REAL learning intention in our classroom is to spread the disease and prevent a cure being found with an analytical mind, by developing a strategy, applying previous knowledge, collaborating and learning from others. Now, let us discuss the "frantic" approach in which grade six tackled this app, and bear in mind that they were asked to record their observations and findings using the below matrix. Students were expected to document the changes/actions that help spread the disease and record the changes/actions that hinder the disease from spreading and examples from the real world. At this point, the students noticeably started to slow down. The noise levels dropped. Students became engaged and serious about the task in hand. It was not about winning that comes with gaming; it became about using prior knowledge to further the spread of their disease, about collaborating with their peers to hear and see what they are doing well and how they might replicate this in their simulation. Collaboration is key and is often suggested because it can improve students’ conceptual understanding (Stahl, Rosé, & Goggins, 2011). A particular stand out moment for me was from Isabella when she perceptively informed those around her that if they were starting in a cold country, they would need to make sure that the cold wouldn't hinder the spread of the disease. Her observational skill in learning was evidenced (Browder, Schoen, & Lentz, 1986). Computer games and apps are seemingly proposed as powerful learning tools; however there is little in the way of empirical findings on how games enhance learning. The question remains: When and how will computer games facilitate purposeful learning in school? As always, we would love to hear your comments. David Sources:
Browder, D. M., Schoen, S. F., & Lentz, F. E. (1986). Learning to learn through observation. The Journal of Special Education, 20(4), 447–461. Ravenscroft, A. (2000). Designing argumentation for conceptual development. Computers and Education, 34(3), 241–255. Stahl, G., Rosé, C. P., & Goggins, S. (2011). Analyzing the discourse of GeoGebra collaborations. Essays in computer-supported collaborative learning, 186, 33–40.
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