“Games are architectures for engagement”
I will say that I am a bit lost when it comes to teaching experience with games in education simply because I have yet to teach in my own classroom. Because of this I am going to base this blog post more about my life observations.
In an article written by R.F. Mackay in 2013, a system of points, badges, rewards, and leaderboards in games can affect student’s motivation, interactions, and self-expression. They also discussed that games help people develop non-cognitive skills including patience and discipline. These traits related more to success further in life rather than IQ scores.
I agree with what was written in this article. It does seem like when students are given a point system or get to compete with each other they perform better. They are given the chance to show they studied more or prepared more for given questions. Mackay spoke about the fact that students in todays technology saturated world play games in almost every area of their lives expect at school. I have seen this first hand, classroom teachers who are afraid to have competitions to help students study because of a fear of missing the ones who may struggle or didn’t review the material prior to class.
The addition of games to student’s education seems like it would make it more fun. I remember being in high school and sitting in French class conjugating verbs and listening to the Spanish class next door laugh and have fun playing games. The teacher created games as tests and review in all levels of her Spanish class. She had games for vocabulary, verbs, and sentence structure. I truly believe that because of the fun games she incorporated into her lessons her students learned more and had more fun in the class.
Mackay, R. (2013, March 1). Playing to learn: Panelists at Standard discussion say using games as an educational tool provides opportunities for deeper learning. Retrieved August 29, 2018, from https://news.stanford.edu/2013/03/01/games-education-tool-030113/
Your observation about the Spanish class reminded me of a vocabulary review game that I used in class last year. I used Quizlet Live to review vocabulary words before the test. It was unlike any game that I had ever used before because the students have to work collaboratively to get points while competing with the other teams around the room. The question would appear on everyone's screen, but the answer options were divided between all teammate's screens, but only one of them contained the correct answer. They had to rely on each other not just for knowledge, but also selecting the correct answer in a timely manner. When the group got a correct, they would get points but when they got it wrong, they would lose all of their points and have to start all over again. You talk about a loud, but engaged class!
ReplyDeleteGames can be very motivating to students because of the instant feedback and positive rewards. In my experience, students enjoy them more when there is a competitive aspect to them.
I think Games are so successful because it's a different way to learn. When you're doing something fun while learning, it sometimes doesn't even feel like learning. I have read that digital games teach students life skills and I definitely agree with that. It's kind of amazing to watch the most energetic kids in the class sit patiently waiting for their next turn in a game. Plus, through games, material is reinforced in a new way which helps students actually remember material they learn.
ReplyDeleteI agree that games in the classroom engage students because they are fun and it is a different way of learning. I remember playing Jeopardy as a review game when I was in school, and we've done that with our own students. My kids also love Kahoot, which is another game where students earn points for answering correctly and quickly. But I also like how you pointed out the other non-cognitive skills that students develop when using games in the classroom. Patience and discipline are important skills that students should constantly be developing, and if they're playing games at the same time they're practicing those skills, then it won't even feel like they're learning something!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is extremely important for students to learn patience and discipline. I also feel that online games give students a way to struggle without giving up because they are motivated to figure it out. I don't have students tell me that the online games they play are too hard, but I did get that in class sometimes. I really like that about finding good online games for students to play. I tell my students all the time that it is more important to try, fail and try again than it is to get the answer correct the first time.
ReplyDeleteErika,
ReplyDeleteI love your quote, “Games are architectures for engagement.” Games can have an anonymous tone which appeal to some students. Student who might not have a voice to speak out in class, will have more confidence in expressing themselves in games. Great post.
Josie