Learning Literacy: A modern, game-based approach to mastering an age-old skill

by Ky Hinselwood

http://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/hinsky/

Developmental psychologists have long known that children learn through play. Today, in the modern and digitally connected age, scientists are beginning to assess the influence technology use has on young learners, with mounting evidence indicating that exposure to digital technology changes cognitive processing within the modern mind (Small, 2008). The human brain is a malleable organ that has the capacity to change in response to differing environments. The brains of adolescents are developing cognitively, and are therefore especially sensitive when exposed to technology. New and emerging technologies are not only changing our lives, they are also changing the ways in which our brains process information. Digital natives who have grown up with technology at their fingertips spend on average eight and a half hours each and every day connected to their devices (Small, 2008) and as a result of this prolonged exposure, their brains are continually rewiring, heightening skills like decision-making, multitasking and complex reasoning – vital skills in the 21^st century.

The basic skills of literacy and numeracy are still of vital importance in the modern era, but are consistently seen as areas of concern in Australian classrooms. As game-based learning continues to grow as a proven methodology for engaging young learners, integrating games into educational contexts in order to enhance curriculum is seen by many as the next step forward. As literacy underpins all learning (O’Donnell, 2015), an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to teaching the skill and engaging the learner are now being promoted through the implementation of game-based learning. This chapter will explore the current state of literacy education in Australia, as well as the benefits that can potentially result through the implementation of gaming technologies in classrooms.

The current state of literacy education in Australia

Literacy has traditionally been defined as having the ability to read, write and comprehend written and spoken language. However, as result of changing social contexts and the prevalence of digital technologies in every day life – including in classrooms – the very nature of literacy and the processes through which we teach and learn those skills, are being redefined. Literacy education is now changing at a pace never experienced before. Tried and tested methods of literacy instruction that have proven to be successful in past decades, are leaving Australian students lagging behind their foreign counterparts. Recent international studies into education have revealed that Australian students fair well compared to those in other countries, in most areas of academics, except maths, science and literacy. At a Global Education and Skills Forum, held recently in Dubai, the Director for OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development), Andreas Schleicher, made reference to Australia’s poor performance in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), warning that our reputation as having a world-class education system is in jeopardy (Thomson, 2016). The same research also suggests that in no way are Australian student illiterate or innumerate, but rather do not possess the levels of knowledge required to be productive and participatory citizens in modern society. What the data makes clear is that we desperately need to capitalise on the skills and talents of students from all socio-economic backgrounds, which currently, we are not doing. Students from low socio-economic and disadvantaged backgrounds are far less likely to report that they enjoy core subjects like Maths, Science and English, and are less likely to recognise the immense importance of these subjects in their future lives (Thomson, 2016).

In several other OECD countries, low standards of literacy and numeracy are seen as being serious issues in terms of domestic and global economics, as poor adult literacy requires a significant monetary investment by governments and industry (Meeks et al, 2014). Another study, conducted by the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIACC) found a correlation between performances in the PISA testing, and the academic proficiency of their students later in life. Furthermore, the impacts of low literacy and numeracy skills in adults had a major impact on the access to desirable, well-paid employment opportunities (Meeks et al, 2014). Large numbers of students are entering their secondary schooling lacking the basic skills necessary to negotiate the curriculum at this level. More concerning is that students are then going on to complete their studies at this level without reaching functional levels of literacy and numeracy (Thomson et al, 2010).

Teaching literacy through game-play

Many educators rely on the traditional pedagogical approaches that were used when they were at school, or when they began their careers as professional educators. The general attitude of it worked then, and it will work now, is often not the case with young learners, who often repel from these methodologies. Digital natives – learners who have grown up connected to and surrounded by technology – are left disengaged by didactic learning experiences. However, an examination of the kinds of skills students can acquire through their engagement with video games has revealed that it goes well beyond simple hand-eye coordination; that creativity, innovation, problem-solving and pattern identification are also being developed (Routledge, 2009). Games are, in essence, constructivist texts. Through their interactions with the technology, players are required to navigate their way through a world where they are central to the experience; constantly constructing new knowledge and mastering new skills in order to progress through the gaming environment.

Bodomo et al (2003) propose that going forward, a technology-sensitive approach should be adopted when teaching literacy, in order to take into account the changing nature of language and text in the digital age. This focus on the skills needed for life in the 21^st century is reinforced by Jenkins (2006), who expounds that literacy skills in the coming age are ones that enable participation in the new communities born of our increasingly networked society; that to be effective operators within these spaces, individuals must be able to manipulate new tools of technology, information appliances and social networks. The traditional elements of literacy – speaking and listening, reading and writing – are still as important, but being a contributing member of contemporary society has created new literacy needs as a result of the proliferation of technology.

New technologies are transforming the instruction of literacy in educational institutions. The use of such technologies build on the foundational skills of literacy, in order to adopt and adjust to the literacies of the future. As we create new tools for information, communication and collaboration, new literacies emerge. As Leu and Kinzer (2000) point out, the idea of literacy is in a constant state of flux, continually changing its meaning depending on what society expects the literate to be able to do.

Like any education interventions, the integration of digital games based technologies into classrooms should be guided by applicable learning theories like situated learning, anchored instruction or Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (Forbess, 2010). When engaging with a written text, set in unfamiliar social, political or historical environments, a young reader’s prior knowledge of vocabulary make not be sufficient to understand the characters, settings or conflicts (Driscoll, 2000). Print-based narratives give students permission to interact passively, remaining unreceptive to the information contained within. Video games however, require the user to actively engage by placing them at the centre of the action; inside the narrative. In order to progress through the game, the user must participate in the action of the narrative and assume a character’s identity (Gee, 2003). Through video games, players learn to adapt, and encounter the game-world in different ways, as well as gaining the cognitive resources for future learning.

Using game-based technologies to support students at risk

To be a well-integrated member of contemporary society, requires more than just the mastery of the basic skills of reading and writing. While these are still essential for acquiring knowledge, improving employment prospects and socio-economic standing, the digital age demands a broadening application of these skills, as well as the integration of new literacies. Technology is now making access to the tools that make basic literacy more readily available to groups and individuals that are recognised as being at risk – those who are in danger of suffering difficulties in becoming literate. Such difficulties arise for a number of reasons: socio-economic gaps, bureaucratic categorisation, as well as ethnic diversity (Shamir & Korat, 2012).

Computer-aided instruction holds particular promise for students disadvantaged by learning difficulties. Systems such as these can provide students with individualised feedback as they respond to questions. This has worked especially well within the field of mathematics, instructing students in a core field of cognition (Wilson et al, 2009). Research conducted in Finland discovered that the computer application, LivingLetters, designed for remedial reading training was found to increase the skills of letter knowledge, reading accuracy, fluency and spelling in at risk first-graders (Saine et al, 2011).

Living Letters is a prime example of computer-aided (game) instruction in literacy for younger learners. Originally designed as a tool to aide students who struggled with reading, or who had reading disabilities, the program has also proved to be useful for children with deficits in early literacy acquisition, as well as those living in low socio-economic areas. Furthermore, the game was programmed in such a way that when children have made an error in a task or assignment, the game not only repeated instruction of the skill, but also repeated the skill during the following session, building on the students’ exposure to the particular skill being taught.

Game-based technologies to support reading

Playing computer games is a popular leisure activity for people of all ages, with high percentages of young people playing games at least on a semi-regular basis, either at home or in the company of their peers. These technologies have the capacity to hold the attention of young people especially, for extended periods of time. Research into reading processes has placed a particular focus on the role of prior knowledge, memory and comprehension in successful reading. Researchers of video games have found that the digital texts feature many of the same narrative elements as books, although through their interactions with the games, the learner is forced to engage in an active way in order to fully participate in the narrative and achieve success.

Minecraft, a game simply based on the premise of building blocks and going on adventures, has become widely popular over the past few years, and is an excellent tool for teaching students spatial-reasoning, maths and logic. It has also proven to be a valuable tool in teaching reading and writing. However, this comes not directly from the game itself; more so from the conversations young people have as part of their interactions with the gaming text. The game itself comes with minimal instructions, so users need to immediately begin seeking out information on how to play, through dedicated Minecraft wikis and how to texts written by the players, for the players. In analysing The Ultimate Player’s Guide using the Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease scale – a test designed to ascertain the comprehendible difficulty of a text, Thomson (2014) found that the Player’s Guide was written so that players from years 8 to 11 could understand it. Yet children younger than this are using the text on a daily basis. Young people are motivated to read the text, and to understand it, so they can be successful within the gaming environment; they will persevere with any difficult phrasing and or vocabulary they encounter because they want to play, and to play well. Gerber and Abrams (2014) compared the differences in the exposure to reading, both at school and at home, in 10^th grade students. While at school, they noted that they only read for 10-minutes a day during their English classes, whereas when they were at home, the same students spent 70-minutes engaging with texts related to games – in this case, World of Warcraft. They also found that the instructional materials for this game were aimed at a 12^th grade level of comprehension, and frequently featured examples of complicated, academic jargon. But again, the students worked around the difficulties in understanding the language because they were passionate about the subject matter and therefore highly motivated to make meaning and continue reading.

Conclusion

While the research to support the successful integration and implementation of game-based technologies in educational institutions is strong, it is important to stress that simply using technology in the classroom does not guarantee that students will be able to acquire new literacies. Successful learners are active, critical consumers of information, not passive participants in a digitalised role-play. Hattie (2003) reminds educators and policy makers that it is the teacher, rather than the resources, that have the most profound impact on student achievement. Furthermore, that resources and policy must engage with and support teachers in order to shape digital futures in a range of learning environments.

The traditional practises of education need to be transformed, and conversations about literacy and language learning must continue, in order to embrace pedagogical and technological change in classrooms. New definitions of what it means to be truly literate in the 21^st century also need to be part of the discussion, so as educators, we can prepare our students for the world of tomorrow.

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Master of Education (Knowledge Networks and Digital Innovation) developed by the
School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, 2016.