Category: INF 541

Assessment 4 Part C: Reflection

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My learning goals for this course were to learn how game creation and development can meet Ontario Curriculum Expectations and understand the theory behind why students are motivated to learn through games. Game-based learning is not a new concept, I notice how students are engaged with learning with technology and observed how students enjoy learning through digital games such as Kahoot, Reflex Math and Scratch Coding. However, prior to this course I did not see a direct correlation between game-play and academic success. I did not fully appreciate video games as a learning medium and my perception was that video games were a waste of one’s time. Furthermore, I did not understand students’ learning can be positively impacted through digital gameplay. 

Game genres such as competition, strategy and role-play are factors that make game-based learning a motivating and rich medium for learning. Students are motivated to learn through video games since they are a medium for students to learn by doing and actively participating in their learning. Video games provide students with multiple entry points to learning. Each students’ perspective and experiences will naturally differentiate how they engage in this learning environment. Students have a safe and inclusive environment to learn through trial and error. If students are not able to pass a level they continue to persevere and strategize new ways to be successful. 

Digital games create a narrative learning environment through role-play and storytelling. Throughout this course, I learned game elements support student engagement, immersion and learning. Game interaction through audio and visual elements provides students with immediate feedback. Digital games as a learning medium embed choice and agency for students. Immersion is positively impacted through student choice in character development, game environment and the narrative. 

Game-based learning supports student’s development of 21st-century learning competencies, media literacy, digital literacy and information literacy, as well as the games, target subject content areas. Through gameplay students practice critical thinking to solve problems, communicate with the game or peers through controllers, touch screens or kinesthetically. Digital games organically support student’s information literacy skills as students find, process, analyse and evaluate information through game mechanics and the game environment. 

Students think creatively while playing and constructing their own games. Based on my experience creating a digital game, I can state with confidence that I learned more through creating the game then students will learn through playing the game. In order to create the Superior North Digital Race (SNDR),  an understanding of the Grade 4 – 6 Social Studies Curriculum was needed; research of the content areas within the curriculum was required to find engaging questions. Furthermore, consideration of all the possible answers to the clues and questions was researched. There are many digital tools learned through building the game; Google Maps, Slides, Forms, Read and Write, Kahoot, Geogussr and Online Voice Recorder. Connecting these digital resources together in a comprehensive way, that can easily be integrated into the classroom by educators, was a learning experience.

The next step as a technology leader within the school board will be to actively pursue and promote game-based learning and create digital games similar to SNDR to share with teachers to be utilized as classroom resources. Since a significant amount of time was required to create SNDR and considering that time is a barrier for classroom teachers to create their own games, I will model the use of digital games during my classroom visits, share games with students and model for teachers how digital games can be implemented. Engaging students in creating their own digital games to share with their peers will also be part of my long-term plan. Using my SNDR game as a template will allow students to collaboratively work together and build their own digital games. This supports student media literacy and information literacy skills and will alleviate the barrier of a teacher’s time. Finally, I will continue to promote the implementation and creation of digital games into the classroom and follow up directly with students and teachers for concerns or challenges.

Module 6: Implementing digital games in the learning environment

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What’s the point for teachers to integrate game-based learning into their classroom program? Game-based learning provides students and educators with immediate and ongoing assessment. Assessment is naturally embedded into gameplay.

According to Barnett (1976), children learn through play. Playing digital games is a form of exploratory play. When students are engaged in their learning, time passes without students noticing. Game-based learning promotes flow state for students. When students are in a flow state they have the optimal learning experiences. In order to achieve flow, state students need to have a balance between their skill and the challenge.

SAMR model is a starting point for integrating information and digital literacy into the classroom. I have found it most interesting in the current learning environment, to evaluate student assignments to determine where along with the continuum student assessments or assignments are located. I have noticed that many digital assignments use technology as a substitution for a pencil or paper task, however, digital games are connected to modification and redefinition. So why then are digital games, game creation or game-based learning not integrated into today’s virtual classroom?

There is a lack of uptake of games in classrooms can be attributed to the lack of learning objectives connected to digital or video games. Many games integrated into the classroom are drill and practice. These games lack the ability to promote strategic thinking and deeper level thinking. Drill and practice are support application questions (Brom, Sisler & Slavik, 2010). Students have a richer learning experience through role-playing, storytelling and games that have an everyday context.

As an aside, another observation I have made is that digital citizenship has not been fully embedded into educators’ programs. Common Sense Media offers a comprehensive program that elementary teachers can fully integrate into literacy or health curriculum. Digital literacy and informaiton literacy skills create positive learning outcomes for students as they learn to navigate Web 2.0. Perhaps if educators understood digital citizenship, a stronger connection could be made to digital citizenship and game-based learning.

Finally, for the positive introduction of a game into the classroom, the game must be within the student’s zone of proximal development. If the cognitive load is too great, students won’t be able to reach a flow state and thus the game is too challenging (Van Merrienboer & Sweller, 2005). Digital games need to support students in problem-solving and design.

Why then are digital games not being introduced? My goal is to model game-based learning through play and creation. Teachers will see the curriculum connections through modelled classroom activities. Students will naturally engage if the challenge matches student’s skills and demonstrates a redefinition or modification to specific learning outcomes.

References
Barnett, L. A. (1976). Current thinking about children’s play: Learning to play or playing to learn? Quest (00336297), 26(1), 5–16.

Brom, C., Šisler, V., & Slavík, R. (2010). Implementing digital game-based learning in schools: augmented learning environment of ‘Europe 2045. Multimedia Systems, 16(1), 23-41.

Van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Sweller, J. (2005). Cognitive load theory and complex learning: Recent developments and future directions. Educational Psychology Review, 17(2), 147–177. doi:10.1007/s10648-005-3951-0 Retrieved from http://www.igi-global.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/gateway/chapter/full-text-html/20116

Assessment 4 Part B – Superior North Digital Race

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Please find attached the game-based learning project, Part  B of INF 541 Assessment 4.

The digital game is titled Superior North Digital Race, the link will bring the user to a Google Slide that reviews how to play the game and provides an answer key for the teacher. The game works best using Google Chrome, Slides, Forms and Maps. It is also helpful to register for a Geoguessr account prior to playing the game.

To access Superior North Digital Race directly, please use this link.

I look forward to reading feedback about the game. Good luck!

 

Assessment 4 Part A

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Game Description and Overview

The Superior North Digital Race (SNDR) game mimics Amazing Race Canada. Each team will be created by students based on their individual strengths and be comprised of two students. Students will create a team name that accurately depicts them as a team. This planning will support problem-solving and decision making throughout the game. Teams begin with a clue; players decode and solve the problem to navigate to their next clue. Teams cannot progress to the next stage of the game without resolving each obstacle. If unable to complete a challenge, a 10-minute penalty is added and they continue their game. A hint from their teacher or another team adds a 5-minute penalty. Players continue the process until the first team wins by reaching the final pitstop. Penalties are added to the team’s final time. Teams encounter obstacles in the form of roadblocks and detours. At a roadblock, only one team player can complete the challenge- players will need to decide who will best conquer the roadblock. Detours allow teams to choose which challenge they would like to complete based on the description. As noted, students can request a hint from the teacher.

Benefits of  Digital Game-Based Learning

Game-based learning is an application of game design principles into the classroom to engage students (Adams, 2009). Students enjoy learning through immersive digital platforms, collaboratively with their peers and learn through trial and error (Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2011). Digital games engage students with short attention spans by quickly moving from one challenge to the next (Latham & Hollister, 2013). Active learning methods increase student overall engagement and retention of information (Meegen & Limpens, 2010). Game-based learning promotes students’ ability to think and act creatively while acquiring knowledge in a motivational learning environment (Adams, 2009)(Lacovides, McAndrew, Scanlon, & Aczel, 2014). Students are both extrinsically and intrinsically motivated through educational games (Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2011). They apply logic, memory, visualization and problem-solving skills while completing an authentic task that is both collaborative and competitive (Meegen & Limpens, 2010). Students will have meaningful discussions and discourse exploring digital resources to solve problems to complete the race (Lacovides, McAndrew, Scanlon, & Aczel, 2014). Constructivism learning theory highlights the importance of students learning through play and doing. Students construct knowledge as they actively engage in hands-on authentic learning tasks (Lacovides, McAndrew, Scanlon, & Aczel, 2014). Players who engage in games have an environment to make connections from their current knowledge and create new knowledge through collaboration with teammates and skillfully scaffolded questions and challenges (St-Pierre, 2011). The key to game design is to facilitate learning within the player’s zone of proximal development. The goal of SNDR is to provide a learning medium that engages students in a flow learning experience. Research suggests that student learning, persistence, and strategy development are improved through flow experience (Liu, Cheng, & Huang, 2011).  Students play in an immersive and interactive learning environment that captures and holds their attention with an urgency to be the first to complete the race (St-Pierre, 2011) (Veach, 2019).  This race allows teams to find the best way to balance the challenges and clues to student’s skills and abilities.

Desired Learning Outcome

SNDR targets elementary students in Grade 4 to 6 and supports the development of students’ spatial skills and spatial literacy. The Ontario Social Studies Curriculum 2013, outlines the importance of students’ “spatial skills as they underpin spatial literacy enabling students to develop and communicate a sense of place” (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013, p.24). This concept naturally embeds literacy, mathematical literacy and technology. Students will extract information and analyse data from maps and graph and hone information literacy skills as they engage in real-world problem solving by completing the roadblock and detour challenges. Students will develop 21st-century learning competencies, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, character and creativity, solve problems, communicate their thinking and work as a team to achieve optimal results (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016). SNDR uses digital tools such as Google Maps, Slides, Forms, Read and Write, Kahoot and GeoGuessr. These applications are readily accessible to students. Through gameplay, players will practice media literacy, engage in information-seeking through exploring and extracting information from maps, graphs and various digital resources to deduce answers to solve clues (St-Pierre, 2011)(Latham & Hollister, 2013). Information literacy skills will be refined as the game demands students to select relevant information quickly and apply the information to the context of clues and challenges (Robinson & Robinson, 2013).

Classroom Implementation

Each team will require a device such as an iPad or Chromebook to navigate the game. The game will take 60 minutes to complete and each team must have time to complete the entire game. Students who may require accommodations to fully engage in the game will benefit from a peer buddy and assistive technology. Working as a team to access digital tools and assist with reading clues and inputting answers into the Google Form (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). Additional support is accessed through the Google Read and Write a program that engages students’ senses by reading and tagging the text in the clues (Veach, 2019) (St-Pierre, 2011).

Assessment 

SNDR can be used as a diagnostic assessment or a minds-on task. The assessment data gathered through observations and assessing the challenge responses will support educators’ understanding of students’ spatial and literacy skills (Menezes, & De Bortolli, 2016). The game also serves as a  template for students to develop their own Amazing Race Canada type game as a final assessment task (O’Brien, 2011). The role of the classroom teacher during the game will be to observe and record anecdotal assessment comments. A rubric is included as a template. Teachers will also serve as a coach for all teams, supporting students by questioning or troubleshooting technical questions. As a coach, teachers can ask students to open-ended questions to help guide problem-solving. The teacher will also be the game’s commentator and announce the winning team. Google Forms is the program that students will use to input their responses to successfully obtain their next clue or challenge. Incorrect answers immediately cause students to revisit the clue and submit a new answer. Trial and error will direct student exploration and discovery through instant feedback (O’Brien, 2011). Additional assessment data will be gathered through the answer input into the Google Form. Kahoot responses are collected instantaneously for further review. By the end of the SNDR teachers will have the Google Form responses, the Kahoot results and data from students engaging in Geoguessr which can be utilized to direct student’s next steps (Menezes, & De Bortolli, 2016).

Emerging Trends

SNDR provides an immersive learning environment for students to roleplay their favourite team from Amazing Race Canada or take on the persona of their team name (Adams, 2009). The competitive and strategic gameplay with the moment by moment quest to complete clues and challenges first tactically and strategically immerses players (Adams, 2004). Clues will provide students with answers they can quickly answer within seconds and seek and plan what challenges, detours and roadblocks the team will best be able to complete quickly (Veach, 2019). The game is interactive, providing students with choice throughout the game. Universal design for learning and differentiated instruction are achieved through game mechanics. Players have options while participating in roadblocks and detours which allows for differentiated content, process and product (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2013). Students as players have the opportunity to affect their learning environment by choosing their teammate (Mena, 2012). Player persistence positively correlates with agency (Veach, 2019) (Extra Credits: Gamifying Education, 2012, May 13). SNDR provides students with a choice from the beginning to end, allowing players to strategically select options that suit the team’s strengths (Adams, 2004)(Meegen & Limpens, 2010).

References

Adams, E. (2004). Postmodernism and the three types of immersion. Retrieved January 12, 2015, from http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2118/the_designers_notebook_.php Adams, S. S. (2009). What games have to offer: Information behavior and meaning-making in virtual play spaces. Library Trends, 57(4), 676-693. Extra Credits: Gamifying Education. (2012, May 13). Gamifying Education – How to Make Your Classroom Truly Engaging – Extra Credits [Video file]. Retrieved from  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5BIUqSDPmfBuKjTN2QBv9wI Latham, D., & Hollister, J. M. (2013). The games people play: Information and media literacies in the Hunger Games trilogy. Children’s Literature in Education, 45(1), 33–46. doi:10.1007/s10583-013-9200-0 Lacovides, I., McAndrew, P., Scanlon, E., & Aczel, J. (2014). The gaming involvement and informal learning framework. Simulation & Gaming, 45(4-5), 611–626. Retrieved from https://journals-sagepub-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/doi/pdf/10.1177/1046878114554191 Liu, C.-C., Cheng, Y.-B., & Huang, C.-W. (2011). The effect of simulation games on the learning of computational problem solving. Computers & Education, 57(3), 1907–1918. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.04.002 Meegen, A. van, & Limpens, I. (2010). How serious do we need to be? Improving information literacy skills through gaming and interactive elements. LIBER Quarterly, 20(2), 270–288. Retrieved from https://www.liberquarterly.eu/articles/10.18352/lq.7993/ Mena, R. J. R. (2012). Player types, play styles, and play complexity: Updating the entertainment grid. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 2(2), 75–89. Retrieved from http://www.igi-global.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/gateway/article/66882 Menezes, C. C. N., & De Bortolli, R. (2016). Potential of Gamification as Assessment Tool. Creative Education, 7, 561-566. O’Brien, D. (2011). A taxonomy of educational games. In Management Association, I. (Eds.), Gaming and Simulations: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools and Applications (pp. 1-23). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-60960-195-9.ch101 Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). Learning for All: A Guide for Effective Assessment and Instruction for all students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Queens’ Printer for Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/learningforall2013.pdf Ontario Ministry of Education. (2013). The Ontario Curriculum Grade 1 – 6 Social Studies. Queens’ Printer for Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/sshg18curr2013.pdf Ontario Ministry of Education. (2016). 21st Century Competencies Foundation Document for Discussion. Queens’ Printer for Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.edugains.ca/resources21CL/About21stCentury/21CL_21stCenturyCompetencies.pdf Robson, A.  & Robinson, L. (2013). Building on models of information behaviour: linking information seeking and communication. Journal of Documentation, 69(2), 169–193. doi:10.1108/00220411311300039 St-Pierre, R. (2011). Learning with video games. In P. Felicia (Ed.), Handbook of research on improving learning and motivation through educational games: Multidisciplinary approaches (pp. 74-96). Hershey, PA: . doi:10.4018/978-1-60960-495-0.ch004 Veach, C. C. (2019). Breaking out to break through: Re-imagining first-year orientations. Reference Services Review, 47(4), 556–569. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-06-2019-0039

Module 5: Pedagogical affordances of digital games

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Prior to this course, I hadn’t considered how digital games support student learning. I noticed that students enjoyed playing educational and non-education digital games. The mechanics and features of digital games provide students with an interactive environment to learn. Students receive instant feedback, can learn through trial and error or collaborative problem-solving.

Through this module, I learned about how game design can hone different skills. I see parallels between the different game genres and the digital game implement in the school board where I work. Reflex math, for example, is a linear game that promotes drill and practice skills. Kahoot is a competitive game where students can play as individuals or on a team. The leader board, the timing music and count down as well as the race to get the correct answer in the quickest time make the game competitive.

Games foster a number of skillsets for the player. Students are able to learn academic knowledge while refining their fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities. Depending on the content area, digital games can facilitate learning through Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, beginning with knowledge and comprehension, application of knowledge, analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information and data.

As I begin to think about developing games for implementation in the Kindergarten to Grade 8 school board where I teach, I consider how do I meet the needs of all students learning styles, facilitate cooperation and teamwork. Games inherently motivate most students, but the students who may lack the confidence to engage, how do I motivate them to take a risk and enter into the arena of learning through play.

I wonder, what is my next step in terms of implementation game-based learning. How do I create a movement of students learning through play? I can see the engagement and excitement of students when I have the opportunity to facilitate a learning activity using digital mediums such as Kahoot, or code a game using Scratch. I understand educators’ concerns about how is student learning assessed through game-based tasks? Do educators need to be engaged in their practice to engage students? How is an educator’s curiosity sparked to consider adding new learning mediums and tools?

Module 4: Information behaviour and knowledge construction in game environments

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Information literacy is the ability to find, process and analyze and evaluate information. Information literacy is an essential skill in the 21st century, it’s a soft skill students need to develop to become productive members of society (Christe, Mathur, Lee, Mazur, Badurek, Bhatt & Morton, 2016). Schools today don’t have an effective resource or tool to teach students information literacy skills. Informaiton literacy is not apart of the Ontario curriculum, therefore there is no priority to explicitly instruct students. Informaiton literacy is more than identifying the need for information and locating it but rather requires critical thinking to determine if the information is relevant and creditable.

How does game-based learning support student’s acquisition of information literacy? When students play educational games, students learn by actively participating, they learn by doing. Students are intrinsically motivated through a relevant teaching tool – video games. Information is power, is a common phrase in North America. It rings true in this module as I explored how information is a form of currency (Latham & Hollister, 2013).

Human behaviour is affected by how individuals seek and use information – there are many theories that explain the phases of human behaviour that begin informaiton seeking to finally verify informaiton. According to Robson & Robinson (2013), there are factors that affect informaiton behaviour – context, demographics, expertise, psychological, needs and wants. Within the context of a video, players gather information and process it based on their experiences and perspectives. Players will perceive a game and its meanings differently based on these factors. How a player reacts and responds to the information in a game will also be affected by these factors.

There are many factors that game developers use to motivate players to continue to interact and engage through the digital game medium. Various types of immersion, narratives, interactions, events, sensory stimulus, rewards and challenges. There is an opportunity for educational games to support student learning through game development with curriculum content. When students engage in digital gameplay they are immersed in the narrative and mechanics of the game. The medium lends itself to students gathering information through gameplay and critically thinking about it before responding to the game. Students not only learn the specific learning outcome of curriculum content but foster information literacy skills.

References

Christe, D., Mathur, R., Lee, S., Mazur, K.,  Badurek, C., Bhatt, J. & Morton, M. (2016). A game-based learning approach to information literacy. Knovel Global Academic Challenge, Elsevier.

Latham, D., & Hollister, J. M. (2013). The games people play: Information and media literacies in the Hunger Games trilogy. Children’s Literature in Education, 45(1), 33–46. doi:10.1007/s10583-013-9200-0

Robson, A. & Robinson, L. (2013). Building on models of information behaviour: linking information seeking and communication. Journal of Documentation, 69(2), 169–193. doi:10.1108/00220411311300039

Module 3 The characteristics of effective digital game media

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Video games are so much more complex than I gave them credit for. I understood graphics and good gameplay were important features but didn’t notice how video games are an art form. Within video game design, rich meaning and parrels to literature and events occur. The player of the video game sees what they want to see from their prior knowledge and experiences – similar to an art piece. The game’s meaning and the player’s decisions are directed by the player’s view and connections to the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S1SVkysIRw

Implementing gamification in the classroom can support students’ achievement and motivation. Changing the way grading is done, can provide students with an attitude of continuous improvement. Rather than starting with an A+ and losing points, if teachers started all students at 0 and gave them points for what they did achieve, it changes students’ work ethic. Providing students with agency in the class teaches students that they have control over their own learning journey. In games, there is a choice and result cycle, implement this cycle into the classroom provides students with immediate feedback and a safe environment to make mistakes and try again. To foster student engagement, teachers can implement games or challenges that will reward students with bonus opportunities for higher achievement. The extra credit challenges will provide students with the opportunity to complete self-directed learning outside of the school day. Challenges or problems will promote curiosity and contextual information to expand exposure to experiences and topic areas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5BIUqSDPmfBuKjTN2QBv9wI

Teachers can take game-based learning to the next level by challenging students to be digital game creators. Creating a game is a much more robust activity, than playing a game. Students will need to determine what the goals of their game are while they consider the player’s experience through the game mechanics. The students will need to illustrate the game environment and develop characters. These skills are rooted in literacy and utilize digital tools. Students will have the opportunity through game development to learn coding languages, persistently debug their game Additionally, students will be refining 21st-century learning skills- creativity, collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills. Using games to explore social justice issues is a deep and inviting way for students to learn.

I have learned through this module that games are a rich, robust medium to engage and motivate students in their education. Student learn by doing and participating. Any teacher can implement games into their classroom – board games to coding. I love the question posed in Mindshift guide to digital games “what if engagement was an absolute critical condition for learning?”

References

‘Extra Credits: Gamifying Education’ (YouTube | 6:27 mins) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuDLw1zIc94&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5BIUqSDPmfBuKjTN2QBv9wI

‘Game Theory: Is Link Dead in Majora’s Mask?’ (YouTube | 12:41 mins) | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S1SVkysIRw

Shapiro, J., SalenTekinbaş, K., Schwartz, K., & Darvasi, P. (2014). MindShift guide to digital games+ learning. Games and Learning Publishing Council. Retrieved from https://a.s.kqed.net/pdf/news/MindShift-GuidetoDigitalGamesandLearning.pdf

Module 2 Digital Games, Narrative and gameplay

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Video games are a new medium that is highly engaging, immersive and participatory for users. Many video games are extensions of a narrative story or film. Video games expand the possibilities and move users from spectators to participates. Moreover, video games are fun, engaging, immersive and interactive. (Tyner, 2009) The question becomes how do we use video games effectively to integrate instruction into the classroom?

Video games are narratives, but much different than a linear text story. I hadn’t considered it before, but video games are stories that can be in part authored by the player and their gameplay. The player has agency in the game, a sense of control and valued participation. According to Tikka, Kankaanranta, Nousiainen & Hankala (2009) reading a computer game is similar to reading traditional text, the skillsets overlap – interpreting images, animations, understanding the rules and decoding the narrative story.

Creating games takes participation in games one step further. Providing students with the opportunity to create a video game supports literacy instruction. Students will develop character, illustrate the setting and describe the plot to the players. The medium of the video game is an engagement piece that supports students’ understanding and immersion into narrative writing.

Today’s games allow the user to use kinesthetic movements to interact with a game or device. Augmented reality provides users with experiences that are literally out of this world, but yet still realistic. For example, using technology to allow children to engage with wildlife. Applications are moving standard two-dimensional images to interactive, three-dimensional videos and information that expands beyond images. According to Tyner (2009), the media literacy curriculum is outdated and does not meet the interest of students.

References

Telling Stories with Digital Board Games: Tikka, S., Kankaanranta, M., Nousiainen, T., & Hankala, M. (2009).

The Fun Theory Case http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTqOn9zng_M

Tyner, K. (2009). Media Literacy: New agendas in communication. Chapter 8 Media Literacy 2.0  http://CSUAU.eblib.com/patron/FullRecord.aspx?p=465586

 

Assessment Task #1 Reflective Journal Blog Post

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Game-based learning is not an entirely new concept to me. I have integrated math-based games using cards and dice into a balance numeracy block. I have observed that students are engaged through playing games. Through game-based learning, students have the opportunity to cooperate and collaboratively engage in learning. It is crucial that when introducing a new math game in the classroom, students understand how to play, the rules of the game and especially how to win.

Kahoot and Reflex are digital games that I have also used to support student learning. Kahoot is an engaging tool for assessment that can be completed as a whole group activity. My experience has been that elementary students are excited to play the game against their classmates and race to gain to most points. Reflex Math is a digital math program that supports students’ acquisition of math facts including addition, subtraction, multiplication and division up to 12. Students play individually until they achieve their green light, students achieve their green light by answering math facts quickly and correctly. Once students achieve their green light they have the opportunity to go shopping at the store to outfit their avatar. 

Prior to being introduced to game-based learning as a method for students to actively participate in learning the curriculum, I did not appreciate the benefits of learning through video games. I viewed video games as a waste of time and a sedentary activity. Through engaging in Module 1 content, I understand game-based learning supports student achievement and wellbeing. Video games are a participatory medium for students to engage in learning by doing and playing. Video games can be an extension of a written narrative and the author of the game is a partnership between the game designer and the player. The game designer carefully creates the setting, develops the character, plot and storyline. 

I have observed how students are excited to learn through actively exploring, building and creating. In my teaching role, I have the privilege to visit classrooms throughout the school board to support students’ learning through coding, robotics and learning digital platforms such as Book Creator and WeVideo. These activities require students to actively participate and learn by creating and building. The activity may require students to complete a challenge using block coding, building a robot, authoring a storybook with digital illustrations and images or demonstrating their knowledge through greenscreening. When I walk into a school I see the excitement on student’s faces and they ask if I am visiting their classrooms that day. Student’s enthusiasm to participate in the activities that I deliver is evidence of their enjoyment of learning through creating, building and exploring. Although I have not yet integrated video games into the classroom, I am convinced that video games are a great next step for me.

Students iterating their robot design to complete a challenge

I understand that playing video games can develop soft skills in students such as communication, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. These 21st Century Competencies are what the future workforce will demand. Games intrinsically motivate students, winning or levelling up is always the goal. Gamers think critically to discover new strategies to achieve a higher result or surpass an opponent. Creating a game or video game takes learning to a new level, students have an open-ended problem or story to tell. Video game development is an artifact of student learning. 

Throughout the course, I hope to learn how game creation and development can meet curriculum expectations. I have not had experience with students creating a game to demonstrate their learning, so I look forward to gleaning an understanding of what that might look like and how it meets Ontario Elementary Curriculum Expectations. Lastly, I would like to understand the theory behind why students are motivated to learn through games and how I can create educational games to meet curriculum expectations.

Module 1 Principles and Theories of Game-Based Learning

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Game-based learning is not a new idea for me, I have witnessed the benefits of students learning through games such as Reflex Math, Kahoot and Prodigy. However, the idea of students learning through video games is a new concept. Prior to engaging with the readings through this first module, I hadn’t considered that video games could be a medium for students to learn through. My perception is that video games are an entertainment piece that can become addictive and a waste of time.

I am not a gamer, most of my gaming experience occurred during the first fifteen years of my life. I was given the original Nintendo and enjoyed playing Mario Brothers, Duck Hunt and Tetris. I played these games with my family and friends. During high school, I either lost interests or didn’t have time to play due to school, work and sports occupying most of my time. I remember the sound effects of the games bringing great joy to my heart as I different sounds signalled a “win” or being awarded a number of points. The sounds let the players know that victory or failure is been achieved.

I see the value in students playing a game such as Minecraft to support collaboration, problem-solving, critical thinking, organization, creativity and spatial sense. Students seem to be engaged in playing the game. My children don’t play video games, but they do enjoy playing educational games. My children have not had the opportunity to play video games, so they may enjoy them if provided with the experience.

I can also see the connection to how a video game based on the written text can extend a story. Video games include character development, setting creation, plot and diverse conflict or tension. I see how students are intrinsically motivated to play video games, may students talk about the video games they play at home often during the school day. How can we as educators create that spark for our students to engage in their education? Are video games the answer to motivate and reach today’s students?