From LIS5313

By Brent Downs

[edit] Introduction

Kids can brush up on entrepreneurial skills via online games.
Pot of Gold by tao zhyn from flickr.

"I made a big business mistake once." (Prensky 2006) Most of us wouldn't expect that phrase to come out of the mouth of a ten year old. But Tyler went on to say "I decided to make steel helmets to sell, but I didn't research that the buyer already had lots of steel helmets. It turns out the more they have in stock, the less money a thing is worth." According to Marc Prensky in his book Don't Bother Me Mom- I'm Learning,(Prensky 2006) Tyler's lesson in economics didn't come from the steel industry or from a business or economics class exercise. It came from the online game Runescape.

So what can educators do to harness the learning potential contained within this new generation of games? This article will examine the types of educational opportunities gaming provides students and will explore the ways in which they are currently being used successfully in classroom settings.

[edit] What is Gaming?

So what is electronic or video gaming?

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Pickett 2000) defines "video game" as "An electronic or computerized game played by manipulating images on a video display or television screen", while it defines the word "gaming" as: "The playing of games, especially video games."

Computer Space was the first commercially released, coin operated video game.
Computer Space 1971, version d'arcade de Spacewar! by nesposit from flickr.

Today's concept of video games is much broader than those of the past. The first commercially released, coin operated video game made its debut in 1971 and was aptly named Computer Space. Computer Space was built from a standard television set and a game generated video signal for display. Computer based games at the time were often text based adventures or interactive fictional works. Apple Computer's The Oregon Trail was an excellent example of this kind of game with added graphics included. In 1975 Atari created the first home video game console, allowing many arcade gamers to play their favorite games at home for the first time. From these humble beginnings, the concept of the "video game" has expanded to include many different platforms and formats.

A short list of the kinds of platforms available currently includes:

• Personal Computing games like those designed for IBM & MacIntosh machines
• Console games like the XBox 360, the Playstation 2, & the Nintendo Wii.
• Handheld games such as the Game Boy Advance & the Nintendo DS.
• Web based games like Book Worm, Runescape, & Neopets.
• Cell phone games such as the cell version of Tetris & other puzzle style games.
• Even graphing calculators & PDAs have gotten into the field of video game entertainment!
  

Video game technology is constantly changing and expanding as new advances are made in the computer and electronics industry and video game hardware quickly evolves to make use of them. Keeping up with the near constant change that is part of the industry can be very challenging. The genres of video games available today are as varied as the platforms used to play them.

The XBox 360 Elite shown above is just one of the many different game platforms available today.
My 360 Elite by MNgilen from flickr.

A smattering of the kinds of video games that are being produced in the video game industry today as well as some popular examples are:

• Action and Adventure Games like Double Dragon, Star Fox & Myst
• Construction and Management Simulation Games Such as Roller Coaster Tycoon, & Dungeon Keeper
• Life Simulation Games such as Neopets & The Sims
• Roleplaying Games like Diablo, Ultima, & Final Fantasy
• Strategy Games like StarCraft & Rise of Nations
• Vehicle Simulation Games such as Mario Kart series, Star Wars: X-Wing, & Falcon 4.0
• Massively Multiplayer Games like World of Warcraft, Halo, & Counter Strike
• Musical Simulation Games like Guitar Hero & Dance Dance Revolution
  

[edit] Gaming as a Cultural Phenomenon

The sheer diversity in game style made possible by the seemingly endless combination of platform style and game genre begs the question "Who is your typical gamer?" Is there such a thing?

When most Americans think of the term gamers, they picture a group of teenage boys playing video games in the dark in their parent's basement. However, there seems to be a great deal more demographic diversity among people that play video games than one would at first suspect. According to ALA's publication Library Technology Reports (Levine 2006) author Jenny Levine states,"When I'm talking about gaming in a room full of librarians, I always ask those in the audience to raise their hands if they consider themselves to be gamers. Depending on the venue, anywhere from a quarter to one-third of the hands go up: however, if I then ask how many people in the room play Solitaire or Tetris on their computers, at least half of the hands in the room go up (and often more). Technically, these people are gamers- they just don't think of themselves that way." According to another article in CNN entitled, Study: Women over 40 biggest online gamers, (CNN.com 2004) in a study released by AOL Time Warner, women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50% more of their time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily then men or teens.

However, there is one important fact that distinguishes gamers of the Generation Next age group and younger. These gamers are also included within a demographic and social group of people known as Digital Natives. According to The Summitt on Educational Games, (The American Federation of Scientists 2005) digital natives are people 'who have grown up with interactive digital technologies. These students are not merely technology savvy, they are approaching their lives differently as they integrate digital technologies — such as computers, the Internet, instant messaging, cell phones, and e-mail — seamlessly throughout their daily activities.' This "different approach' extends even to this generation's learning style. The way in which these young people learn is innately different from those of their parents and the vast majority of educators and intrinsically involves technology.

[edit] The Natives are Restless- Gaming and the Education of Digital Natives

If we are to educate these "Digital Natives" we must teach to their digital learning style. Games and gaming is one facet of this learning style that nearly every young person can relate to on one level or another. Furthermore, electronic games are fun and can break young people out of their long established belief that learning is boring and difficult. Glen Wiebe of the Education Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas is considered one of the frontrunners in researching the use of gaming in the classroom. When asked what children benefitted the most from gaming, Wiebe replied that "One of the things that we have discovered is that ALL types of learners can be successful using games. We also discovered that the “low-end” kids, the non-traditional learners seem to make the most gains" (Wiebe, 2008).

To watch a short video explaining some of the educational benefits of video games,
click here.

Gaming can enhance learning in a number of beneficial ways and thanks to the plethora of content available it can be utilized to teach some pretty complicated concepts in a wide range of subject areas.

[edit] Gaming as an Educational Tool

In The Summitt on Educational Games (The American Federation of Scientists 2005) the Federation of American Scientists listed some of the possible learning opportunities of
electronic games as:

• Higher order skills
• Practical skills
• Practice for high performance situations
• Rarely used skills
• Developing expertise
• and Team building

Digital Natives seamlessly integrate todays technology into their daily lives.
Tex playing video games byRebeccaPollard from flickr.

Don't Bother Me Mom- I'm Learning (Prensky 2006) also cites the following as secondary lessons learned thorugh the use of electronic games:

• Cause and effect
• The concept of long term winning versus short term gains
• Second order consequences
• Using obstacles as motivation
• Multitasking
• and The value of persistence

In addition to the lessons that our earlier example, Tyler, learned about economics from Runequest, here are some
other examples of core curriculum that can be taught through the use of electronic gaming media:

Through World of Warcraft's auction feature students can learn important economic concepts like how supply and demand effects consumer pricing.

• Instructors can teach students about civic infrastructure and the political responsibilities of being the mayor of a large city in Sim City.
• Biology instructors can use life simulation games like Monster Rancher to allow students to experiment with and learn about genetic traits.
• Students learn the cause and effect results of technological advancement and economic management on civilization in games like Civilization or Rise of Nations.
• Students can enter the world of doctors, medics, and firefighters in simulated games like Emergency: fighters for life and learn about medicine, and career requirements for those professions as well as quick decision making skills.
• Educators can use games like Roller Coaster Tycoon teach students business management and entrepreneurial skills.
• The Sims line of games teach students about life choices and the consequences thereof, allowing teens to experiment with and learn from some of life's major decisions without having to deal with the real consequences of those decisions.
• Quest based games like World of Warcraft and Everquest can be used to teach students the importance of goal setting as well as teamwork, small group communication, and many important social skills.
  
• Word games like Text Twist and Bookworm build vocabulary and increase spelling skills.
  

With such a rich pool of subject matter, finding a game that can can supplement the curriculum in any subject is simply a matter of researching the games and consoles available for sale and choosing one that is right for your particular set of circumstances.

So, its obvious that gaming has the potential to make a difference in the classroom, but the real question is does it? Muzzy Lane Software Company, makers of Making History, a game designed to teach students about the economic and political causes of World War II, decided to put their game to a test in David McDivitt's Oak Hill High School history classroom in 2006 (Levine 2006). A test group of 64 sophmore students played Making History, while another group of students used their texts in conjunction with their usual lectures and assignments.

Here is a pre-test and post test improvement comparison between the two groups:

Muzzy Lane's study clearly shows an obvious improvement in the learning and retention of material for students who were exposed to gaming as part of the classroom curriculum.

[edit] Integrating Gaming into the Curriculum

[edit] Example- Downers Grove South High School Library Media Center

Integrating gaming into the curriculum might be easier than you think!
Pencils and Moleskines 04 by Paul Worthington from flickr.

Well, one might ask, if gaming is so educationally useful how can educators go about integrating it into the school curriculum? School librarians at Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois came up with a highly creative approach that was an outstanding success, proving that even something as dull as testing can be improved by integrating gaming into it (Levine 2006). In 2005, library staff made a simple, straight forward conversion of a paper based quiz used to assess information literacy skills into an online game. The final result was really just an online quiz with some fancy graphics. The quiz, called Rags to Riches, is located on the third party quiz creation website Quia Web and as Levin states "...it helps demonstrate how much more engaging even standard types of tests can be when presented as a more interactive and proactive way." (Levine 2006) Staff members would have students play the game when they came into the media center and were surprised at the amount of competition and excitement that Rags to Riches generated in the teens, who soon began comparing test scores and exercising bragging rights. In fact, the program's response was so overwhealming that in 2006 the staff introduced an annual day long gaming event in the library. As demonstrated in the example above, when testing and other aspects of the curriculum are introduced to Digital Natives under fun and familiar terms, a great number of the negative aspects, like stress and boredom, normally associated with learning are downplayed or removed entirely.

However, integrating games into the curriculum presents the instructor with several unique challenges. Glen Wiebe of the Education Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas states that "Time is by far the biggest issue."(Wiebe, 2008). mentioning No Child Left Behind as being the primary cause of time constraints. Wiebe goes on to say that "Even if they decide to create a long-term unit with gaming as a central instructional strategy, the length of class periods becomes an issue."(Wiebe, 2008). Wiebe specifically states that complex games like Civilization III are the primary source of this difficulty. Another challenge that Wiebe mentions is trying to assess the impact that the games are having on student learning. Wiebe lists one solution as creating rubrics or grading scales that resemble those for measuring participation or group work which take into account the student's game play. Wiebe also notes that "Most teachers also require reflection pieces following game play that ask students to document learning."(Wiebe, 2008). School administrators and parents can also create obstacles to the use of gaming as an educational tool due to the "...perception that playing games is a waste of time. It basically boils down to a lack of understanding of current brain research." (Wiebe, 2008).

[edit] Using Gaming to Extend Instruction Into After School Activities

[edit] Example- North Hunterdon Regional High School

    So with all of these educational benefits wouldn't it make for a nice homework assignment? Well, Ginny Konefal, Library Media Specialist at North Hunterdon Regional High School is doing just that( Levine 2006). Konefal has been holding successful Gaming nights at the school since 2003 on a shoestring budget (for those of you who are worried about budgetary and staffing constraints). As noted on the Pop Goes the Library blog, the entire program is Bring Your Own. Students bring their own computers, consoles, and games with them; the only thing provided by the school was the location and the LCD projectors which were used to project the games on the cafeteria wall. For those of you wondering, Game Night Rules require that students show proof of legal purchase or rental of a game and games must meet certain rating criteria and online fantasy games weren't allowed. The teens organized and ran the whole show from mapping out the electrical layout to make sure no fuses blew and soliciting discout food from local delivery services to signup sheets and cleanup afterward. The event, which encourages both team and individual play style attracts over 100 students from highly diverse social groups and both tournament and social play is available. During Gaming Night Konefal can find students of all races and genders, sports fans, computer experts, and some of the quieter kids take leadership roles.

[edit] In Conclusion - Fun and Learning Can Mix

Society, like technology is an ever evolving entity and young people are products of that society. As such, educational methods need to evolve along with them in order to remain successful. Society is looking out upon a digital age and the digital natives produced by that society must be taught via the digital methods that are an inseparable part of their lives. Educating today's youth requires speaking their language and the best way to do that is through digital media. Gaming is a positive way to incorporate this digital media into the classroom curriculum. For those that like to remember the good old days, take to heart what Mary Poppins said- "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." Harnessing the learning potential in gaming can make it an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both instructor and student.

[edit] References

Pickett, J. (2000). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.

The American Federation of Scientists. (2005.) Summit on Educational Games.

CNN.com (2004, February 11). Study: Women over 40 biggest online gamers. London: Reuters Limited. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/02/11/video.games.women.reut/.

Levine, J. (2006, September). Introduction. Library Technology Reports, 42(5), 5-9. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.

Levine, J. (2006, September). School Libraries. Library Technology Reports, 42(5), 31-37. Retrieved April 14, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.

Prensky, M. (2006.) Don't Bother Me Mom- I'm Learning. p 104. St. Paul, MN: Paragon House.

Wiebe, G. (2006, April). Personal e-mail communication.

[edit] Resources

If you would like to learn more about using gaming as a learning tool or would like to get started using it in your classroom right away, I have included a variety of resources below to help.

[edit] Books

Berger, Arthur A. (2002). Video games: a popular culture phenomenon. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction.

Gee, James P. (2003). What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Gee, James P. (2007). Good Video Games + Good Learning: collected essays on video games, learning, and literacy. New York: P. Lang.

Howard, Sue. (1998). Wired-up: young people and the electronic media. Bristol, PA: UCL Press.

Selfe, Cynthia L. (2007). Gaming Lives in the Twenty-first Century: literate connections. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

[edit] Journal Articles

Schmidt, A. (2006, June). Are You Game? (Cover story). School Library Journal, 52(6), 52-54. Retrieved April 4, 2008, from Academic Search Complete database.

[edit] Web Sites

[edit] Tools and Research

The links below provide more information about the positive educational effects of gaming, how to use gaming in the classroom, and tools to help you begin integrating games into your curriculum.

Games in Education Video
This is an informative video interview of several authorities concerning the educational use of video games that is located on Google Video.

Common Sense Media's Video Game Reviews
Common Sense Media provides a great resource for determining whether a game you might want to use in the classroom is appropriate for a given audence. The site also provides parents and caregivers with reviews of other types of media as well.

i Librarian's Quick Guide to Gaming in Libraries
i Librarian provides this list of links to presentations, blog posts, case studies, and other resources related to gaming in many differnt kinds of libraries including academic and school media centers.

Social Studies Central's Resources for Video Games in Education
Social Studies Central, part of the Education Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas, lists their top 5 resources for using video games in education. The page also contains a wealth of articles, tools and other resources to help integrate gaming into the school curriculum.

[edit] Quick Start Links

Do you want to start experimenting with adding gaming into your curriculum right away? These free games are ready to use with little to no prior preparation and require no special equipment to use aside from a Mac or Windows based PC.

Trading Around the World
This fun game teaches students the challenges and complexities of international trade.

Freeciv Wiki
Freeciv is a free and open source empire building strategy game similar to the popular commercial game Civilizations. Simply download and install the software and you are ready to begin teaching students about history and the development of civilizations!

Yahoo Games
Yahoo Games has plenty of fun games to teach a wealth of subject matter. Games range from Flower Stand Tycoon to Text Twist.