Currently my pedagogy is based around the idea of motivating students to become life long learners and helping them to build a bank of skills flexible enough to be able to function successfully in society. Williamson and Futurelab (2009) state “…that games are preparing students to be successful workers and citizens in the 21st century.” (p. 2). As gaming fits well in my pedagogy, transforming my pedagogy to include gaming will not be difficult, but a challenge to find the right balance between using games to motivate and stimulate students’ engagement to learn and just playing games for enjoyment.
Computer games, video games and gaming consoles cannot simply be included into teaching pedagogies. They need to be carefully planned for and implemented into class lessons and units of work. To successfully include computer games, video games and game consoles into the classroom learning they need to be in context for students and their learning needs (Williamson & Futurelab, 2009). I cannot modify my pedagogy simply to include gaming. It must be put into a context that students can understand. If there is no context for using computer games, students may miss the point of what is trying to be taught (Williamson & Futurelab, 2009). Many games are built around a narrative, a story to be played out by the gamers themselves, thus providing a rich literacy-learning context (Partington, 2010). Many games “provides a wider lexicon of texts into the English and Media classroom” (Pelletier, 2005, as cited in Partington, 2010, p. 74). For example, the popular game, The Sims is being used through iPods to teach students fictional characteristics and how fiction works at Cape Fear Middle School in America (Nerdscience, 2009). I hope to include narrative based games as part of my pedagogy as they host a rich context for more traditional literacy learning (Lindley, 2005).
If I am to incorporate gaming into my pedagogy and include it in lessons and units of work, I must teach students how to play and learn from these games as shown through the example given above. Such learning fits under the umbrella term media and digital literacies. According to Australian Communications and Media Authority (2009), digital and media literacies are the “ability to access, understand and participate or create content using digital media” (n.p). Technology cannot be simply placed into the classroom and be expected to do all the teaching (Hobbs, 2011). To incorporate gaming successfully as part of my pedagogy, I must modify my current literacy teaching to include digital and media literacies. It is important that I do so as a significant prerequisite of successful participation in society and the digital economy is to be able to understand and confidently navigate digital media and its services. (Australian Communications and Media Authority, 2009).
To keep game based learning in context, I will endeavor to use technology that is familiar with students and has versatility in the classroom. I currently have very little knowledge of video gaming and very little experience with game consoles. My childhood, although I had a computer and some computer games, did not revolve around these games. It has only been recently that I have explored the world of the Wii and its addictive nature. I have over this time come to understand how children and youths can become addicted to gaming, as I have formed somewhat of an addiction to the Wii. The computer, iPod and Nintendo DS console show great potential to motivate and help educate students, as many students already own have a computer, iPod or DS console at home. I will endeavour to become familiar with the technology listed above through exploration, professional development and collaborate with other gamers. I will continue to stay updated with new gaming developments and research through Futurelab and the MacArthur Foundation Digital Learning Projects to help keep gaming in context with student learning.
While it may seem simple enough to transform my pedagogy though game exploration and continuous development and integrate digital and media literacies into my current teaching practises, including game consoles into the classroom and library is very costly. It is not cheap to equip each student with a gaming console of any kind, so I must start small. “It is better to be successful at making one small change than unsuccessful at making one big change, or many small changes” (Dezuanni, 2010b, slide7). I will build up a collection of gaming consoles over time, as my personal budget and any other funds I can acquire will not allow for large expenses at once. If I am to transform my teaching pedagogy to include gaming I will need training. I was taught to educate in the traditional format: teacher up the front of the room, students behind desks. I feel confident to give gaming “a go”, but to really maximise its potential, I believe training would be most beneficial. I would do so through the aforementioned professional development and keeping informed of new gaming developments and research.
I feel that through acquiring game consoles students are familiar with, teaching digital and media literacies, finding games that fit within the context of what is being taught, keeping costs low and game training I can transform my pedagogy to incorporate gaming. I believe I will be able to continue to motivate students to become life long learners and help them to build a bank of skills flexible enough to be able to function successfully in society though gaming.
(Jacqui Long)
references:
Australian Communications and Media Authority. (2009). What is digital media literacy and why is it so important? Retrieved October 6, 2001 from http://www.acma.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_311470
Clifford, J. (2008). Game consoles remain classroom rarity. Retrieved October 7, 2011 from
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26199898/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/game-consoles-remain-classroom-rarity/#.ToVT4E_tUro
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26199898/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/game-consoles-remain-classroom-rarity/#.ToVT4E_tUro
Dezuanni, M. (2010b). CLN647 Innovative pedagogies, transforming institutions and mapping future directions: Lecture 11 [Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D
Exciting new approach to classroom learning. (June 11, 2010). [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSJ5LwAXxLk&feature=related
Hobbs, R. (2011). Empowering learners with digital and media literacy. Knowledge Quest (39)5, 12-17.
Nerdscience. (2009, October 5). iPod Gaming in the classroom: A student's perspective on her SIM. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoCz9KxZNvY&feature=related
Partington, A. (2010). Game literacy, gaming cultures and media education. English Teaching: Practice and critique (9)1, 73-86.
For further work on using games in education see the work of Andrew Burn and Caroline Pelletier (cited above) from the UK Knowledge Lab. Andrew in particular has done a lot of work on children making and using games and thinking about this as a form of literacy. See his publications at:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lkl.ac.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=81
In Australia there has been one recent national study about computer games and literacy led by Prof Catherine Beavis from Griffith University:
See 2010 Special Issue of Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 33(1)
And:
Apperley, T. and Beavis, C. (2011) Literacy into Action: Digital Games as Action and Text in the English and Literacy Classroom. Pedagogies 6 (2)
I agree with you that games cannot simply be included into classrooms to do all the teaching, because this may lead to several issues such as hardware, licensing, and Cost (Williamson, 2009). These material related difficulties make using games to teach in classroom hard. Also, improving teachers’ gaming literacy is another challenge. According to Williamson’s (2009) report, 56% of teachers think teachers lack of gaming knowledge in Britain. In your article, you mentioned that “I currently have very little knowledge of video gaming and very little experience with game consoles”. I think I also have little knowledge about it, because there are too many games currently due to the fast updating character of video games. However, Gee (2003) mentions that games are all about problems and task based. Like you mentioned if teachers have particular training or get self-trained about educational games, these games can be well integrated into classrooms. However, if teachers were trained by school program, the funding will again become a problem, so will the time. Therefore, as a teacher who loves games, I think maybe it is more possible for me to train myself to learn more about games and at the same time we can both learn and enjoy the games.
ReplyDelete(Nan Li)
Gee, J.P. (2003) What Video Games have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. New York: Macmillan.
Williamson, B. (2009). Computer games, schools, and young people a report for educators on using games for learning. Retrieved from:
http://archive.futurelab.org.uk/resources/documents/project_reports/becta/Games_and_Learning_educators_report.pdf