As a child, I have been nagged time and time again from both parents and teachers alike claiming that games were a waste of time, money, and effort. My mother would often bat a controller from my hands and say I was “going to get addicted, go clean your room instead, why didn’t you do the dishes, you never do anything for me,” etc. Gaming horror stories were common and silly; some parents would gossip that gaming could turn a child into a hobo-parasite, forced into living in their basement. Personally, gaming was a loved pastime for my brother and me, and fortunately, a new trend of acceptance has arisen, which has ushered in the era of gaming as a medium for education. The concept of “Educational games” has gotten more and more popular, as parents and gamers have now finally found a way to resolve the long-lasting conflict between the gaming community and the “responsible ones”.

I was initially against the idea of using games in education. How could “education” be “played”? Growing up in an Asian family, I have constantly been under the stress of “doing well in school”. Playing games was my only escape from the day-long stresses of existence and the obsolete nature of our species. Now games are going to be contaminated with forced attempts at education? Laaaame! The words “Fun” and “Learning” seemed incompatible and did not fit in the same sentence.

Recently, however, I have come to the conclusion that gaming can be used for education, and very effectively so. However, it must firstly be a good, enjoyable game. Some educational games have been quite successful because they are a joy to play and experience. However, placing a game into a classroom setting can instantly change its connotation. It is therefore important that games are introduced and presented in a classroom in a careful and sensitive manner.

What makes a truly successful game? 

While some of the multiplayer/competitive games could be enjoyable to play, in my opinion as a gamer, a truly “successful” game should have a polished plot, a relatable or likeable protagonist, and an effective method to engage further playing. Some of my favorites are The Legend of Zelda and Portal. The Legend of Zelda has a remarkable plot and an admirable protagonist named “Link”.

Link has been canonically depicted as a young child, a teenager, and an adult in different games, so he is relatable to players of most ages. The plot is generally the same, with variations in each game. Link goes on a quest, encountering thousands of enemies and bosses, exploring several temples, and discovering new places and people, to defeat Ganondorf, gaining glory and upgrades along the way. The gameplay and plot is so enjoyable, and many players are fond of the series from their childhood days, which provides ample motivation for finishing the game.

Portal is essentially a problem solving game, blurring the line between education and logic training. Here, the player’s character is Chel, who is a research subject for the abandoned Aperture Science labs He has been trapped there by the robot GLaDOS, who still runs it. GLaDOS forces Chel to undergo a series of potentially fatal tests using technologies developed by Aperture, which uses increasingly difficult puzzles that must be solved before the player can move on to the next level. Ever-increasing levels further the journeying experience, as explained by James Paul Gee, “Good games operate at the outer and growing edge of a player’s competence, remaining challenging, but do-able, while schools often operate at the lowest common denominator. Since games are often challenging, but do-able, they are often also pleasantly frustrating, which is a very motivating state for human beings” (Gee 2). The satisfaction of completing a difficult level, in addition to the incredibly amusing interactions between GLaDOS and the player, keeps the player playing and looking for a way to defeat GLaDOS and escape the laboratories.

In summary, good games utilize a relatable protagonist, who can feasibly “win” or achieve a goal, an engaging plot, and a motivation for continued play. They also motivate the player by setting the games at the “challenging but do-able” level. This gamification strategy should work well in classrooms. Through games, players can learn a variety of new skills, such as critical thinking, strategic thinking, and creativity. Almost every successful staple of game playing helps to craft a better player in some way, be it critical thinking, reflexes, rhythm, health, etc. In fact, Portal has been used in the classroom to teach spatial reasoning. The level creator mode is a good way for students to enrich their understanding by creating puzzles themselves, rather than merely solving them.

What makes a good educational game?

“Games and interactive software can help pupils acquire complicated skills and rigorous knowledge in an engaging and enjoyable way … Britain has an incredibly strong games industry, with vast potential to engage with education both in this country and all over the world. We’re already seeing these technologies being used in imaginative ways” (Ladley).

If normal games can already teach students important life skills, they should be able to teach kids academic things as well. Contrary to earlier opinions held by teachers and parents that gaming is addictive, a waste of time and money, and an unnecessary distraction for their children, a new perspective has taken hold: that gaming can be used effectively for “formal” education. There have been many attempts to reconcile education and “good gaming experience”, some of which were disastrous, others incredibly enjoyable.

One of my favorite games to play as a child was Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego. This game involved a player working as a rising star agent with various partners to capture a great thief throughout time. It had an incredibly engaging plot with puzzles and characters that made the game “fun”, with the added benefit of all this occurring during the Mongol reign of China or the invention of the first printing press by Johann Gutenberg. After every two levels, the ‘Captain’ would promote the player with a higher rank, and the player could then tackle more challenges to capture all of Carmen Sandiego’s goons. I played this several times, and this game taught brief glimpses of world history that have remained relevant all the way up to high school AP World History. As one can see, this game retained an interesting plot, protagonist, and a motivation factor typical of most likable games, at the same time being educational.

There are many successful educational games, but some games, while educational, do not engage children at all. For example, Brain Age, while it received a lot of attention, was rather ineffective because it required an already existing motivation for improving the brain, and not many kids who bought it (or rather whose parents bought it) enjoyed playing it. Brain Age did not have a protagonist, an effective motivator, or a plot to make the game interesting, making it not very fun to play. Rather, it relied on the player’s own consciousness of health and forced education. What a successful game has, aside from being educational, is that it is engaging and fun by itself, both plot-wise and gameplay-wise, subtly adding information into the story so that it is both relevant and interesting. “If Games Based Learning (GBL) is to succeed, it needs to be more than a bit of fun that motivates students. It should be underpinned with learning theory” (Ladley).

Forced education in any way is irritating and bothersome, and this applies to games as well. Games are often made first, and then later repurposed for education, such as the famous Minecraft PC game. Building on what is already a successful game or franchise has helped many corporations stay afloat, and teachers have made excellent use of such games in their lessons. Education cannot detract from the game itself, and some teachers follow these guidelines in the games they incorporate, such as using Minecraft in teaching construction and geometry (Levin). Essentially, games must first be concerned with being fun, before being educational.

How should games be used for educational purposes?

Discovering how educational games should be used in education is one of the first steps toward modernized, interactive education. First, there are key “game metrics” to enforce, such as making sure there is an attractive beginning and maintains the motivation for continued use of the game as a resource.

“Motivation is the most important factor that drives learning. When motivation dies, learning dies and playing stops.” (Gee 3). Simply supplying a game is not going to keep students motivated for very long. We need to move “toward a more nuanced understanding of exactly what in game play is motivating in order to best understand how to engender such engagement in the classroom” (Sandford 52). Based on my own experience, motivation is affected greatly by enforcement, connections based on interest, and relevance.

The enforcement and introduction of the game will help students solidify their first impressions of the activity. Sufficient time should be allowed for both teacher and students to become familiar with the game. The introduction should be clear and explain to how the game is related to what is being learned. For example, it would be more effective to students of my age group (age 15) to explore a game with the teacher during class time, rather than it being assigned as homework. If I was not introduced to the game during class, I would be less receptive to it as homework assignment.

Another way to maintain interest is to connect students’ lives with the content of one’s classes through games, by relating the topic to something already familiar to them. Personally, if what I’m learning does not interest me, then I will pay less attention to it. Connections from outside the gaming universe and the classroom help to reinforce what is being learned and, especially in the more eager youth, make them more enthusiastic and open to learning. For example, the difference between depictions of mythology in popular media, such as Marvel Superheroes, and the actual stories in myths can be an interest factor.

Popular culture and common interests have always been a good conversation starter, and in the way interests connect people, it can also connect learning and fun. If the content of the game directly relates or is closely related to knowledge learned in class, it will be help students by reinforcing their knowledge and interest in class as well. The game should be related to the content of the unit, not just the content of an activity in the unit. This not only ensures that students will pay attention, but it also helps them understand the course better if they are given multiple, yet differing, instances for learning a particular event or subject. Encouraging reflection and review at the end of class will solidify what was learned from the game. Most of all, it is important to practice understanding when challenges arise, be they technological or carbon-based. If the class does not turn out well, it is important to figure out why it was unsuccessful, as well as test out the technological side of things before incorporating it into class. Practice makes perfect.

To have a high quality educational game, it must be a high quality game by itself, and the learning must be a part of the fun, instead of noticeable and forced, with a meaningful and motivational plot and characters. To use educational games in the classroom, one must give a positive first impression and motivation for students to continue using the game as a resource. This process of integrating interactive entertainment in education is undoubtedly confusing and complex. In the simplest terms, it is impossible to predict the wants of the human mind, and “success” is an entirely subjective measurement for a subject that utilizes so much guesswork. Regardless, it is my hope that learning can be made into a more creative rather than standardized activity, a more enjoyable pastime rather than a chore, and more interactive rather than passive operation. I believe the application of educational games is the first step to fulfilling that role, and it is certainly possible given the right amount of care.

Works Cited:

Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. New York, NY [u.a.: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.

Ladley, Paul. “Games Based Learning Theory and Practice.” ICT in Practice 1 Oct. 2013: n. pag. Print. http://ictinpractice.com/2013/games-based-learning-theory-and-practice-by-paul-ladley/

Sandford, Richard, Mary Ulicsak, Keri Facer, and Tim Rudd. “Teaching with Games Using Commercial Off-the-Shelf Computer Games in Formal Education.” Diss. N.d. Future Lab (n.d.): 1-62. Teaching With Games. EA, Future Labs. Web. 04 Jan. 2014.

Levin, Joel. “How my Minecraft Classes Work.” Minecraft Teacher. Minecraft Edu, 24 Mar 2012. Web. 9 Feb. 2014. <http://minecraftteacher.tumblr.com/post/4057926292/how-my-minecraft-classes-work>.

On one occasion he was able to use the program to read out a Viking adventure, that he had created, to the whole class. He was very competent when using the tools on the program and was extremely proud to show off his hard work to the class. It gave him a real sense of achievement when the other children reacted so positively and were so impressed by his writing.

Overall, since using Clicker6, he has become more confident in any writing activity given and has shown a marked improvement, including in his willingness to write more extended pieces of work.

Annette Lloyd Jones

This is a great program to aid pupils at various levels both with their reading and writing. Those who found the latter laborious and time consuming, including those with English as an additional language, were encouraged to write.

The big plus in using this program is its ability to read back and highlight the words which they have written. Having immediate feedback aids their learning but also gives the teacher the opportunity for assessment.

As one pupil said,

“It helps you to find your mistakes and correct them. It also gives you ideas when you get stuck because a word bank appears at the bottom.” 

Those who used this program really enjoyed it.

Year 3 teachers

The experience that I had with this group of pupils and the effect that working with the program had on them was by no means an isolated event, as these comments from other members of staff show:

Once the initial difficulty of teaching the children how to use Clicker6, whilst only having basic knowledge of the program myself, was overcome it has proved to be an ideal tool for aiding independent writing in SEN children.

Using Clicker6 with a group of the lowest achieving year 3 children meant that quite.a few of the early sessions focused on the secretarial aspects of the program. However once the children understood how to use Clicker6 they quickly became more willing and enthusiastic to write independently. This was especially apparent in the boys in the group. Often they would not want to leave at the end of a session because they had not finished their work.

• The implementation and training must be tailored for each grade/subject combination. The ways an elementary school Language Arts teacher teaches, and what those lessons look like, are quite different from what a high school Math teacher does, and what those lessons look like.
• The focus of the training must not be on the Board itself but rather on how it is integrated into the education process. This includes classroom instruction, differentiation, and creation of online resources, e.g. “flipping”.
• The transition to using the Board must involve as little effort as possible, at least at first. As teachers become acclimated to using the Board, they will not view enhancing their lessons as an undue burden. If, on the other hand, teachers perceive using the Board to be a lot of work, then the probability of success is low.
• Finally, rather than training every teacher how to use (and implicitly expecting them to use) every feature and tool in the SMART Board and its excellent software, SMART Notebook, training on only those features needed in the particular classroom makes the acquisition of these skills by teachers easier. It is rarely spoken out loud, but when teachers are presented with a new              technology, they may fear that they may not be able to master it. Rather than embarrass themselves by failing, teachers may avoid using the Board instead. That is when one sees SMART Boards being used as projector screens for PowerPoint presentations.

My experience from teaching high school math (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Calculus) with a SMART Board, and training other teachers as well, is that a deployment plan featuring Lesson Evolution has a higher chance of success than will otherwise be the case.

For now. Aside from addressing those critical deployment issues, what else does this method do?

• If a teacher has multiple sections of the same subject, the lesson can be replayed using simple tools that pace the lesson and focus the students.
• Lessons naturally evolve, as additional examples are added in the classroom, with no more effort than writing on the Board, which the teacher would have done anyway.
• In a similar manner, lessons can be easily differentiated with almost no effort.
• Time is actually saved in the classroom, as the pace of the lesson is no longer determined by the speed with which the teacher can write, but the speed with which the students can learn. In my classroom, this usually amounted to a 30% reduction in time required for a given topic. This allowed for enrichment, differentiation, and exploration.
• Additional technology, e.g. on-screen calculators, animations, etc., are added by the teacher as/when teachers are comfortable doing so. At that point, this work is neither actually nor perceived to be a burden.

Below are examples from a number of my own Calculus lessons. The initial pages are from the 2007-2008 school year, and the page labeled 2010-2011 is from the school year. You can see the evolution of the style and the increased effectiveness through the use of simple SMART Board tools such as the Screen Shade and Table Cell Shades. In addition, each lesson has been enriched by the addition of multiple pages.

                                                                                            In summary, SMART Board deployment must take into account the multiple teaching styles in different subjects and grades, must not impose a substantial burden on teachers, and must allow teachers to smoothly transition to the technology at their own pace. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

We all know that childhood inactivity is a tremendous global problem.  How would you respond if I told you that the power to revolutionize Physical Education lies in the power of the iPod?  Given the popularity of various tablets and smart phones, an iPod might sound old-fashioned, but it’s exactly what I’ve needed to boost student motivation, enhance instruction and track student success in the gymnasium.

Historically speaking, the Physical Education field has not excelled at collecting student achievement data to drive the curriculum, instruction and assessment methods of a program.

However, with the implementation of the iPod program this school year, as semester one comes to an end, it is clear to see that there is tremendous power in the ability to collect, organize and manage student achievement data in more meaningful ways.

Observation

Without the iPods, many students can comfortably play the role of a competent bystander.  Sure they can observe a game; touch the ball every now and then, but they never actually have to apply the skills that were taught.  The competent bystanders never receive corrections that are specific to their bio-mechanic deficiencies, nor improve performance in a game-like situation.

With the iPods, students are competent performers.  Students have built online portfolios of their psychomotor skills, and perform movement analyses for each unit.  During game play, I can now objectively track their progression with time on skill, success of skill, and provide a percentage of skill improvement.

The iPods have allowed for peer coaching opportunities.  Using the video application, students have videotaped their peers performing a skill, drill, or game play and provide immediate feedback via video commentary, with cues that they’ve learned.  This further reinforces the skill concepts and improves retention.

The improved ability to observe and peer coach has enabled students to work quickly in a cooperative fashion to solve challenges.

Teachers’ TV was only aired at set times of the day and it was included on an EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) – it was very niche programming not ever likely to hit the big time in Television viewing so that is why it was also disseminated online. An innovative step you might think but already the viewing habits of “niche” audiences were changing. As well as teaching I was working for an “indie” media company in Soho at the time building classical music and Shakespearian CD resources and I was tasked with putting in a bid to take over the contract of the channel before the decision was made to scrap it.

It was interesting to read the mechanics of how it worked. The main viewership was Teaching Assistants at the time I remember and I also remember how YouTube started to come in and dominate the video viewing habits of younger people in particular.

YouTube made my job redundant and the rise of smart phones, DSLR Cameras, cheaper lighter film equipment and the sudden rise of thousands of “niche” channels on Blip TV and You Tube showing you how to do stuff that film industry insiders had known for years but had not disseminated unlocked a whole cave of delights in the media industry and transformed it over the course of a couple of years – in the “real world” the education on how to do specialist film stuff was being delivered over YouTube – I lapped it up and bought the kit. The music and TV moguls are still reeling and not knowing quite how to cope with the changes. I saw it coming and I thought there must be a better way – so I built my own TV Channel.

Media Fragmentation – The Rise of “Niche” channelling 

I could see, even then, back in the early noughties, how some TV viewing habits were numbered.I could see that people wanted to consume media on personalised devices, mostly as a “second screens”, if they had the money for a secure internet connection. This is indeed what has happened. People want to consume media on the bus, the tube, at work, in the “down” times when travelling. Screens have become all pervasive and attention has become fragmented or highly focused depending on your viewing habits /discipline…

Community Involvement 

I wondered how one could harness that for good to bring people back together through community involvement. L4LTV was born from that thought over 5 years ago when Twitter and “smart” phones emerged from the miasma of devices coming out into the marketplace. Now it’s iPads and Android tablets – what these have proved to be is another informal platform that breaches (for the better off) the home / school divide and formal / informal learning. Media is distributed on and through them and is so able to be personalised, idiosyncratic and highly focused on targeted niche organisations so you have to think carefully about making media that appeals to professional teachers by reflecting their practice and concerns and you have to make it available freely and easily and what is more you have to give them the skills and access to make it! This is what I am trying to do with the channel – so it is not just a broadcast – it is community training, CPD, events, how to’s and how to make programming yourself at a grass roots level.

To just “broadcast” information is no longer good enough in this fast moving education environment. So the channel has a live streaming “events” remit as well designed to pump prime social networking with and by teachers. To disseminate on a regular basis teacher activity and to reflect on that activity and build community through social channels of activity.

To this end we have launched a “live streaming channel” – we “live stream” teacher activity by going to events and broadcasting like a traditional outside broadcast to the wider teaching community.

I am also working with sponsors to give training to teachers so that they can film “pieces” and practice easily and quickly as the technology to do this becomes easier and easier. I am working with Helen Caldwell at Northampton university to make pop-up screen screen studios where teachers can document their day to day projects and share views and ideas around the media content on Twitter and through the channel or events like TeachMeet etc.

This TV Channel lives or dies by its roots back into the teaching community and what they do day on day – it also acts as a platform for their hopes, desires, concerns aspirations, vision. We aren’t a usual business – sometimes I suspect we aren’t a business at all but an ongoing vision of the process of learning. I guess that is why it is called Learn 4 Life TV.