Week 6: Video Games for Learning

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Let me start off by saying that I think gaming in the classroom can be very beneficial in many different ways.  I know that every educator has their own ideas about gaming and its effectiveness but I can definitely say that I see the benefits of it on a regular basis.

First, I use keyboarding games in my classroom with my sixth grade students. Whenever we finish something early, or have an extra few minutes at the end of class, I direct them to our Moodle page and on the page, I have provided multiple typing games for the kids to practice their keyboarding skills.  Some of the games are really fun, like this racing game, in which students can race against each other or the computer.  One benefit I see on a regular basis is competitiveness.  Many of my kids love competition and use these games as an outlet for that.  They like to play against each other to see who wins and is “better.”  In my opinion, I love that my students are learning without realizing it.  Each time they sit down at a computer to play one of these games, they are refining his or her keyboarding skills and having fun while doing it.

Although the competitiveness can be a good thing, it can also double as a negative implication.  Sometimes, the “friendly” competition evolves into something not so friendly.  I don’t see this happening too often, however, that type of heated rivalry really takes away from the reason why I allow the kids to play the games in the first place.

I think the use of gamification, the leader board, points, etc., provide most students with that intrinsic motivation.  Everyone wants to be recognized for something they do well.  The elements of gamification can provide students with extrinsic motivation to succeed.  If they perform well, that is their reward.  However, a lot of students have the intrinsic motivation to succeed as well.  I think intrinsic motivation is dependent on a number of factors and obviously, differs from child to child, but when it comes to gaming, the intrinsic motivation of success vs. failure is something that is often seen through game play. 

In an article called “Will Gaming Save Education or Just Waste Time?” Kristen DiCerbo, a senior research scientist echoes this notion by saying; “We've been doing [game rewards] for years; referring to the use of tokens, points, and other artifacts that make up the backbone of the gamification movement. For some things – like very rote tasks – and for students who aren't motivated, yes, that does increase kids' general interest in the short term.”

Another benefit of gaming is that students are given a platform in which they can learn by doing.  It helps them problem solve, fail and succeed in a safe environment.  They do not have to worry about making a fool of themselves in front of a class full of their peers, but can explore, fail and succeed in a safe environment that won’t judge them based on their actions.  Like Katie Salen says, “Sometimes, the learner will have to try hundreds of times to find success. You know you are getting better at that particular skill every time you try, and you are learning something about how to solve that particular problem. The failure is productive. Rather than hitting some kind of wall and just stopping – which is what kids tend to experience in the classroom – failure becomes a fantastic thing because it's about iteration and discovery. When I try it again, I am going to apply that particular piece of learning.”

In another article I found about gaming, one benefit that is explored is the benefit of insight into a student’s learning and instantaneous feedback.  Brian Waniewski elaborates by saying,  “Beyond teaching, video games can also offer useful information about how well a child is learning and can even provide helpful visual displays of that information. Video games can also provide instantaneous feedback—typically via scores—that teachers and students can use to determine how well students understand what the games are trying to teach them.”  I know that personally, one thing I struggle with is grading.  With nine different sections, it is hard to find time to grade over 200 papers and keep up with other demands of my job.  Gaming would provide an outlet for students to receive that instantaneous feedback and give me immediate insight into how they are progressing and navigating through their learning.

The aforementioned article also mentions one huge drawback of gaming – cost.  For many districts, extra money is difficult to come by.  The fact that gaming could require different components like “computers, tablets or other specialized technology as well as dedicated Internet servers and other communications systems” would be a huge drawback.  In addition, “they may also be a need for additional infrastructure, personnel and teacher training.  A full, game-infused curriculum could cost millions of dollars and require ongoing support” according to Alan Gershenfeld, co-founder and president of E-Line Media.  That could be a huge downfall for many classrooms teachers who do not have access to these types of technologies. 

With anything in life, there will always be positives and negatives.  But as Katie Salen says, "Play is the way that human beings learn about the world…. That's how we discover how things work." In my opinion, gaming in the classroom has so many benefits to students and teaches them valuable life skills (like problem solving and flexibility) that as long as it is done appropriately and in conjunction with learning goals, the gaming experience can be invaluable.