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MirandaMod,
Tuesday 9th March 2010
Computer games, learning and the curriculum: uneasy bedfellows? (Part 1)
Participants in this debate on March 9th made it clear how many perspectives there are on this subject that spans school and leisure. All the evidence and the beginnings of a collaborative map are stored, and you can still add to the MindMeister online collaborative concept map.
Many thanks to Leon Cych for assembling all the resources and to Theo for maintaining the Wiki.
Summary
Caroline Pelletier, Institute of Education, London, Games and Learning: what’s the connection?
Caroline opened the MirandaMod by talking about the theories underlying games playing as a learning opportunity. She was a member of Making Games: developing game-authoring software for educational and creative use (September 2003-August 2006). The project investigated computer game making for media literacy, and developed a software prototype to enable 11-14 year olds create their own games. Particular points of focus were the relationship between gender and play, games and contemporary forms of literacy, and participatory approaches to software design. She is course leader for the MA Psychosocial Studies and Education and also leads the module Education and Technology in Clinical Practice: perspectives and issues.
Caroline reminded us that many educationalists have argued that playing computer games can be understood as a form of learning, and that games could be used productively as a teaching resource in mainstream education. When games are portrayed as educational, certain aspects are emphasised: their interactivity, which allows players to dictate the pace of learning; the pleasure they give, which makes learning more motivating; and the control they give to players, which allows a less didactic, more participatory approach to learning.
In this presentation, Caroline argues that notions of interactivity, pleasure, motivation and empowerment are however often poorly defined. Advocates of game-based learning often mean different things by these terms. Caroline reviews four positions in the literature on game-based learning, outlining the different ideas they demonstrate about how games are interactive, motivating and empowering. Each position has implications for thinking about how games can be treated as educational resources. The last position, which extends Brecht’s and Boal’s theories of educational theatre, has received the least attention in the policy and research literature. Caroline argues that more work could be done in this vein to exploit the potential of games in education.
Dawn Hallybone: Games in classrooms: enhancing the curriculum and engaging learners
Dawn who is an award winning classroom teacher at Oakdale Junior School gave a convincing presentation about the value of games in schools. She showed that games can be used to both engage and most importantly enhance the curriculum for children.
- Download Dawn's PowerPoint (7MB)
- Visit her games blog: http://redbridgegamesnetwork.blogspot.com
- Visit her personal blog: http://hallyd.edublogs.org
Joe Nutt: Games in schools: a contribution to low achievement
Jo reminded us of the extreme violence in some games by showing us some of the most unpleasant images screen that are widely available. He said that “like all strong, contemporary cultural pressures which have anti-educational potential, teachers need to be aware of the complete landscape of computer games, if they are to make informed decisions about their use as part of teaching or learning. The relationship between the US defence industry and gaming technologies is especially informative here, since computer games have been used to train soldiers to great effect, but with serious and lasting psychological consequences. The principles and drivers of those games are identical to those used by mainstream commercial companies to attract and engage their teenage users.” After hearing from the teachers who are using games in classrooms he said that the MirandaMod debate reminded him that games are a routine tool in any skilled teachers' toolbox, and that one of the most difficult things to get right about their use, is not technology but timing.
- Visit Joe's blog: http://joenutt.squarespace.com (There's an entry that many will find interesting - "More drivel about computer games")
- Download Joe's PowerPoint (1MB)
His MirandaNet talk is here:
Chris Binns: ThinkQuest: a collaborative venture
Chris' Presentation:
Chaired by Terry Freedman
Partnered by Oracle ThinkQuest
(www.thinkquest.org)
MirandaMod, Monday 29th March 2010
Computer games, learning and the curriculum: uneasy bedfellows? (Part 2)
17:30 – 19:30 at The Brewery, London, EC1
Free refreshments
Nearest tube Barbican
www.thebrewery.co.uk
Christina Preston
Author of Scoop and NewsNet: MirandaNet Fellowship
A surge in rickets in
the 21st century? A look back at designing educational games in the 1980s
Plus Derek Robinson, Dawn Hallybone, Leon Cych and Theo Kuechel
The second March MirandaMod is a free event within the 2010 international Games Based Learning Event called Video Games Social Media and Learning
March 29th – 30th (http://bit.ly/57jJuG).
The early bird registration
period
came to an end on January 31st.
MirandaNet members wishing to attend the conference may use the special
discount code (sent via MirandaLink) at registration to obtain a 10% discount
at online registration before
February 27th. Those who register before this date will be entered into
a draw to win a new Apple iPad. Registration is available at http://bit.ly/gbl10reg
The main conference site is at: www.gamebasedlearning2010.com
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