Like Verena and Brenda, I have a bias against gaming. A lot of the games I have “played” were lame or low-level thinking. The one game that I really enjoyed during my high school years was “All the Right Type”. It was fun and easy to play, and you can set a goal for yourself […]
Continue reading Like Verena and Brenda, I have a bias ag… Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based LearningWeek 05: Game-Based Learning Page 2RSS Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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ccheung
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Jay
Although I grew up with both a computer and nintendo I have never really taken to gaming and now would still rather learn through reading or interacting socially. For myself as a learning I find these more beneficial and associate gaming with leisure and it does not engage me as a learner as much as I get the sense […]
Continue reading Although I grew up with both a computer … Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning -
Kristopher
Games
I chose to play a number of the games that seemed to all put you in a first-person context. The first game that I played was the game Spent. Spent was a pretty well crafted game that was quite short and based on a number of decisions as a single parent that has lost everything. […]
Continue reading Games Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
bcourey
I gave Spent a try too…and was wiped out financially in about 3 minutes…I see the point they are making about trying to make a living on minimum wage – I can see this being quite beneficial for those students who drop out of school before graduating because they got the “great job” at minimum wage – having no clue how much everything costs…But what disengaged me was the fact that the reason I was wiped out financially was because I didn’t pay for health insurance – very U.S. oriented. However, I then needed dental work and couldn’t afford it so I lived with the pain…a real-life experience. I found that my university bound students were much more intrigued with SimCity games where the development of a city or society required much more complex thinking and problem solving.
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ifeoma
The 3rd world farmer game review
This game allows you to pretend to be a farmer in a third world country (Africa). It is a family of 4 (2 adults under 30 and 2 children under 9), with very little money. The children put in 38% labour each into the farm work while parents put in 100% each, The children have […]
Continue reading The 3rd world farmer game review Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
themusicwoman
Dear Ifeoma,
Thanks for the great breakdown of what seems to me to be a fairly engaging and educational game. One of the concepts that game based learning pushes is the immersion of the player into the game and this certainly proves the point. There have been a number of games over the years that build on this idea. I played one that had to do with Chinese dynasties and until the workers learned how to do certain things, I wasn’t able to “graduate” into the next technological age. The Age of Empires series does the same. However, your game is from a much more “recent” time which can teach the immediacy of the situation. Thanks for the contribution.-
ifeoma
Hi,
I definitely was immersed in the game and because i grew up in aAfrica and have a good sense of the context most of the concepts that were being brought up were not alien to me and so it was quite close to real life for me. I think the game is a successful one in terms of immersion.
Personally, I think people learn more when learning is situated for them and this game scores an A for that from my point of view.
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jarvise
Hi,
I played this one too. On my second year, I allowed a company to store their ‘harmless barrels’ on my land, and one of my kids died. Pretty depressing.
What I find interesting about this game, and the Spent game as well, is that there is a sort of authentic “will you ever win?” feel to it (just like real life). There are no hard and fast rules, and you have to deal with whatever the fallout is from your decisions and move on. There are some serious life skills here. Maybe this is an advantage of GBL.
Emily
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ifeoma
Jarvise, I couldn’t agree more with you that this game teaches life skills and I might add with ease. I was particularly awed by the influences that were factored into the game including the fact that being pregnant was a factor too 🙂 It is a serious game for getting kids to understand cause and effect. I really enjoyed t,Thanks to your grup for opening my eyes to the potential lying within GBL
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Everton Walker
Hangaroo
I am not a big game fan so my experience is very limited. I have tried a few before including jeopardy and hangaroo. The experience with hangaroo was rather rewarding as I used to play that game before but not in digital format. As a teacher of literacy, I was able to use this game […]
Continue reading Hangaroo Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
jenaca
Hey Everton,
I have used Jeopardy in my classroom and the students love it! When I was student teaching, I would create a jeopardy page then alter it depending on what lesson was going to be used. I would use the SMART board to display the game and the students loved being chosen to answer the question, interacting with the board! -
Everton Walker
How effective was this game in your class? Did you use it for a specific subject area? I actually used it for comprehension classes and did it with competing teams. My students were serious competitors and therefore they made the process intense and interactive. I even designed a teacher-made jeopardy too.
Everton
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themusicwoman
Dear Everton,
I think having a kangaroo hurl insults at me would be kinda fun 🙂 Would be even better if it could hurl Shakespearean insults. Now there’s something kinda geeky for you. Interesting response from a person who professes to be a non-gamer. As well, I have used Jeopardy before in my classes. I love it and for some reason, the students seem to think that it isn’t “work” although the amount of review we get done in a couple of games is the equivalent of a whole unit of terms or concepts. -
ifeoma
Hi Everton,
It sure sounds like you had fun playing Hangaroo I guess the hangman’s noose and the Kangaroo are the two major controls you have in the game, probably why it called Hangaroo 🙂 Evidently, these did the job well enough in getting not just the students but you to learn new words. I do not know this game but it sure sounds like scrabble of sorts to me. -
Keisha Edwards-Hamilton
Everton,
I have used Jeopardy in my class and it was fun for the students. It kept them alive, interested and motivated. Sometimes a little fun is just what students need to be re-inspired, and games can be an excellent way to learn, practice, and review a lesson’s content in interesting and creative ways.
Keisha
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Everton Walker
It’s really fun and a vocabulary and general knowledge builder. A great way to avoid conventional vocabulary strategies.
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hall
Everton,
I can recall our teachers using hangaroo with as children in primary and high school but I have never used it as a teacher. It is an exciting game; one sparkle interest in students. I have used jeopardy with my students which they like very much.
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Juliana
My Flashback – Quiz games
At the risk of disclosing my age, I am going to tell everyone the story of the one game that popped into my mind. It was a game that was played using a 5 inch floppy disk. My Dad got it for me to encourge me into learning about computers and their history. It was pretty much […]
Continue reading My Flashback – Quiz games Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
Julie S
That reward system really works doesn’t it? I had the similar experience with the typing tutor which had a little guy jumping over hurdles. Whenever I missed a keystroke he would trip on the hurdle. It kept me typing for long periods of time to try to see how long I could go without the guy tripping. Such simplicity to get you hooked but it probably wouldn’t work today with the complex virtual worlds that are out there.
– Julie-
Juliana
I remember those typing tutors! Those were fun. The one that I really enjoyed was Typer Shark by Pop gap games. Very addictive, but it did improve my typing skills.
Juliana.
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bcourey
we must be from the same era..because I remember that too! 5 inch floppy disks were so up-and-coming!!
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Juliana
We are definitely from the same era then! It’s funny because now I have a memory stick that can hold up to 16GB of memory. Now that’s progress!
Juliana.
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Everton Walker
I am from the floppy era too and now when I look at one I just have laugh and say omg. You hit the nail on the head about reward. I dont know if it’s because most people experience more sad times than happy times in life why we embrace anything rewarding and successful. Games really have the power to motivate us and that’s the reason many persons are hooked on them. For some, this is the only medium where they find success.
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Juliana
Thanks Everton for your comments. You are right in that we seem to be a reward based society. I think it has something to do with how we are evolutionarily wired. Even when I am teaching it is amazing what people will do for a chocolate bar.
Juliana.
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ifeoma
Juliana, I agree that rewards work for kids. Again there may have been an element of novelty there for you too even though the fireworks were in monochrome, there were not other games that could do that then. I wonder at what point that novelty wore off and then you started wanting more, perhaps asking your dad why the fireworks would not show color 🙂
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Juliana
Thanks for your question! I stopped playing the game when the fireworks weren’t enough of a pay off for me. I found that after a while I could do the whole test in 5 minutes flat without even really thinking about it. It is the same thing I face today with other games. I am only interested in them when I have to work to get to progress forward in it. However, when I get to a point where I am playing the game and having other thoughts running through my head (ie. what to do for work, grocery lists etc.), then I know it is time to move on to another game. When I start no longer focusing on the game, it means I am getting good at it and it is time for me to move on.
Juliana.
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jenaca
I have a lot of personal experience with gaming on the computer. At a young age my parents enrolled me in a computer program, outside of school, where I learned how to use the computer as well as playing games- math, reading, ect… Then throughout myK-12 schooling years we were constantly in and out of […]
Continue reading I have a lot of personal experience with… Posted in: Uncategorized, Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
Julie S
@jenaca – great learning experiences. Do you find that you’ve been drawn to any learning games as an adult? Given how engrained you have been with digital games since childhood I wonder how that’s impacted your perspective on the value of games for adult learning?
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ifeoma
Wow! Jeneca, you are a true digital native! You had an early start. Your students I guess in a way using games to learn removes a stereotypical formality from the learning process. It is like placing the kids in the domain (play room) only you unlock learning at the same time. I remember non-computer games I played that taught me counting in twos and fives etc.
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ifeoma
Gaming flash back
My gaming flashbacks take me to remembering my first job which was also my first encounter with computers. Not knowing how to find my way around was frustrating because my colleagues all seemed to be having so much fun playing games at lunch or after hours on the network. I really wanted to join in […]
Continue reading Gaming flash back Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
themusicwoman
Thanks for the post! You’ve certainly mentioned some key things that gaming can help with such as team building. And i remember losing a few hours to Doom as well. I can still remember the key strokes!
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bcourey
My flashback
As I am reading other posts, I am recalling long-forgotten games, not necessarily for me…my experience with games consists of Space Invaders (yes, that old) and Pong…but I do recall buying “educational” games for my kids, although the quality was definitely not that experienced today. I remember Mario Brothers – and yes, my kids learning […]
Continue reading My flashback Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
ifeoma
You are quite right about how reading other posts help you remember so many other games. Your post just reminded me of using Mavis beacon to learn touch typing. What made interesting for me was the way the practice tests were designed like games. I must say that it was an added incentive for me to learn touch typing.
I guess your adult sons have a good point abut the adrenaline rush and losing oneself for some time. I sure saw that more in my male colleagues at work and this makes me wonder if males are more inclined to play these computer games than females. i must say that I was surprised to see that the percentage of male and female gamers was quite close. -
Everton Walker
Males are designed for games it seems. On a regular basis on campus males can be identified lost in games when they should be in class. It was just the other day a first grader asked if he could see my cell. I showed him and in a few seconds he was in the game menu searching for a game to play. I was amazed at the ease at which he manipulated the games as I was clueless to them.
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Kristopher
Hi Everton,
My 3 year old nephew grabs an iPad and is navigating his way through folders to find the games that he likes best with ease. He is actually pretty good at it and even gets the concept of Tetris and how to stack the blocks so that it lasts. He has also gotten quite good at getting to youtube and using the recently played videos to find all of the Elmo and Old McDonald videos he can find… it’s amazing.
Kristopher
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Everton Walker
Kris,
They are really tech-savvy. This is just their thing. It amazes me at the rate they are able to master these games and problem-solve. Educators should take cues from these exploits and set up similar activities that will challenge our boys as they are usually the ones falling back in the classes.
Everton
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ashleyross
Game-Based Learning Flashbacks
I don’t remember a time growing up when I didn’t have a computer in my house. I have flashbacks of being 4 – 5 years old and even earlier playing computer games. My parents realized very early on the influence digital game-based learning could have and as such we played a variety of different educational […]
Continue reading Game-Based Learning Flashbacks Posted in: Week 05: Game-Based Learning-
Julie S
Your post sounds like a true digital native experience! I’m a digital immigrant so your post about growing up with digital games is very interesting to me.
I had no idea that there was a “Mario Teaches Typing” game. I first learned typing in high school on an old beat up typewriter. Later in University I used a typing program on a Macintosh. I did far better using the game. This is probably because I loved the game whereas I hated to go to typing class because it was so boring. Great examples!
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jarvise
Your typing game flashback reminds me of the typing game I played in high school – it was kind of like a space invaders game for typing. It was extremely low-tech, but still fun. I just went online to see if I could find anything about it, and didn’t, but found this site with tons of typing games:
http://www.typingweb.com/tutor/games/Emily
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ifeoma
Hi Ashley,
Interesting post, i think Julie S must be right in saying you are a digital native. I guess like JulieS, i would also be a digital migrant (i like the terminology). I guess typing was a major skill required of anyone who wanted to use computer technology to write. I am almost sure every computer user at some point had to use some typing tutor. I used Mavis beacon myself and the practice tests were designed like word games. i must say that it made learning touch typing fun for me even though I would say it could have been a case of trying to teach an old dog a new trick 🙂-
Karen Jones
LOL, Ifeoma, you totally made me laugh and cringe at the mention of “Mavis Beacon”. That was our alternate school’s earliest foray into using computers and games with our ADHD students. Ya, apparently, they weren’t as sold on the idea as the adults, and we had to threaten them with duct tape to keep them typing at the computer for more than about 15 minutes, let alone the whole class.
KJ
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Everton Walker
I never grew up with computers so I was not exposed to gaming from an early age. Maybe that’s the reason I am not big on games now. Even at college when my friends were engaged in playing games I would be doing something else. Slowly but surely I am changing as I now see the power of gaming as it relates to education and learning.
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hall
As a child I did not have access to computers but I frequently played Nintendo games which I found very enjoyable. I remember as a child I would save my lunch money in order to buy tokens at a well known games room so as to play the available games. I have missed important activities and domestic chores as result of being endowed in playing games as a child.
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Deb Kim
I love Mario games by Nintendo. It’s been there since I was young and I’ve enjoyed playing it with my brother. The game was first introduced to me by my cousin from Japan. Then, my father bought a 3D Nintendo for my brother who was really good at finding “stars”. I was truly amazed by the 3D Mario game that I wanted to become a 3D animation or game designer one day. Although it was a dream that I dreamt as a teenager, I still love to play any of the Mario games, including Mario Cart. They are so much fun!
Deb
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themusicwoman 12:44 pm on October 5, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Dear Jay,
Although I remember the game, I have to admit I didn’t play it much and I appreciate your comment about not being a game based learner as much as a book/written word and social learner. This unit has made me think more about me as a learner, too. I tend to game for fun and relaxation but I think of how my child in grade 1 uses games to learn spelling right now on the computer.
So, a detective eh?
bcourey 3:30 pm on October 5, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I too remember that game Jay…thanks for the reminder. I remember thinking that my kids would really enjoy it and I would sneak in some geography education on them…didn’t work – they really didn’t enjoy the game as it lacked the “action” they preferred.
ifeoma 3:36 pm on October 5, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Jay,
Reading your post I can already see that the “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?” is a game that would encourage the development of problem solving skills in addition to learning geography. I can also relate to associating gaming with leisurey, my take of it is that the skills it teaches are embedded and so are not apparent and it is just as well, because it is a way to make learning informal and fun in order to attract someone who does not like to learn in the usual formal way,
jenaca 3:38 am on October 6, 2011 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Jay, I also remember playing “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego”. I agree with your post that I play games for the fun of it and don’t necessarily combined learning and games. However, there are some great games that do enhance learning, especially for young children.