After watching the videos and reading the articles I have realized the benefits that gaming has on education and in the real world. Based on the video gaming its benefits include learning in different types of paradigms. Since you can work in games as a team or as an individual. There is a constant feedback on the behalf of the game in the sense that in every situation you can receive an answer to whether it is a question or an assessment of a situation. Also the feedback can be negative which leaves out the human piece of emotions where sometimes a student may feel a teacher can single out a student the computer alleviates the difference in opinion. Games also allow for creativity on the students behalf which can benefit in other aspects of their life outside of the classroom. The skills taught and learned can be applied to real world functions these students can apply outside the classroom.
Societies benefits from gaming are as countless as they are in the classroom. Gaming can simulate real life situations whatever they may be which can allow for trial and error for certain real world situations. Jane McGonigal talked about applying your feelings you gain in gaming and apply them to your life outside of gaming. Her discussion of World of Warcraft where when you are giving the challenge to save the world or an epic mission. All the positive feedback we receive is so satisfying. The gaming becomes more relieving then real life emotions. People become more productive in their life because it changes our actual being. It can become more impactful then just the time spent during the gaming but these emotions can become realistic and rollover into our real life.
From the videos you can see how it relates to the experiences we have in gaming. The settlers online game your receive the same feedback talked about in TED videos. The positive feedback you recieve after quest to level up or receive more goods for your settlement. It allows for the experience to be positive however not all situations in Settlers is positive with not being active for certain amount of time you can lose certain things you may have built or have come to buy or build through out time. Which makes you proactive when it comes to the game it doesn't allow for you to stay at the level you are it makes for you wanting to keep achieving new levels or goals because of the thought you could lose what was gained. It also has the social piece which allows you to talk with other active gamers on certain topics or interest one may have about another persons settlement. IT also allows you to trade goods which is relevant to the real world since we trade in any kind of business environment. Which shows how settlers relates to the real world because it in itself has its own real world experiences by growing a society of people in a virtual world.
Gaming is gaining a more impactful use by continuing to have such real world experiences such as the Settlers online game and others like it. Gaming in the classroom has the benefits need to teach trail and error of real world experiences because it allows for a student to receive the feedback instantly on what may have been done right or wrong.
-David Pasquale
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ReplyDeleteGreat points! I really like the concept of gaming for learning. I think it is a great approach as long as the students are getting something from it and they can all use it. But, I still can't get my son to take out the trash when he's involved in a MMOG like minecraft. As educators, how can we create a middle-ground that keeps everyone happy? I have a plan! I think that educational sites that provided students with the satisfaction of gaming with set time parameters might be a logical solution. Perhaps the parents and/or teachers would set the limit. I do know for sure the gaming could track understanding in a huge way, and could tell us the timeframe that learning is achieved in.
ReplyDeleteAlso, throughout the videos the point was made about gaming addiction. I think we need to consider that aspect of technology before we create a game only learning environment. It seems like people are becoming addicted to things much more often these days. Is it instant gratification? I don't know. I am also concerned about obesity in children. You can't play basketball/ football/volleyball/track/etc and game at the same time!
I do see the potential for learning via gaming. I want to be a part of designing it. That sounds like something I would love to do every day.
Yes Rea I agree with your with your opinion about gaming. This article simply marks out all the positive effects of gaming. All these points will easily convince all the people who are not in favor of gaming.
ReplyDeletevideos for kids