Multiliteracies in ELA Classrooms

Assassins and Ninjas and Bats…Oh My!

Games in the Classroom

Although, games have often been used in the classroom as a way to engage students, using video game criteria to create a new classroom layout and environment based on a fantasy-role playing game is a novel idea. We examined the introductory chapter of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by Paul Gee and his article, “Good Video Games and Good Learning.” Gee distinguished good video games as those that are programmed according to the same principles that fuel cognitive science. Good video games present high levels of challenges and are interest the player on its narrative and does not rely on sensational violence alone.

Gee talked about creating a classroom environment based on gaming through the following principles:

1. Roles should be interesting and appealing
2. School texts should be interactive where the world and other people talk back
3. Students should help develop curriculum
4. Schools should allow students to take more risks, exploration, and learn from failure
5. Real intersections between curriculum and students interests, desires, learning styles
6. Students should have more agency in their learning
7. Give students who need challenge the opportunity, poor students make more connections
8. Information should be on demand when students need it and want it and can make good use of it
9. Situate ideas in different contexts
10. Feel challenged and highly motivated
11. Think about how their actions affect others
12. Re-conceive goals
13. Bring own skills and use them
14. Working and collaborating with others

Although, we disagreed with some of Gee’s points, such as his assumption that all children play and enjoy playing fantasy-role playing games which was disputed when we interviewed some students from high school and they revealed that their favourite game to Call of Duty – a highly violent game, with minimal fantasy elements. However, Gee’s principles for creating a good classroom environment to engage students does seem viable, especially considering that most students are gamers – whether or not they play fantasy role-playing games specifically.

The Ministry of Education defines certain prescribed learning outcomes for grade 8 that can be applied to a lesson around video games as follows:

A3 listen to comprehend, interpret, and evaluate ideas and information from a variety of texts , considering
– purpose
– messages
– tone
– structure
– effects and impact
– bias

A4 select and use a range of strategies to interact and collaborate with others in pairs and groups, including
– selecting methods for working together effectively
– listening actively
– contributing ideas and recognizing the ideas of others
– demonstrating awareness of diverse points of view
– reaching consensus

A5 select and use a range of strategies to prepare oral communications, including
– interpreting a task and setting a purpose
– considering audience
– generating ideas
– making connections among relevant knowledge and experiences
– planning and rehearsing presentations

B7 after reading and viewing, select and use a range of strategies to extend and confirm meaning, including
– responding to text
– asking questions
– reviewing text and purpose for reading
– making inferences and drawing conclusions
– summarizing, synthesizing , and applying ideas

B12 recognize and explain how structures and features of text shape readers’ and viewers’ construction of meaning, including
– form and genre
– functions of text
– literary elements
– literary devices
– use of language
– non-fiction elements
– visual/artistic devices

Many video games that students play can be critiqued the same way as a traditional text, since most video games will have a narrative component. Likewise, video games are a great way to ntroduce students to literature. The Hobbit, a novel taught at the grade 10 level, has many different video game interpretations of its events. Moreover, for students who like video games but may be hesitant to read a novel, role-playing novels are another alternative.

And for your learning pleasure, here is a sample lesson plan and the powerpoint slides from our presentation as well as the Jeopardy template:

Gaming Lesson Plan

Games in the Classroom slides

Jeopardy

Works Cited:

Gee, J. P. “Good Video Games and Good Learning.” Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85.2 (2005): 33- 37. Web.

Gee, J.P. “Introduction.” What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave/Macmillan, 2007. 1-12. Print. 21 Nov. 2012.

Quizlet. (2007). All literary devices. Retrieved from http://quizlet.com/11335/all-literary-devices-flash-cards/

Ted Talks. (2012, April 24). Classroom game design: Paul Andersen at TEDxBozeman. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlYGX0H6Ec

Ubisoft. (2012, June 4). Assassin’s creed 3 official trailer. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pUhraVG7Ow