Is there more to online games than fun?

Made using Canva, Image from Pexels

Critical Reflection 2

Games in the classroom – some think they are useful and promote learning and others think they belong at home. In recent years, the games industry has expanded extensively and more and more classrooms feature games that promote the strengthening of skills in key learning areas, cementing the idea that there is more to online games than fun (Squire, 2005). In our current times, games are becoming an integral part of keeping children in primary years engaged and excited for learning each day (Squire, 2005). This is because they have grown up with computers, iPads, iPhones and are drawn to any learning that incorporates this technology (Plowman et al., 2010).
Games allow children to be creative and engage in other worlds, meaning they are not just stuck in the classroom. Groff et al. (2015) states that the best learning games feature a balanced design of task, content and evidence models. These 3 elements will ensure that key knowledge and skills are developed up to the level required and they are engaged and eager to participate in learning (Groff et al., 2015).

During the years that I was in primary years of education, during the 2000’s, these technologies weren’t very present very often, even then. Thus, the development of learning games has been rapid, making it important for studying teachers, like myself, to learn how to take advantage of their learning opportunities and take on different roles for the children (Renaud & Wagoner, 2011).
In my classes at ACU, we were given the opportunity to play with different games. I was surprised to observe the advanced technology that has been made for learning purposes and being a user of technology was excited to try it out. For me this means that the presence of the games and technologies that are available for use today, would have been an exciting experience, and encouraged participation during class.

I have also recently participated in the beginning stages of developing an educational game, and have started learning what features create a great classroom game with the help of resources such as Groff et al, 2015, which have inspired me to write this post.

- Eliza

Kooren (2013), Chillin

References


Groff, J., Clark-Midura, J., Owen, V, E., Rosenheck, L., & Beall, M. (2015) Better Learning in Games. Retrieved from http://education.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BalancedDesignGuide2015.pdf 
Kooren, M. (2013). Chillin. Retrieved from https://qz.com/769044/ipads-are-as-good-as-sedatives-at-calming-kids-down-before-operations/  
Plowman, L., Stephen, C., & McPake, J. (2010). Growing up with technology, young children learning in a digital world. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com-ezproxy2-acu-edu-au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=515328   
Renaud, C., & Wagoner, B. (2011). The gamification of learning. Principal Leadership, 12(1), 56-59.
Sqire, K. (2005). Changing the game: what happens when video games enter the classroom? Innovate: Journal of Online Education, 1(6), 1-6. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1168&context=innovate&sei-redir=1&referer=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.com.au%2Fscholar%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Deducational%2Bgames%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bclassroom%26as_sdt%3D1%252C5%26as_sdtp%3D%26oq%3Deducational%2Bgam#search=%22educational%20games%20classroom%22

Extra Resources

1. Youtube Clip: Watch this short YouTube clip to learn more about what makes gaming a fun and engaging learning experience - Ballard and Tighe, (2014, Jan 9th) Why Game-Based Learning Engages Students [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABMrI_qNtOE

2. Typing Adventure: a game that allows children to develop their typing skills in a fun adventure. This skill is important for learners of today with the increasing presence of technology. (the following images are screenshots from the webpage)




3. Fast Math: this game develops maths skills and speed. (the following images are screenshots from the webpage)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How technology has impacted on the way humans communicate

Image
Made using Canva , Image from Pexels Critical Reflection 3 The last 2 decades has involved the rapid development of different technologies, one of the major types being communication-technologies. As communication-technologies have advanced they have become reliable, easily accessible and an integral part of our society today, as they have slowly shaped community and their methods of communication (Ranney & Troop-Gordon, 2015). A few key changes to our communication include speed, method and style. The rise of recent technologies in our society has led to extremely quick communication, with easy access to the latest technologies and messaging apps (Wong, 2016). Mobile phones, tablets, laptops can all be used to contact someone at any time of the day and from anywhere. It also provides easy access to assistance in the event of an emergency - help can be reached wherever you are (Ling, 2004). Our methods of communication have also changed as many people choose to message o
Read more

Peer Feedback

Image
Made using Canva , Image from Pexels Peer Feedback Over the last few weeks all of my peers have also been writing and uploading blogposts to different blog platforms. They have been choosing similar topics to what I have written about, and have expressed their own ideas and reflections.  I have read various posts and have provided my feedback about what I found great about the post and what I would suggest to them, to adjust to make their post the best it can be for the final marking.  Here are the comments that I have left on some of my peers blogposts in the last week... - Eliza 
Read more

To tweet or not to tweet - that is the question

Image
Made using Canva Critical Reflection 1 Some people think that social media shouldn't have a place in the classroom, but it can actually be a very important part of learning and developing for both teacher and student. Twitter, for example, allows teachers to communicate with thousands of other teachers and exchange ideas and resources quickly across the globe (Creative Education, 2017). It can be a place to find resources from other classrooms which are exactly what you need for your lesson. On the other hand, an educator could have access to ideas that they had not yet thought of, and discover different methods and resources to teach content to their own students (Miller, 2017). Overall, twitter is an important part of the development of personal learning networks (PLN) in the teaching community. A personal learning network is a space that is personally constructed around our learning needs and interests, that allows us to develop knowledge and skills (Richardson, 200
Read more