Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

As someone who is very much unfamiliar with video games, today’s presentation, along with James Gee’s article, was quite eye opening.  Video games have acquired quite the negative image in our society and in the media, being demoted to something that steals adolescents’ time away from more productive activities.  Gee, however, proposes an interesting parallel between the characteristics of a good video game and an effective school curriculum.  He analyzes video games in a way that I have never considered before and offers valuable suggestions for ways in which we can improve our teaching, and in general, our approach to education.

I think that some of the most interesting points that Gee makes were in regards to identity and production.  It seems like a large part of the reason for people’s deep involvement and commitment to video games is the fact that they have developed a new identity through one of the characters in the game.  Gee suggests that if students were to take on different identities in different disciplines, it would be much more appealing and intriguing.  I had never thought of approaching the curriculum in this way before, and also wished that Gee provided some practical examples of helping students to become more active and immersed in the activities in the curriculum.

Gee also talks about the effectiveness of having players contribute to and influence the virtual worlds in video games, tying this to the way in which students must also be able to do the same with the curriculum in school.  This notion also ties in with the need for customization, leading students and gamers alike to feel like they have a sense of agency.   Students have to see themselves reflected in the curriculum to feel recognized and valued; by tying the content to their lives and their interests and giving them room for choice, the curriculum becomes something worthwhile to explore.  Gee’s analogy is an interesting way to approach teaching and certainly gives me a new perspective on the value of video games.

-Adrienne

Works Cited

Gee, J. (2005). Good Video Games and Good Learning. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33-37.

I was intrigued while reading the Gee article on gaming and education because I did not have a lot of experience with games. The extent that I had personally engaged in games was with Spyro or The Sims when I was younger; at first I did not think that these or any other “fun” games had any connectedness to education. This article really did prompt me to look at gaming in a new way, beginning with the line “keep in mind that a game such as Full Spectrum Warrior is a game when I buy it off the rack, but it is a serious learning tool when a soldier “plays” the professional-training version.” (p. 34) In this sense gaming could quickly become, at the very least, an introduction to multiple different occupations. While there are things that have taken the form and made fun of it, such as Goat Simulator (where yes, you play as a goat, doing goat-like things), there are also titles such as Surgeon Simulator or Train Simulator that attempt to mirror actual occupations. I can definitely see life-based simulation type games being used in the future in a class such a Planning during career exploration. They may be used for serious study or training, as mentioned in the above quote from Gee, or perhaps just to peak interest in possible routes students could go – for instance, when I was younger and thought being a landscaper would be cool, my favourite part of The Sims was designing the yards for my Sim’s house.

Gee also makes the connection between creating new environments or scenarios within games and having input in their classroom curriculum. While at first I was at a loss at how he made this connection, perhaps this creation/production aspect might manifest itself in choosing assignments. For instance, for a final project the teacher may give the students a set of four choices to select from, or the choice to create their own; just as in video games, students are either working within a set of parameters in order to create, or making their own scenario and following through on where that takes them. Gee’s discussion of agency correlates to this, as it gives students a sense of “ownership over what they are doing,” (p. 36) something that I’m sure we have all learned the importance of. After fighting some losing battles during my practicum with students who, even after being given these options for final projects, still did not care enough to do them, applying the principles Gee lays out may not always work. However, the article has helped me make some very strong connections between education and gaming, and I think that at the rate society seems to be going, these connections are going to become both more apparent and more important as time goes on.

Work Cited:

Gee, James Paul. “Good Video Games and Good Learning.” Phi Kappa Phi Forum 85.2 (2005): 33-37. Web. 14 July 2014.

Anyone who has ever had a Candy Crush addiction will tell you that the game is a major time sink. The game seemingly never stops, and even if you beat all available levels at some point, more are shortly added. What keeps people coming back? The game does feature many of the principles of games identified by Gee, however the real appeal of the game seems to be that it takes an activity that is “hard, long, and complex” (Gee 34) and makes it seem like it is shorter and much simpler. The time needed to play a single level is deceptively short, and it is only when factoring in level after level that the true time drain is apparent. Also, the game is a seemingly simple match-three game that anyone could master, but through the addition of bonuses, power-ups, obstacles, and game challenges it becomes far more complex. Rather than try to memorize every one of the principles that Gee outlines, I opted to focus on the key goal of “get[ting] someone to learn something long, hard, and complex, and yet still enjoy it?” (Gee 34), and use a little Candy Crush inspiration for techniques to reach that goal, namely reducing the perceived time or energy investment involved, and making things seem more simple by breaking down complex tasks into smaller chunks. For example, if the purpose is to have the students create a writing portfolio, rather than assign it all at once as a large project, instead do a number of smaller short term projects that they accumulate and edit along the way, and then at the end select a few pieces that they are proud of to submit for the final portfolio. In this way the class could learn “how to play the game” (Gee 34), in this case become familiar with a number of strategies for writing in different genres, in response to a number of prompts, and so on, without being overwhelmed by a long, complicated project all up front. The time commitment and difficulty of any one writing activity would be fairly small, and also this example includes many of the other principles of gaming, including encouraging risk taking, agency, exploration, cross-functional teams (if you do peer reviews, for example), and performance before competence (Gee 35-37), and likely others. While this might seem like a bit of a trick, to trick students into doing a fairly large volume of complex work by breaking it into smaller pieces, it is a very effective tactic to help keep students engaged with a “hard, long, and complex” (Gee 34) process of learning, while keeping the risks low and preventing them from feeling overwhelmed by the scale or difficulty of the project.

Works Cited

Gee, James Paul. “Good Video Games and Good Learning.” Phi Kappa Phi Forum 85.2 (2005): 33-37. Web. 14 July 2014.

~ Amanda Cameron

In Gee’s article “Good Video Games and Good Learning”, he talks about the motivating factors behind student learning and achievement. He begins with the premise that what makes good video games “motivating and entertaining” is the “challenge and learning” these games provide and that “Humans actually enjoy learning” (34).

This article was interesting to me, as while I read the article, the thought that kept coming back to me was that “yes, these characteristics/reasons he’s giving why games can teach students to learn are valid. However, these are characteristics which are prevalent in all forms of effective learning” and that “if learning were to engage learners in such a manner without being in the form of video games, it’d be equally effective.” It turns out that such an idea is actually presented in Gee’s conclusion, as he says, “so the question that I leave you with is not about the use of games in school – though using them is a good idea – but this: How can we make learning in and out of school, with or without using games, more game-like in the sense of using the sorts of learning principles that young people see in good games every day, when and if they are playing these games reflectively and strategically?” (37).

(more…)

James Paul Gee argued that game is actually a form of learning. People are actually learning something from the process of gaming. He listed out sixteen learning principles that would occur when playing video games. I think video game is definitely a good way to engage students because it allows them to access their background knowledge and to think critically. According to Gee, video games allow students to take on different identities, which can lead to them being more empathetic. Since every one of us can only experience that much, video games provide a medium for students to try out different things, experiencing with a new perspective. It will be beneficial if there are some educators who are willing to make games based on novels, which can probably enable students to understand or interpret the novel differently. I also agree that students will be more willing to take risks since video games provide a virtual environment. Failure in video games do not matter because no one is recording how many times you have failed or how many times you can fail. Video games allow players to keep on trying until they master the skills that are needed in order to succeed. I find this element very intriguing because it revolves individualized learning. You go through the levels based on your interests and skills. It is just unfortunate that in the reality, the education system cannot necessarily provide such environment for students.

In my opinion, Gee’s article really allowed me to reflect on my teaching style. I think some of the learning principles that he stated can possibly be integrated into my teaching. The question then I would ask is how. Is it possible to get my students structure their own learning pace, so once they have mastered a particular skill, then they can move onto a more difficult level? Will they be more willingly to take risks if there are no grades assigned to their homework? Once I was asking myself these questions, I thought of trying them in an ELL class. What if I grouped my ELL students based on their abilities, and I would be helping each group to develop skills that are suitable to their abilities?

Questions
Can every game help gamers learn something?
Does every game have its educational value?

Gee, J. (2005). Good Video Games and Good Learning. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33-37.

In response to the assigned reading, I decided to actually post a few interesting video clips that I came across in preparation for my presentation on this topic.  I will discuss these in conversation with the reading as well as the following questions:

• What types of digital games are there and how do youth engage with these forms?
• What are the possibilities of gaming for learning.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

DRAGON AGE™: INQUISITION Gameplay Series — E3 Demo Part One: The Hinterlands

This is a demo that came out a few days ago and I found that this was a very interesting piece, not only because it touches upon many of the key points addressed in the article, but because it is an organic representation of these principles because this demo was primarily put together for marketing purposes; therefore, the points that the designer addresses in this demo are the points that he feels are important to mention for the purpose of making sure that this game sells.

Here are some of the common ideas that are presented in the article and this demo:

Identity:

• “Good video games capture players through identity…players become committed to the new virtual world in which they will live, learn, and act through their commitment to their new identity. Why should the identity of being a scientist and doing science be less appealing?” (Gee, 34).

Agency:

• “Thanks to all the preceding principles, players feel a real sense of agency and control and a real sense of ownership over what they are doing. Such ownership is rare in school” (Gee, 36).

Production:

• “Even at the simplest level, players co-design games by the actions that they take and the decisions that they make…At a higher level, many games come with versions of the software with which they are made, and players can modify them… Players help “write” the worlds in which they live — in school, they should help “write” the domain and the curriculum that they study” (Gee, 35).

Customization:

• “Players can usually, in one way or another, customize a game to fit their learning and playing styles. Games often have different difficulty levels, and many good games allow players to solve problems in different ways…Customized curricula in school should not just be about self-pacing, but about real intersections between the curriculum and the learner’s interests, desires, and styles” (Gee, 35).

These three points identify the elements in a good game that allow the player to become fully invested in it.  The ability to approach problems and tasks from different ways and using different strategies, and that the choices that you make and the way you choose to solve those problems actually impact how the game will unfold is a huge factor is what makes a game enjoyable for many people.

In the game demo, you will notice that the “customization capabilities,”  “strategies” and the impact of your decisions on the world of the game are all points that are highlighted, largely because they are qualities that are important to the target audience.

In terms of teaching, these are tools that we can use in our teaching practice to engage students with what they are learning.  If they are presented with choices and multiple ways to approach a task or demonstrate their skills and knowledge, then they will be able to choose what works best for them; this will help them develop a deeper sense of meaning and personal attachment to what they are learning.

System Thinking:

• “Games encourage players to think about relationships, not isolated events, facts, and skills. In a game such as Rise of Nations, for instance, players need to think of how each action taken might affect their future actions and the actions of the other players playing against them as they all move their civilizations through the ages. In our complex global society, such system thinking is crucial for everyone” (Gee, 36).

 Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge:

• “The virtual character or characters that one manipulates in a game — and many other aspects of the game world — are, in reality, ‘smart tools’…The core knowledge needed to play the game is…distributed among a set of real people and their smart virtual characters” (Gee, 36-37).

Cross-Functional Teams:

• When players play a massive multiplayer game such as World of WarCraft, they often play in teams (parties) in which each player has a different set of skills…Players must each master their own specialty…but they also must understand enough of each other’s specializations to integrate and coordinate with the others (cross-functional understanding)” Gee, 37).

These three points highlight the importance of actual mechanics within the game that actually allow the player to succeed and complete the game.  This involves establishing connections between individual actions/choices to the “bigger picture” and recognizing those tools within the game that are actually there to help you (like the individual skills of your party members or random encounters in your environment that might turn out to be helpful).

While it is not specifically referenced in the demo, you can see that there are different roles and functions within the members of your party.  The player can even move within the party (“putting on the skin” of each party member”) and strategically place them where they are needed.

In terms of teaching practice, these points address both cooperative learning (which, as the article mentions, is a skill that is important for when students enter the workforce) and the ability to recognize the skills and concepts they learn in class as tools to help them succeed and move onto more interesting, complex ideas.

C.A.R.: “The Tri-Force of Needs Fulfilled By Gaming.”

Game Theory: Why You Play Video Games

I found this video to be interesting because it addresses a broader “gaming spectrum” than just the “roleplaying game” (which is the focus of assigned reading).

There are three points that are addressed in this clip that are worth mentioning that are related to the needs that are fulfilled when playing video games:

1. Competency: The feeling of mastery and the sense that you are growing, learning and progressing.  The games that emphasize competency are the ones that you can progress through quickly and rack up levels, high scores, bigger and better toys/weapons/armour, and other visual indicators that resemble success and growth; these in turn allow you the tackle bigger, more complex problems and tasks.  “The more I play, the more competent I feel.”
2. Autonomy: The sense that you have control over your actions and the world around you; love uninhibited choices.  It’s not just about choices but meaningful choices that have (or at lease appear to have) a real impact in the game.
3. Relatedness: The need to feel like we matter to others and that we are making a contribution to society.  People who like these games view gaming as a social experience that allows them to connect with people and friends and will likely enjoy multi-player games.

These three needs are addressed in varying degrees in different games.  Likewise, different people will be drawn to different games to suit whatever their needs are at that point in time.  I think these are important points to consider for the different students in our classrooms and how we can adapt our teaching practices to suit the needs of different students.  Sometimes students want a variety of meaningful choices.  Sometimes they will want to work with friends.  Sometimes, they will just want simple “checkup” assignments so that they can just simply see how they are growing and learning without a whole lot of muss and fuss.  Different students will have different needs at different times during their development as people (or even during the week) which is why it is important to have variety.

Video Games as Conversation Pieces on Social Justice Issues in Popular Media

Both of these hyperlinks link to interviews with staff from BioWare, the same Canadian video company behind the Dragon Age series (that I referenced at the beginning of this entry series).  Something I w0uld like to continue exploring is the use of video games (and other popular media) to critically address issues of social justice (particularly racism and sexism) in popular media.

BioWare’s Heir On Sexism, Racism, Homophobia In Games

This link is an interview with Manveer Heir, designer of Mass Effect 4 (which is part of BioWare’s Mass Effect series).  In this interview he discusses how BioWare is trying to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable  and “sell-able” when it comes to how gender and sexuality are represented in popular media (like video games).  He discusses some interesting point, such as how some consumers and developers try to “excuse” sexism and homophobia in video games by talking about the time period or mythology of the game in question (“this is a medieval game so we will portray women in marginalized roles”).  He also raises an interesting point about the importance of pushing those boundaries and addressing those controversial issues arise, and how game developers have a responsibility in those conversations:

“You’ve got to speak up as a developer any time you see something that you don’t like. I know I always do that. I’m the first person to go, “This is problematic for me and this is why,” and you’ve got to at least bring it up and give someone the chance to fix the problem. Ultimately, we all have bosses in the world so unless you’re a one person studio so you can try to influence it up, sometimes you may change people’s minds and sometimes you won’t. I think if you have the conversation in general, people’s minds will get changed eventually – even if not in some specific instances.”

Sexism and Sexuality in Games

This is a clip of a much longer talk given by David Gaider, the lead writer of the Dragon Age series.  It raises some interesting points about the roles that game developers play in creating broader “norms” with the choices that they make when they are developing their games.  He says that every time a game gets released, the developer is making a statement about what “normal,” that is targeted to their audience (which usually ends up being as many people as possible so that they can sell more games).  He raises some interesting questions, such as:

• Could this lead role be played by a woman?  Why or why not?
• Could this lead role be played by a homosexual man/woman (or someone else from a “marginalized” sexual orientation or sexual identity)?  Why or why not?
• Could this role be played by a man (in reference to a woman who is either hypersexualized or in a marginalized role)?
• What statement about “normal” am I making to the men in my audience?  To the women in my audience?

These are interesting (and important) questions that would be worth presenting to the class when addressing any popular media in the classroom.

In Conclusion…

The assigned reading for this topic highlights some important things that teachers can learn from video game designers.  Other areas that might be worth exploring with our students is how different issues are represented in video games (as a form of popular media that is always engaging with the conversation on “what is normal”).

(Sarah Lowen)

In his article, Good Video Games and Good Learning, James Paul Gee identifies sixteen learning principles that good video games incorporate and argues that teachers should try integrating aspects of gaming into their classrooms in order to maximize students’ success. As someone who grew up playing Nintendo, Sega, and Play Station, I recognize that video games are very fun and agree with Gee that school should be fun too. Too often students today are forced to sit passively in their hard plastic seats for long periods of time and listen to a teacher talk for what seems like forever. By incorporating aspects of gaming into the classroom environment, students are able to have fun, proceed through the curriculum at their own pace, take part in the creation of storyline or setting of a game, and make mistakes in an academic space where failure has traditionally been highly stigmatized.

After reading Gee’s article, one of the potential benefits that immediately occurred to me was the possibility of reducing the amount of classroom behavior management needed. For generations, schools, and especially the classroom, have been environments where mistakes are considered the worst things that a student can make. The traditional classroom environment does not provide students with the opportunities to learn from the mistakes they made on their tests or assignments. The stigmatization of failure in the classroom has generated a feeling of animosity between students and their learning environment. By viewing mistakes as failures rather than learning opportunities, schools are adding a lot of unnecessary stress to their student body and preventing them from making educated guesses or taking chances. In such an environment, students could also begin to believe that their ideas are not valuable and are unworthy of sharing with the rest of the class just because they are different or potentially wrong.

Unlike the traditional classroom, I think that modern classrooms should present a happy, motivational, engaging, and purposeful setting for learning. In order to reduce the amount of classroom behavioral management needed, teachers must understand the conditions that affect the instructional process if they want to prevent inappropriate behavior. By incorporating the learning principles highlighted in Gee’s article, teachers are providing their students with the opportunity to move through the class material at a speed that is more comfortable and less stressful for them. Students will be less likely to act inappropriately in class if the learning environment is suited to their interests and learning styles. Teachers can provide help to students and guide them through their learning process when they ask for it, but most of the learning is done by the student at their own pace. It is the hope that during this process students will start to take ownership of their learning and begin to view their mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures.

Another interesting learning principle that successful video games incorporate is what Gee describes as the element of production. As the article mentions, “players are producers, not just consumers; they are “writers” not just “readers”” (Gee, 35). In other words, many good video games get their players to take part in the writing, producing, and co-designing processes with every action and decision that they make in a game. In their short article, How Can Video Games Support Literacy Skills for Youth?,Kathy Sanford and Liz Merkel bring up the excellent point that video gamers also take part in many literary activities in order to improve their favorite games and gaming skills (Sanford and Merkel, 118-121). Gamers are always producing written reviews about games online, in magazines, and even on the iTunes app store. The popularity of these video games and gaming apps can often be determined by these written reviews and critiques by players. In order to write these reviews, gamers have to develop a complex language about the game by playing it. Therefore, teachers should try to tap into this knowledge of video games by encouraging their students to write about them during writing activities. Students should also be provided with a similar opportunity in the classroom to take part in the formulation of the curriculum and their own learning. As teachers, we need to recognize how video games are transforming previous forms of literacy. It is up to us as teachers to become informed about the learning principles that good video games incorporate and the activities of literacy that our students are already engaging with outside of the classroom.

-Cody Macvey

Questions:

1) As English teachers, how can we use video games to improve the literacy skills of our students?

2) What are the potential drawbacks of structuring the classroom and curriculum like a video game?

References:

Gee, J. (2005). Good Video Games and Good Learning. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33-37.

Sandford, Kathy, & Merkel, Liz. How Can Video Games Support Literacy Skills for Youth?. In Kendrick James, Teresea M. Dobson, Carl Legoo (Ed.1), English in Middle and Secondary Classrooms: Creative and Critical Advice from Canada’s Teacher Educators (118-121). Toronto: Pearson. (2012).

As someone who enjoys playing video games, I found this article to be extremely refreshing. Too often do people complain about video games being mind-numbing, distracting, addictive, etc. , without ever sitting down to play a video game. Knowing that Gee had really tried and experienced video games made the article much more valid to me.

I consider myself an advocate for educational video games, but I admit that I have never really looked at video games as a parallel to classroom instruction. However, as Gee explained the various aspects of a “good video game” and “good learning”, I found myself agreeing. It is true that video games have captured the attention of many people, including the youth we seek to enlighten in schools. Instead of demonizing video games and seeing them as time-wasting activities, why not look at them as models of how to approach teaching and learning?

I have included the list of “learning principles” in video games that Gee proposes, and will expand on them accordingly:

1. Identity

Interestingly, our students take on different identities in the school environment, but we never truly acknowledge this. They are asked to use different thinking strategies and methods in different subjects, while balancing being a “scholar” with being a “citizen”. We can emphasize the importance of these roles to increase self-identity and self-esteem in our students.

2. Interaction

In a good classroom, there is interaction between the teacher and students, and amongst students. However, interaction between students and the text or learning materials is a challenge. We must encourage students to think critically about their texts instead of just reading and memorizing information.

3. Production

Very often, students feel like they are sheep being herded from one course to another, without any part of the system. Letting students choose what they find important in the curriculum and teaching what is relevant to them can help increase interest.

4. Risk Taking

As explained by Gee, students are too afraid of failure to take risks. However, without taking risks and making mistakes, no progress can be made. We, as teachers, should encourage students to do things differently, and not penalize them for their mistakes.

5. Customization

Related to Production

6. Agency

Related to Production and Identity

7. Well-Ordered Problems

8. Challenge and Consolidation

9. “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand”

10. Situated Meanings

11. Pleasantly Frustrating

Keeping classroom content challenging but pleasantly so sounds challenging, but it makes perfect sense. Content that is too easy is boring, and content that is too difficult can make students frustrated and unwilling to try.

12. System Thinking
    Too often, we fail to encourage students to look at the “big picture” of what they have learned. Having students make connection outside of each individual lesson, and perhaps each subject class, could help them become well-rounded and well-informed individuals.

13. Explore, Think Laterally, Rethink Goals

14. Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge

15. Cross-Functional Teams

16. Performance before Competence

There are many educational games out there that can connect video games to the learning environment, but I agree that we should take it a step further, and look to the success of video games to make our teaching more successful. Our students’ worlds are not the same as the world centuries ago when the first school system began; therefore, we should adapt our classroom accordingly.

If you’re interested, check it out when you have an hour or so. Ayiti: The Cost of Life.

James Paul Gee’s article “Good Video Games and Good Learning” has provoked many of my childhood memories about gaming  and learning. I remember playing my first video game when I was in Grade 5. It was a role playing PC game that was immensely popular at that time. I can still feel the excitement and the fear when I turned on the computer screen. Needless to say, I “died” many times and failed many tasks. However, what kept this experience alive in my memory is not the excitement nor the storyline, it is the skills that I learned from playing this video game which have benefited me throughout my teenage years.

Gee’s article provides the potential links between playing good video games and school based learning. However, I would like to take this notion back for a bit and discuss about how video games enhance (teach) their players the essential (or advanced) computer skills and knowledge. When I played my first video game, computers were a new technology. Learning how to use a computer was quiet difficult sometimes. I adored people who could type very fast or easily go surfing on a computer. To be able to play my first video game on a PC, I forced myself to learn how to install the game, how to properly turn on the game, and how to fix it whenever it does not display correctly. During the game, I learned to type faster and read faster as the game was an interactive game and I was always so anxious to know what happens next. Before long, my computer skills were improving rapidly. As a result, I was able to obtain a higher grade in my computer class and develop an interest in computer skills and knowledge. These skills have helped me in many occasions and served as a fundamental knowledge for many other knowledges I was interested in.

Another interaction with gaming and learning that I had occurred during my 8th grade (I am not an advanced game player since I don’t have a good fine motor skill). At that time, I was still in ELL and was looking to improve my English. During the summer time, my friend suggested me to play an online game called “Gundum”. I was very fascinated by the setting of the game and was quickly immersed in it. Soon after, I found out that everyone uses English to communicate with each other (it was a team based game). I was terrified at that moment as I did not want other players to know that I cannot speak English that well. The solution I found to this problem was to always have a dictionary beside me so whenever I was not sure how to spell something, I could quickly go to the dictionary to check for the correct spelling. At the end of the summer vacation, my spelling had improved enormously.

Video games have benefited my learning process in many different ways. I would encourage my students to play good video games as I know they will learn from it. However, the issues of content appropriateness and time management are still some areas educators and scholars need to focus on.

Sarah Wu

Blog Post #2