Nora Hanne on educational gaming
From Mmswiki
This is an essay by student Nora Hanne, written as homework assignment for the reflection of the seminar and setting it in relation to own experiences and ideas concerning GBL (winter term 2008/2009). It was posted after getting her permission to do so - thanks!
Contents |
Introduction
I would like to become a teacher with the subjects English and geography. As one focus of our seminar was on game based learning, I am going to discuss the different games we learned about in our seminar. Moreover, I am going to take a closer look at those games in order to find out if they might be applicable in either a geography or English class.
Different Games
In this chapter of my paper, I am going to look at the five different genres of games we talked about in our seminar: quizzes and puzzles, hypertexts and adventures, tinkertoys and microworlds, role-play and networked games, and lastly, metagames.
Quizzes and Puzzles
In quizzes and puzzles, the player has to go for the single correct answer. I believe it is in the nature of those games that they can be used in an educational environment as they test the players’ knowledge on a certain topic. An example for this kind of game would be Vera’s, Luise’s and mine Luhmann Quiz. This kind of quiz can be used in schools easily as Vera and I experienced it ourselves as we played different geography quizzes that were based on the same concept. An advantage of these quizzes is that they can be used in every subject and with every topic. Moreover, they can be played in stand-in classes. Although one might say that those games only test the students’ knowledge, it is a less stressful way to be tested. In consequence, I am sure that I am going to use games out of this category later on when I am a teacher myself.
Hypertexts and Adventures
In hypertext and adventure games, you have to choose a path. I experienced this kind of game myself as a child when I had a hypertext book of the Famous Five. I really enjoyed it. Yet, the only way I can imagine how to use a book such as this in my future teaching is to let students read a hypertext book rather than a ‘normal’ book. However, this would lead to a different approach in teaching. Instead, of answering always the same questions and writing a summary to each chapter, one would have to develop questions that everyone could answer independently. However, I believe that- instead of letting the students write a test on the book- the students could do a so called ‘Lesetagebuch’, a kind of diary you write while reading the book. There, the students could explain why they chose a certain path over another. Moreover, this kind of reading is more centered on the student, is activity- and problem-oriented.
Another example of this kind of games is the Wiki Game we learned about in our seminar. I am positive that I can use this game in future geography classes. However, I would rather play Click Wiki than Speed Wiki so that the students can think about their choices thoroughly. When you have to do the topic ‘Volcanoes, Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes’ in grade seven, you could let the students start on the Wikipedia page on Indonesia. The students should now get to the Wikipedia page of Kobe using as little hyperlinks as possible. So from the Indonesia (Indonesien) page, you could choose the link ‘tsunami’ (Tsunami). On the Wikipedia page on tsunamis, the students could choose the link ‘earthquakes’ (Erdbeben). On this page, you could choose ‘Areas with Earthquakes Worldwide’ (Erdbebengebiete der Erde). There, you are going to find the link to the Wikipedia page on Japan (Japan). In the section on the biggest cities of Japan, you can find a link to ‘Kobe’. Therefore, I would have needed five clicks to get from Indonesia to Kobe. If someone else would need fewer clicks, that person would win. I would use this game in school classes as I am sure that students always like to work on computers and that they like competitive games, where they can win. Moreover, students have to think about how two things might be connected before they start the game. In conclusion, I believe that the Wiki Game could be played in the beginning or at the end of a teaching unit. Should the students play it in the beginning, they might get an overview over the topic. If they play it at the end of a unit, on the other hand, the students can apply their recently acquired knowledge and, hence, consolidate the new knowledge.
Tinkertoys and Microworlds
Tinkertoys and microworld aim at configuration and feedback. An example for a game of this category that could be worked with in geography classes is Third World Farmer. The game simulates the real-world mechanisms that cause and sustain poverty in Third World countries. The players have to manage a farm in Africa and soon have to face the difficult choices that poverty and conflict necessitate. The content of this game fits perfectly into the curriculum. Moreover, I believe that students will be more interested in the topic if they have experienced the same challenges, problems and injustices- although only in a microworld. After having played the game, one can discuss and reflect the game in class and can teach some theoretical background. Moreover, the webpage of the game offers links to relief agencies, where students can further inform themselves. Thus, one could do project work on this topic and the students could use those links (and others) to get information. As I have only played the game for ten minutes, I do not know how time-consuming it is in order to really experience the Third World problems. If it does not take more than two lessons, I would definitely let the students play the game as an introduction to the topic ‘Development’.
Role-play and Networked Games
In role-plays and networked games, the players go for collaborative creation and re-interpretation. In role-plays, the players assume the roles of (fictional) characters and collaboratively create stories. In my advanced didactics seminar in geography, we played a role play on tourism this semester. Each of us got the characterization of a character connected somehow to a small village in the Alps. Some of us lived in the town, others were tourist and the third group consisted of economists. We then were in a meeting where we had to discuss the development of the touristic sector in our village. In the same seminar, we also played a simulation game (‘Planspiel’) for one weekend on the environmental policy- mainly focusing on mitigation of global warming and renewable energy- in the European Union (EU) and the way the EU passes bills. Each of us was either a member of the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission, a lobby, or the journalists. The aim of the game was to pass a bill containing mandatory goals for the European climate policy.
I believe that both of these games can be integrated into geography teaching. However, the simulation game takes much time and, hence, can only be played during a project week as geography is only taught two lessons a week. In contrast, role-plays can be less time-consuming and, thus, can be played in regular school lessons. I would use role-plays in my classes as they are centered on the students and, additionally, activity-oriented. Moreover, role-plays involve every student actively and enhance communication amongst the students. An advantage of this is that everybody has to contribute something; nonetheless, a disadvantage is that those games are very dependent on the participation of the students and there will always be students that are too shy to contribute much to the play. However, I believe that this can be solved by giving those students roles that are not as ‘important’ as others or roles where they do not have to say that much. An example would be the journalists in my simulation game, who wrote articles rather than discussing the bill.
Metagames
Metagames, literally "a game outside the game," have a reflection and criticism as their main characteristic. As I could not find an example on the Internet that could be used either in an English class or in a geography class, I cannot imagine using this kind of game in the future. Moreover, other games such as role-plays can incorporate metacognition. Therefore, I would let students reflect on the other four kinds of games after having played them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I regard our seminar’s part on game based learning as very helpful for future teaching. As a teacher, you would like to have lessons with diversified media. Although you cannot always play as sometimes texts, charts, videos, etc. are more appropriate, games can be a great alternative to traditional teaching. The reason for this is that students usually like games. Moreover, games are activity-oriented and center on the students. I also believe that students remember what they have learned during a game way better than what they have learned from reading a text. Further, it is great that there are various different kinds of games so that there is a game for almost every opportunity, every topic and every amount of time available. However, I would use most games either as an introduction for a topic or as a tool for consolidating newly acquired knowledge at the end of a unit.
I am very positive that I am going to use games from the first four categories for later teaching: quizzes and puzzles are very useful for rounding up a topic, when you do not want to write a test. Moreover, they can be easily played during stand-in classes. The same goes for hypertext and adventure games. The great advantage of the Wiki Game is that it can be played with any topic without having to prepare much. Third, tinkertoys and microworlds come in handy in lessons about other cultures and parts of the world that are not familiar to the students’ environment as it lets students easily experience this. Therefore, I believe that Third World Farmer is an excellent game for geography classes. Lastly, I like role-plays and networked games as they give all students the opportunity to communicate. However, I do not know any great examples for metagames concerning geography and English.
All in all, I am very thankful to have learned about the availability and the use of those different kinds of games during our seminar as I had never heard of some of the games.
--Nora H.
Feedback by Wey
Here are some ideas complementing Nora's ideas and experiences:
Pupils as authors
("Hypertexts und Adventures")
How about letting the pupils write a hypertext-adventure themselves? It could be a game (reach a certain node), a non-linear story (discover the different storylines), a description of a location (find all places and hidden objects) or even a photo-story (can you find the objects on the photo to click to go on?).
This kind of hypertext isn't bound to computers or internet, it could - if wished for - also be realised by pen and paper. Since the story is non-linear, dendritic many pupils can write in a collaborative effort, integrating personal twists and turns. How about a description starting in the school's main hall and delving into details of what can be found in the teacher's lounge, the science tract, the school yard...?
As long as the main subject is learning to write in english, this could be a motivational tool to use in education.
Example (german, made by younger children): http://www.nibis.ni.schule.de/~albertl/fanta.htm
Simulation's - and game's - strength is repeatability
("Tinkertoys and Microworlds")
"Third World Farmer" [1], an educational browsergame, can be played through in about 45 minutes, about 20-30 minutes if you've got some experience in the game - it's not that difficult. One of the strengths of simulations and simulation games is their repeatability - you learn by failing and improving your play in consecutive runs.
So, it would be useful to let pupils play this game at least twice - especially when they fail and go broke, starve or die. Let them discover by repetition and alteration of their play how to win, how the game works. What is risky? What is a relatively safe bet? Sending all your children to school is as risky as relying on a single high-risk crop.
Afterwards let them reflect on the reality, where it is not possible for the farmer to try until he succeeds - what can be done so that the real farmer knows everything beforehand to 'win' in his very serious game?
ARGs may focus on a fictive change of the environment - not the player
("Role-play and Networked Games")
Educational Alternative Reality Games usually describe different circumstances to live in for the player - who stays a pupil, a teacher etc. Usually in 'Planspiel', educational simulation games, the player becomes a person or an institution with influence, power and certain interests in a real-life scenario. This is a good approach to understand systemic interdependencies and empathise with different factions in a political or commercial struggle. Educational ARGs try the other way round, to show a player what he - as her or himself - may have as options if there's a desastrous earthquake ("After Shock" ARG) or the world runs out of oil ("World Withoit Oil" ARG). This is - to my knowledge - a relatively new approach to educational roleplaying.
--Weytan 12:21, 3 March 2009 (UTC)
