In this section of the project, we will explain how our individual professional backgrounds, are connected to the identified problem:
We will also reflect on those possible connections and propose ways in which these connections will be beneficial to the development of a viable solution.
Professional Contextualization: Most classroom teachers are going to have a direct connection to this problem; you bring a resource into the classroom that you think is the best possible solution to achieving the learning outcomes, and after examining the resource being worked with, part of the class shuts down. This might be the student who "can't get a connection" to Kahoot! or drops out of the program when falling behind, students who do not want to participate in physical activities either because the sport is too passive or too aggressive, or students who blow up at the rest of their classmates for not participating in the homeroom competition that is school-wide. Some years this is a problem for only one or two, sometimes it is a handful, and in one particularly stressful year for everyone involved the competitive and non-competitive students were almost split down the middle with a few that went back and forth based on what the activity was.
We all have both competitive and non-competitive students in our classrooms, and as we bring new materials and resources into our classrooms, we have to evaluate whether their benefits are going to be overshadowed by student levels of drive, as well as personality conflicts.
Benefits to a solution: There are two major benefits that I can think of:
Allowing students to have similar experiences as their classmates without forcing students into competitive or non-competitive activities works as a plan in place for many students who are dealing with anxiety, a direct contribution to dropout rates (Hanie & Standard, 2009)
Having students interact with and explore a resource in their own way creates a more concrete understanding of the concept for each student, which in turn makes it easier to complete the learning outcomes related to the resource.
Professional Contextualization: At Grandy's River Collegiate, teachers are trying to find different ways to create deep learning activities. By using digital games in the classroom, we can create authentic learning experiences for our students which leads to a deeper understanding of the concepts being taught in our courses. Not all students enjoy using digital games, physical games, or playing sports in school as these activities involve competition. Some of my students love playing games for the competition however, not all students are competitive as Tyler mentioned above. As educators, we have to keep this in mind before integrating competitive and non-competitive activities to ensure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students.
Benefits to a solution: Students may feel more connected to a resource if they can use and interact in a way that suits their needs. If students are not competitive, they may feel intimidated by a resource that shows their classmates their scores. As educators, we should use resources that make our students feel comfortable and lessen any anxiety that they may have about the social aspect of competitive gaming.
Professional Contextualization: With my background and teaching experience in Computer Science, my connection to the problem is very direct. Writing the code for and using games as examples, assignments, and general teaching tools are a direct part of Computer Science education. In the process of teaching using DGBL as part of the Computer Science classroom, it can present challenges when working with students in general and adolescents specifically (Gros. 2007. p. 27). For example, in programming activities "Speaking and listening activities in computing lessons need to be carefully managed. Giving your learners too much freedom can lead to off-task behaviour, while limiting collaboration reduces opportunities for pupils to learn from each other" (Raspberry Pi Foundation. 2021. p. 63). Placing a competitive student into a gaming environment in the Computer Science classroom can be challenging for both the motivated students who often excel at Computer Science and are highly game motivated and the introverted students who find competition challenging and intimidating.
Benefits to a solution: Finding an optimum balance between the competitive and non-competitive students and/or mediating a solution that promotes inclusion of all students will have direct benefits to my teaching practices. The benefits of DGBL consolidated with a viable solution to our defined problem will benefit Computer Science students in my class and all connected Computer Science teachers I am connected to as president of the provincial chapter of the Computer Science Teacher's Association (CSTA) that I could share the solution with (CSTA 2021).