Day: October 22, 2014

 

The Games and Learning Publishing Council have published their findings in a comprehensive, 67-page report investigating if and how digital games are being used in classrooms. The survey illustrates the mainstream appeal of learning with games starts a new conversation of how to use long-form digital games for deeper learning experiences. Thank you to Benjamin Herold at Education Week for sharing the survey results.

Posted by: Ryan Schaaf

Original Source

Digital learning games have officially gone mainstream, with nearly three-quarters of K-8 teachers saying they use the games for classroom instruction, according to a new national survey. 

But the rise of digital gaming within schools still pales in comparison to the advances seen in the commercial gaming sector, according to a comprehensive, 67-page report issued by the Games and Learning Publishing Council, a project of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop, a New York-based nonprofit that studies digital media use and children. 

Students are still mostly using desktop and laptop computers to access digital learning games in the classroom, and most teachers are still using short-form games to deliver content and allow students to practice basic skills, rather than leveraging the significant learning potential to be found in long-form, multi-player, and immersive games, the report found. 

“When scholars and practitioners first began inspiring us with their visions for digital game-based learning, they certainly weren’t writing about drill-and-practice games. Yet this is what so many K-8 teachers are still using with students today,” says the report. 

Barriers include lack of support and training for teachers, limited time within the school day, and difficulty finding games that are clearly aligned to curricular standards, according to the study. 

Recommendations from the report include creation of an “industry-wide framework” and taxonomy for categorizing and reviewing games so they are easier for teachers to identify and better and more widespread pre-service technology training and professional development on how to integrate digital games into the classroom. 

The results are based on a survey of 694 K-8 teachers from across the United States, conducted in the fall of 2013. Unlike previous research efforts, the study included teachers who don’t use digital games in the classroom. 

As part of their analysis, researchers from the Games and Learning Publishing Council/Joan Ganz Cooney Center used statistical methods to create an entertaining and illuminating typology of teachers. At one end of the spectrum, they say, are “dabblers” who use games to teach a few times per month, but are not particularly comfortable doing so, in part because they face significant barriers and a lack of training and other resources. 

At the other end of the spectrum are the “naturals” who frequently play digital games themselves, teach with them often, and receive lots of support. 

Really, though, the strength of the new study, titled “Level Up Learning: A National Survey on Teaching With Digital Games,” is in how thoroughly it surveys the field. 

Some findings that caught my eye:

• 74 percent of the K-8 teachers surveyed report using digital games for instruction, most at least monthly and more than half at least weekly.

• More than 40 percent of those surveyed say they use digital learning games to deliver mandated academic content, while roughly one-third said they use games to assess student learning.

• Popular titles that teachers report using in the classroom included Starfall, Cool Math, PBS Kids, ABC Mouse, and Brain Pop.

• Immersive and commercial games are not widely used.

• 71 percent of teachers surveyed said digital learning games were helpful for teaching math, while just 42 percent said they were helpful for teaching science.

• Of those teachers who do use games in the classroom, 56 percent said they base instructional decisions on what they learn from game-related assessments, and 54 percent said that games have been helpful in gauging student mastery of concepts or content.

• The majority of teachers—more than two-thirds—report turning to other teachers within their school or district for support using games in the classroom.

• Students are overwhelmingly accessing digital games via desktop PC or laptop (72 percent said they were doing so), followed by interactive whiteboard (40 percent) or tablet (39 percent). According to the report, “these data suggest that students’ gaming experiences at school are flipped images of ther gaming experiences at home,” where gaming systems are most popular.

• Younger teachers, teachers who regularly play digital games themselves, and teachers working in schools serving high proportions of low-income students reported using digital games in the classroom more frequently than other teachers.

• More than 60 percent reported playing digital games themselves at least once per week.

The word cloud below, from the report, provides a visual snapshot of the games that teachers report using most frequently.

 

Times must change in the classroom. The role of teachers and textbooks must transform to better prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Textbooks, although a valuable source of information,  must no longer be considered THE source of all information. The role of the teacher must also change from the ‘sage on the stage’ to the ‘guide on the side’. Despite the need for this role transformation (from lecturer to facilitator), teachers are absolutely critical for learning and assessment in today’s classrooms. Hear from Sarah Wike Loyola at the Huffington Post on her insights into preparing students for their future, and not our past.

Posted by: Ryan Schaaf

Original Source

Historically, the teacher has been the omniscient presence in just about every classroom in the world. They were the only ones who possessed the all-mighty knowledge which was passed on to their yearning students. Traditionally, pupils were placed in rows directed towards the maestro perched at the front of the room spouting facts that the students madly scribbled in their notebooks. The aforementioned students would then, at a later time, pour over their notebooks attempting to commit these facts to their short-term memory for long enough to get a decent grade on the corresponding test. Then, they would promptly forget most everything they “supposedly” learned. Sound familiar?

The only other source of knowledge on any particular subject was the textbook. In modern times, these were, and still often are, assigned in a course to each student at the beginning of the school year. Textbooks have existed since the time of papyrus and have represented a portable form of knowledge for centuries. However, for many of us who toted them around risking scoliosis for nearly two decades, textbooks have left a very negative taste in our mouths. I can clearly remember trying to read from them while fighting to keep my eyes from clamping shut.

Okay class, let’s review. For thousands of years, there have generally only been two sources of knowledge in a classroom: 1) the teacher; and 2) the text book.

So, is it possible that all of this could change in a matter of a few short years? Is it conceivable that educational tradition and history could be disrupted in a radical way? Is it imaginable that neither the teacher nor the textbook are the most powerful tools in the classroom in 2014? The answer to all of these questions is a resounding YES.

The most influential tool in the classrooms of today is the Internet, and districts, schools, and/or teachers that are not dealing with this reality are truly doing a huge disservice to their students. As we progress in this technologically charged world, we face a very important question. What is to become of the role of teachers? Will they become obsolete?

Fortunately, the answer is no, but what I hope to prove to you is that a teacher’s role in the classroom must change. We have all heard teachers referred to as the “sage on the stage”, but now that they are no longer the most sagacious presence in the room, they truly must become more of a “guide on the side”. I too am a teacher, but like to describe my role to students as one of facilitator, mentor and coach.

The hard truth is that the tech-savvy students of today do not want to be lectured to about facts they can instantly find with the click of a button on their smart phones. Siri can often give a more comprehensive answer than many of us on any given topic. Therefore, the honest truth is that HOW we teach must change. Making students memorize rote facts and regurgitate them is no longer sensible, and educators now have the opportunity to have students think much more critically, solve problems, and use their creativity in ways they never have been pushed to do in the past.

This can be done by making classrooms much more student-centered than ever before. We, as facilitators, can broach broad and meaningful questions based around the units we teach, but our students can do the research, seek out the answers, and teach themselves the material. Let me give you an example. In my AP Spanish class, one of our themes is “World Challenges”. I start the unit by simply asking, “What are the greatest challenges facing our world and how do we solve them?” I know the answer to this question, but that is unimportant because I charge them with seeking out the answers. I divide them into small groups and give them time to investigate on their own. Once they have researched the topic, I have them make a poster using the Explain Everything App that demonstrates their results. If your students do not have an iPad, they can use actual poster board. Then, they present their poster and their discoveries to their classmates. I guide them through the process, but they teach themselves and their peers the material. Later in the unit when they have to write a persuasive essay on, “What is one of the greatest challenges facing our planet and how can we solve it?” they are able to think critically on the matter because they already did when they explored the material earlier.

We were taught very differently because we only had access to the “Encyclopedia Britannica”, text books, and card catalogs. The students of today have access to a colossal amount of information. We must take this into consideration if we are going to prepare them for the modern workplace and a future so technologically advanced that it is inconceivable at this moment.

For teachers, the hardest part is letting go of control in their classrooms. Many educators are experts in what they teach, so it can be hard for them to not demonstrate their breadth of knowledge in their subjects on a daily basis. Also, teachers must now become receptive and open to a classroom full of lively, yet organized chaos. Educators have to develop a level of comfort with the fact that they are no longer simply lecturing to a silent audience.

I hope that I have shown that students need to be more in control of their own learning. In order for this to occur, educators must move aside and give up some power. This is the only way we can begin to make true educational progress, and the Internet must be our guiding force.

If you are an educator, a parent, or anyone else interested in education, get inspired the same way I did by watching Sugata Mitra’s TEDTalk.

Follow Sarah Wike Loyola on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SWLoyola

Vicki Davis at Edutopia shares with us the fundamentals of game-based learning and provides helpful definitions and scenarios for educators to consider when they are incorporating learning games into instruction. 

Posted by: Ryan Schaaf

Original Source

You want students to learn. Shall we play a game? Absolutely!

But what is a game?

Game: a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

Is Game-Based Learning the Same as Gamification?

Not exactly. Gamification is “applying typical elements of game playing (e.g., point scoring, competition with others, rules of play) to other areas of activity.” Great classrooms often use both.

Every day in my classroom, I’m using the essentials: gamification elements, reward systems, and game-based learning. I’ve already covered 5 Ways to Design Effective Rewards for Game-Based Learning. Let’s learn how to pick the games.

Understanding Games

Powerful games in the classroom often include:

• Multiple levels or challenges
• A compelling or intriguing storyline
• A personalized, unique experience for each learner
• Rewards such as unlocking certain capabilities based upon achievements
• Additional rewards and feedback from the teacher or classroom.

Tools to Analyze Game-Based Learning

As you choose games, you’ll want to mix up the games you use. These tools will help you analyze which works for you.

Computer Games vs. Simulations

Computer games are often fantasy based. Simulations are a form of computer game that simulates something happening in real life. Both are useful.

A simulation might have students dissect a body online, while a computer game that teaches the same thing would be Whack a Bone. Both can teach the bones and parts of the body. Dissection is more realistic than the game to “whack” the proper bone.

Single- vs. Multi-Player

In a single-player game, each student plays as an individual. There may be a leaderboard at the end, but they aren’t playing against or with other players inside the game.

Multi-player games include other players as either competitors or teammates.

For example, the AIC Conflict Simulation from the University of Michigan is a multi-player simulation of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Students play the role of world leaders, and their mentors are grad students at the University of Michigan. Every single game is unique. The learning experience is powerful.

A single-player game, PeaceMaker, also simulates the Arab-Israeli conflict — however, it’s just the student against the computer. There are no unique elements determined by other players in the game, just the software.

Single-player games can be easier to play and coach, but I’ve gravitated toward at least one multi-player simulation per school year per course. Multi-player simulation environments require higher-order thinking. Students are analyzing, creating, and having to deeply understand their topic.

One of my favorite methods to amp up single-player games is creating teams. For example, using the typing speeds of my students, I create teams with the same average typing speed. These evenly-matched teams play their favorite typing game, Baron von Typefast. We add up all the scores, and the winning team receives a medal (as I play Olympic music). I’ve seen my eighth graders wear these all day long!

One-Time vs. Persistent Games

One-time games make fun bell ringers. Every time a student logs in, he or she starts over. A persistent game is a permanent game environment where the student achieves over multiple playing sessions.

Right now, my ninth graders are participating in the H&R Block Budget Challenge. In this persistent game, they have to create a budget, pay bills, and save money on the salary of a person who is just six months out of college. It goes along with the real calendar and will last from October through December. (Students can win real cash scholarships, which makes it even more intense.) If you coach a persistent game well, the game itself becomes the reward.

While students are playing the simulation game, I am still teaching with one-time games. This week I used a Tax Bingo game where students fill a bingo card by getting answers from their classmates. (Think of it as a massivethink-pair-share.)

Real-Life vs. Electronic Gaming

You can game in the physical classroom. Some gamers call this RL (real life) or IRL (in real life). For example, I invented an accounting game to use with a physical Monopoly board. As my students entered debits and credits, they produced financial documents. While electronic games are fast and easy, the physical classroom is a powerful place to use game-based learning.

Thematic Games with a Storyline

Some teachers like Michael Matera are using game-based learning every day. Every student is in a “house” or “clan,” and these groups compete for points all year long. (See Gamification in Education for more about this model.)

Preparation vs. On-the-Fly Game Play

Some formative assessment tools or games like Kahoot! require some preparation ahead of time. Socrative, another formative assessment tool with built-in games, has some “on-the-fly” tools that let teachers ask for answers without preparation.

Feedback vs. No Feedback

Teachers need data on gaps in knowledge. Many of today’s educational “games” have no feedback for parents or teachers. Look for games with good teacher feedback systems.

Where Do I Find the Games?

If you want to find great games, I recommend the Gamifi-ed wiki that my ninth graders compiled with the Master’s program students from the University of Alaska Southeast. (As an aside, we found a major disconnect between recommendations by app stores and the games that are actually the best for learning.)

Additionally, sites like Common Sense Media and Free Technology for Teachers are always featuring new games and simulations.

Game-Based Learning

Games have always been in the classroom, but improvements in technology have launched us forward. Not all games are alike, so be smart — but GAME ON!

VICKI DAVIS @COOLCATTEACHER’S PROFILE