Today we had a guest lecture from Heidi James, and some students from the school district to talk about gaming in education. We reflected on our own experiences of games and gaming technology (such as “All the Right Type” and “Reader Rabbit”). She hooked the class by asking how we can interject more playing into the classroom. Of course we don’t have to use technology to play games, as we can play with things like scrabble, flashcards, and bingo-type games (for some examples mentioned by Luke).
They defined Gamification as the adding of gaming components to other instructional methods, such as the introduction of game design elements. This is to be contrasted (although is it that different?) with game-based learning: “In game-based learning, the game is the learning experience” (from class lecture). Some of the most common tech games we already see in classrooms are Kahoot!, Quizzlet, and Socrative. These are mostly competitive games, but I don’t see an issue with allowing for some degree of competition sometimes. They are especially useful when the students have say in creating the questions and answers.
I learned that a lot of games I grew up loving are able to be recoded, by getting in to the backdoor of the program. For example, in Mario Kart, students can create their own courses to drive, details, and worlds. I can see how this would be very valuable for me as an educator to be able to support my students in learning. Heidi mentioned the importance of being in the place of the learner sometimes, and since students know so well how to use technology, they can work together, be leaders, and use the secrets and tips that they have.
The main game we discussed and explored was Minecraft, and its use in a classroom. Unbeknownst to me, there is an Education Edition. It seems like it can be used for almost any subject, and when there is a shared server, students create magic when they collaborate. When students become very engaged in the game, it incentivizes their drive to explore, compete, play, and problem solve. I wish Emma’s sharing of how to use Minecraft would have been working, because it would have been so cool to have a student walk us through it. Nonetheless, the video shown was very cool, and I can see how Heidi and her students are very passionate about these platforms – and who doesn’t love to see passion?
I am excited to learn more, but for risk or writing (sounding) like a broken record, I am always a bit wary of technology as I think it can divert one’s mind, body and soul away from what really matter in life. That said, I am willing and eager to increase my digital literacy, so I may be there for my students in a way that makes them happy and keen to learn and be present. I still prefer scrabble.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
