CS Actual Essay

Gaming:The Teaching Method.

How can games teach?

Zak Field (1200771)

Introduction

Living in such a technological, the way in which we receive information has changed and

advanced. We have the ability to reach the unreachable, and this is not just referring to the

unteachable students. At any age, there is the possibility to learn something new, a new profession,

opinion or remind yourself of something old. With this evolution of technology, the focus is now on

rethinking how we teach the youth.

'...properly designed educational games, informed by research, have the potential to transform

education.' (Fletcher, 02/'14)

Nowadays, teaching methods are outdated and are too generalized for students. Reverting back to

Jean Piaget's (McLeod, '12) study of cognitive development within children, the fundamental

element is the rate in which a child can learn. The Plowden Report having contextualized his study,

states that 'At the heart of the educational process lies the child.' (Gillard, '04) The system should

lose sight that it needs to be tailored for the individual child otherwise the chances of them retaining

information and progressing with understanding will be slim. This is of course difficult as the

teaching curriculum needs to be at the same standard for each school, and the cost and time taken to

teach each child in a way that suits them would be expensive and impractical. The school system

has been too focussed on statistics and figures, tests and scores, which has created a great deal of

pressure on students. This in turn has generated a common fear of failing, that worry of getting an

answer wrong and being judged for it. This is putting students off even attempting to answer

questions let alone inspiring them to find out more on their own account. School becomes

associated with negativity and embarrassment and the child loses any ambition to progress. They

look forward more to their free time than the hours at school. Games within school have the ability

to change all this. By creating an alternative world, games allow us to play, win and fail as

anonymously as we choose. It creates a safety net that if we fail, we can easily start again.

“Human psychology tells us that players should enjoy a game that satisfies the need for control,

bestows a sense of one's progress, and fosters relationships with friends and others encountered.”

(N.L. - 02/'14)

These are qualities most games have to keep the players interest but the question is how can they be

utilised? The sign of a good game is to always send the player away with something new, whether it

is learning new information or something they didn't know they could do but always with a sense of

achievement.

What benefits would games have in school?

An important issue within the school system is that of self esteem. Students of all ages still

have a fear of failing, made to feel stupid or that others are judging them. There isn't the informality

or accommodating nature that is so prominent in a game. There is the opportunity to progress in a

game and to be rewarded and praised along the way. The player is never given a task or a mission

that is impossible to complete, it may be difficult and you will need to work hard but it is always

reachable. There is also the social aspect, the working together to reach a goal rather than

competitiveness. Typically game communities are trusting and willing to give advice and aide when

needed. The people they meet online are like-minded and just as passionate aiming for the same

goals. Possibly the most popular gaming community and certainly one of the largest is that of World

of Warcraft. At the height of its popularity, since it was launched, 12 million people were playing

the game. Jane McGonigal, a games designer, describes this in more detail as to why

gamers prefer their virtual world over their real lives, or school life in this particular instance. 'We

feel we are not as good in reality as we are in games' (McGonigal, 02/'10). In reality when faced

with a problem, the reaction is to view it with anxiety and possibly depression, not the enthusiasm

and determination you would in a game. Her point is that 'In games, we are the best versions of

ourselves' (McGonigal, 02/'10), the most helpful and willing and driven to achieve because of the

constant feedback and ability to progress.

McGonigal designs games that are live events or campaigns more than actual video games. They

could be considered more of social experiments than games, to change people's outlook on life. She

tries to incorporate the techniques and feelings you get from a game and implements them into

everyday life. Her theory is that if world problems were approached and solved like those in a

game, the world could be changed for the better in a much shorter amount of time. She mentions

World of Warcraft and it's number to demonstrate the might of these players, had they the

opportunity to apply their passion and determination to real life.

Examples of games already integrated into the school system.

Institute of Play is a group of game designers that came together to make games that educate

but also are engaging and exciting for children. Having recognized that it is no longer just about the

acquisition of basic skills and learning facts, but teaching students how to think, solve problems and

being able to communicate concisely. Their aim is to 'design experiences that make learning

irresistible.' (Institute of Play, '14). At a young age, a child still needs to be fascinated and curious

about new information and with the constantly advancing technology, why shouldn't it be used?

“Video games have the power of visualizing things, of creating open-ended environments for people

to explore things, of engaging and motivating learners. What you have is a strong learning approach

that should be added to the educator's toolbox. (Plass, '14)

GlassLab is a company (part of Institute of Play) who designs educational games for schools. They

are aimed at are those who have already learnt the basic skills such as reading and writing. The

games GlassLab design try to teach a more difficult skill; the ability to solve problems and think

critically. For example, they created SimCityEDU, a revised version of the original aimed especially

at children. It requires the child to think about the economy, social aspects and to plan ahead and it

does this by setting them tasks that they have to complete. They have to work in pairs to to build a

city and collaborate to rectify any problems that arise. Using trial and error and their own

experience, they have to figure how to solve certain issues through logic contextual knowledge.

Similarly to SimCityEDU although in board game form, there is the World Peace Game. A teacher,

John Hunter, replicated the world and all of it's problems and let a group of 9 year olds try to fix

them. 'They learn to overlook short-sighted reactions and impulsive thinking, to think in a long-

term, more consequential way.' (Hunter, '11) This was in order to engage the children in real world

issues and to teach them in practise the idea of cause and effect, that they had to consider their

moves in relation to what could happen further down the line. The results have proved to be

surprising, primarily because they children showed compassion and rational thinking and actually

managed to right a lot of the problems.

A game with a corresponding concept is Civilisation, a command and conquer style of game,

although you play as various people who lived thousands of years ago. The game's objective is to

build an empire from nothing taking into account exploration, warfare and diplomacy, as well as

conquering other players. This informs of great historical leaders but also the resources available;

the lifestyle of the people. It also spans over many years and introduces one civilisation to another

that would have never come in contact in real life. Institute of Play created a classroom version of

the game called Historia which was paper based but still involved the same principle (due to its

popularity is now being turned into a digital game suitable for the classroom). The principle is to

teach through action and keeping the students interested and engaged about facts they would

otherwise be taught. This approach works because having their own empire, they have created

something they will want to learn how to protect. By giving them something they will care about,

the interest has evolved from the classroom and into their personal lives.

How do games teach adults?

The game industry has branched out into great diversity for genre and game type. Becoming more

popular are sandbox style creation games, the forerunner of which being Minecraft, an open world

game without a storyline or objectives (except to survive). This game is essentially the tools to

create and explore. The largest grossing indie game to date, Minecraft has now been utilized for the

classroom teaching students maths, geometry, reading and writing, and social skills. The style in

which it has been created means it can be adjusted by the tutor to produce a controlled atmosphere

to which they can teach a specific subject. Not only this but it encourages creativity and

imagination. Unlike SimCity, Minecraft presents more spontaneous problems, as the objective is

survival, the player may be put into a situation that is difficult to get out of. It also causes players to

work together and help each other out.

A more in depth approach to educating whilst playing is its lasting effect upon the player. This can

be through a well told story, the concept for the game's world or the experience the player has whilst

playing the game. A storyline that is memorable is a storyline that makes you question and indeed

pursue more knowledge on the subject. Of course, what we seek in preference is all relative as is

what we retain from the game. In regards to education though, it is shedding light on new

information or a different perspective. For example, the Bioshock back log describes a world

striving for perfection but ultimately falls to ruin because man isn't perfect. The references include

the tension of Communism during the 1950's and Ayn Rand's political and philosophical novels

Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead.

Alternatively, it is the experience that the player has playing the game that can have the lasting

effect. Sometimes the simplest storyline or in fact no storyline at all will leave a lasting impression

on the player. This means that experience doesn't have to be one where the gamer has their hand

held and shown how to get from A to B, they only have to be fully engaged in the experience in

order to pick up the tools and mechanics of the task then they can complete the objective for

themselves thus creating a bigger feeling of achievement and gratification. It is games like these

(referring back to Minecraft) which allow the freedom and ignite innovation to then consider a

bigger picture. The 'bigger picture' could go as far as career in architecture, it is a rather crude

interpretation but the ability to visualize is still there. This is also the case for The Kerbal Space

Program, a game that demands the comprehension of physics to progress, a game that has now

sparked the interest of NASA and lead onto a collaboration, including real NASA ship components.

'This relationship with NASA, the very beacon of big dreams and imagination, is going to give

players a real opportunity to learn about the universe we're living in.'

Not only will it inspire but it can provide new information to those playing through experience.

Conclusion

The way forward is to embrace the technology we have and to employ a method to aid as much as it

is able. The key to learning and understanding is interaction in any shape or form, with a

component, applying the knowledge or with another person. Games have a way to combine all three

and provide a fully engaging experience, to ignite a passion that may then be converted into an

ambition.

'When you combine this access with the resources kids have—time, a highly plastic brain, and the

freedom to experiment with new behaviours, interests, and ways of being—it is not hard to imagine

a level of empowerment for kids never before seen in human history.' (Dunagan, 11/'11)

Bibliography

Fletcher, S., 01/02/2014, The New Rule of Educational Video Games: Don't be Boring [Video], http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/games-the-new-rule-of-education-video-games/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Mcleod, S., 2012, Jean Piaget, http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html Accessed 15/05/2014

Gillard, D., 2004, 'The Plowden Report', The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education, http://www.infed.org/schooling/plowden_report.htm Accessed 15/05/2014

N.L., 18/02/2014, What makes video games addictive?, http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2014/02/electronic-entertainment Accessed 15/05/2014

McGonigal, J., 02/2010, TED Talks: Gaming can make a better world, http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world#t-441717 Accessed 15/05/2014

About Institute of Play, 2014, http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Plass, J., 2014, Why Games & Learning, http://www.instituteofplay.org/about/context/why-games-learning/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Hunter, J., 03/2011, TED Talks: Teaching with the World Peace Game, https://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game/transcript Accessed 15/05/2014

Kerbal Space Program Blog, 03/2014, http://kerbaldevteam.tumblr.com/post/78664661747/kerbal-space-program-to-add-nasa-asteroid-redirect Accessed 15/05/2014

Dunagan, J., Jeffery, L., Fidler, D., Maguire, R., 11/2011, The Magic of Kids Tech Report, http://www.iftf.org/our-work/people-technology/technology-horizons/the-magic-of-kidstech/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Game References

World of Warcraft, http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/ Accessed 15/05/2014

SimCityEDU, http://www.simcityedu.org/ Accessed 15/05/2014

World Peace Game, World Peace and other Fourth-Grade Achievements, https://www.worldpeacegame.org/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Civilisation, http://www.civilization5.com/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Historia, http://playmakers.instituteofplay.org/historia/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Minecraft, https://minecraft.net/ Accessed 15/05/2014

Bioshock, http://bioshock.wikia.com/wiki/BioShock_Cultural_References Accessed 15/05/2014