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Games and Gamification can be immensely powerful in the classroom. Games have the power to motivate and inspire students to learn. It would be crazy not to embrace elements of the gaming world and bring them into our classroom. I enjoyed listening to these TED talks about the value of games.
I have never been much of a "gamer." Growing up, I spent more time reading and coloring rather than fighting with my brothers over the Nintendo controller to play Super Mario Brothers. I do realize that games are a huge part of our students' worlds and there is a lot we can learn from game designers about how they design tasks and create these often addictive environments for their players.
I think that gaming in the classroom has to do with meeting students where they're at. Children are naturally curious and inclined to play, so it is important that we tap into that in the classroom. I agree with Alice Keeler that school should be fun and a place that students want to be. School does not need to be dry or boring in order for students to learn. In fact, students will learn much more if they are engaged and inspired to explore on their own.
I had a conference just this past week that was a big "ah-ha!" for me. I was meeting with a student and their parent to discuss their progress. The parent shared how capable the student was at problem-solving in games. If he is stuck on something, he will go to the forums or YouTube to get information from other players to help figure things out. I told the student that I would love to see that in the classroom. His reply was, "well that would be cheating."
I stopped and was silent for a minute. I realized that our students have this idea in their head that they have to "know" everything. They believe that seeking outside information and doing research means they are not "smart." I told this student that the opposite was true. It is important for him to ask questions, research, and seek out information when he is stuck - whether that is in the game world, school, or real life. Knowing how to seek out knowledge and problem solve is essential. It made me wonder how many other students feel the same way.
For the purpose of this assignment, I decided to immerse myself into World of Warcraft after hearing it mentioned in Jane's TED talk and by Alice Keeler. I downloaded the game's level 20 free trial and began to create my character. I had to learn about the two different sides of this game world - the Alliance and the Horde. I decided to join the Alliance (they seemed like the "good guys"), and I created a gnome warlock. What I liked about the game is that it starts off small and there are prompts, highlighted arrows, question marks, and exclamation points to help you navigate and figure things out as the game world expands. I started in a building; then the quests led me out into a town; finally, I made it to a large city. I achieved level 10 on Friday night and enjoyed the fact that the levels became exponentially longer and the tasks became more challenging as I leveled up. Each quest built upon previously mastered skills, which sets the player up for success. It was not too overwhelming at the beginning, and I was able to figure out the foundational skills.
When the game starts, you only have use of one or two tools. As you master the use of those tools, and your character progresses and levels up, more tools are added making game play more sophisticated. This can be applied in the classroom easily - students should start out with one or two strategies, practice and master it, then add additional tools and strategies when they are ready.
Quests are all based on a story. Clues are provided to help direct the player. It is clear what the objective is, and what the reward will be.
The map reflects just a tiny portion at the start of the game. As the character advances and explores new areas, the map fills in and provides more information. This is how we should scaffold information for students in the classroom - they don't need to be overwhelmed with everything at the beginning of the project, give them the information or direction they require when they need it.
Overall, these are the two most important take-aways that I will use to inspire my teaching.
1: Provide "just-in-time" instruction. Only prompt and direct students to the next step when they are ready. Students don't need all the details all at one time. Skills must start out small and be built upon gradually, building stamina and mastery.
2: The importance of a good story. Humans have always been storytellers. We are drawn to stories and use stories to learn new things and relate to other people. If there is a way to incorporate a story into a unit of study, it will help provide purpose and increase student engagement.
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