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Hugh O'Donnell :: Blog

February 26, 2010

Commandos is a real-time point and click strategy game, drawing on historical
events/missions from the Second World War.

 
Missions involve one or more soldier avatar each of which carries certain physical/
other characteristics and a player(s) use their combined efforts in order to solve
stealth-oriented missions.
 
Donald Norman's ideas - which draw on Brenda Laurel's ideas of immersion and first-person
engagement with a task - could support the use of this game with an all-boys S3 class.  I envisage
 
- engage in critical thinking and reflection tasks before the beginning/at the end of a lesson
- intra-/inter-group engagement
- first-person involvement
- cross-curricular learning (History, e.g.)
- the provision of 'rich tasks', whereby pupils can produce
non-fiction investigations, engage with World War poetry 
- group collaboration and competition (Whitton ref. tbc)
- used a source for personal journal writing
 
This would ultimately appeal to boys (note: I wonder how girls would react and perform !?) and I would allow for 5 minutes of game engagement followed by 5 minutes of reflection/journalling, both of which could draw on a specific writing task for that period.
This type of engagement and critical thinking could 'warm the muscle' required for the remainder of the period... 

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February 25, 2010

I have been thinking about Gee, Whitton in conjunction with the readings in Week 4 of my MEd (Chartered Teacher) course, which this week focuses on Cognitive Style and Formative Assessment.
 
Cognitive Style
Richard Riding (Richard Riding , School Learning and Cognitive Style, 2002, David Fulton Publishers, London) defines the term cognitive style as an individual’s preferred and habitual approach to organising and representing information. He goes on to suggest that it may in fact be built into us and influence how we naturally tend to react to events and ideas.
 
If we recognise the way(s) in which we prefer to work, it allows us to develop strategies to work more effectively or to minimise our weaknesses. Riding proposes that there are different dimensions along which we are placed.
 
 Firstly there is the:

wholist – analytical dimension: whether a person organises information in wholes or parts.

Secondly there is the:

verbal – imagery dimension: whether a person represents information verbally or in mental pictures

 

These two dimensions can be seen as if on two continuums, and can be represented as follows:

 

Within the wholist – analytical dimension wholists would see the overall picture (perhaps missing out on details) while analytics would see a collection of different parts (perhaps sometimes concentrating on one or two parts to the exclusion of others).  Then somewhere in the middle (and perhaps getting the best of both worlds) would be intermediates.

 

I posted that perhaps this is what Gee is positing re subdomains, if one thinks about

ZPD. 

 

Furthermore, I am aware of the multimodal aspect of digital games, and the second dimension is pertinent to the use of such games in adapting delivery for optimum reception by pupils. 

 

Within the verbal – imagery dimension verbalisers would consider or represent information in words or through word associations while imagers would use mental pictures either of information or of things associated with it. Then somewhere in the middle again would be a group of bimodals.

 

Riding suggests that verbalisers will prefer stimulating environments with a social group helping them to develop or share meanings while imagers will prefer a more passive, static environment.

 

There seems to be little doubt that the pockets of digitial games-based and traditional learning is apposite within a classroom setting. 

 

It would of course be possible to have different combinations of the dimensions, for example an analytic imager or a wholist verbaliser.

 

Riding goes on to state that someone’s preferred style doesn’t seem to relate to intelligence or ability and that ability would influence the level of performance while style would influence the manner of performance. He also says that it is separate from both personality and gender.

 

Cognitive style is the preferred manner of working but importantly learning strategies can be learned and developed to support or give alternatives to our first preference.

 

So, what does this all mean for learning?

 

Well, learning performance is liable to be affected by an interaction between cognitive style and:

 

·  the way instructional material is structured;

 

·  its mode of presentation;

 

·  its type of content.

 

The structure would cover both the format structure  (appearance, headings, length of paragraphs etc) and its conceptual structure (sequence of ideas, relationship of points, logic, chronology etc).

 

Where a person is on the wholist – analytic dimension may cause them to prefer:

 

large steps, large chunks of verbal information, simple diagrams, or small steps, small chunks of verbal information,  lots of pictorial or diagrammatic information.

 

The consequence of this is that we as teachers should be thinking about our modes of presentation – text, pictorial, text and pictorial, multimedia

 

Imagers learn better from pictorial representations than do verbalisers. Verbalisers learn better from verbal representations than do imagers. So how we present things and what we have learners do with that information should be considered.

 

What about the content? Is it concrete or abstract?

 

It’s also worth noting that we as individuals will have our own preferred styles and there might be a tendency to assume that everyone learns the same way we do, which might cause us to skew our teaching towards our own preferences.

 

Some possible modes of expression as preferred by the different types identified. (These are noted in a possible order of preference.)

 

Analytic verbaliser

Text

Speech

Diagrams

Pictures          

 

 

Analytic imager

Diagrams

Pictures

Text

Speech            

 

Wholist verbaliser

Speech

Text

Pictures

Diagrams        

 

Wholist imager

Pictures

Diagrams

Speech

Text                  

 

We therefore as teachers might like to consider the possible differences in our students and of our own preferences which might affect how we tend to present information.

 

As we become aware of differences in our students we should begin to make them aware of their own preferences, see the positives in  their preferences but also see any possible negatives, and give them opportunities to practice other ways of working in order to broaden their repertoire of approaches by using a variety of teaching or presentation methods.

 

This surely suits the adoption of digital games-based learning!? 

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February 20, 2010

I have enjoyed both readings..

 

Whitton - Using existing commercial games 

Myst and Wolfenstein have taken my interest, especially the former re pupils and narrative creation activities.

 

Gee - Chapter 5

"often stays at the edge of the player's regime of competence." (p. 121)

This is the idea whereby - as Gee states early and further on in this chapter -

manage overt information but also require the presence of the teacher, or learning

mediator.

Overt Telling versus Immersion in Practice.

This schism should not exist - and can be resolved,

 

"The learner adapts and transforms the earlier experience to be transferred to

the new problem through creativity and innovation."

"The learner remains flexible, adapting performance in action." - 29. The Transfer Principle

This is key to effective learning and teaching.

 

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February 16, 2010

Whitton - Chapter 6.

This chapter has introduced a framework on which I shall pin my research into the development of an educational game, and undertake an evaluation of an existing one - two of the three assignments.

Whitton highlight, many times, the need for game design to incorporate the social constructivist element of collaboration; this should be included when considering the desired learning outcomes.  For this, she has provided an excellent 'Mapping of Learning Objectives to Game Activity' table for use in game design, which I will use in conjunction with the 'Concept Specification' table.

Starting with the learning objectives is of paramount importance; they underpin any (digital or games-based) learning activity.  She also treats the 'game' holistically, packaged with reflection activities - discussion, journaling etc.  This accords with Kolb's experiential learning cycle and allows for in- and out-of game activities, all of which are equitable.

She discusses some sources of games - adoption, modification, bespoke creation, etc. and their financial and developmental pros and cons.

Six guidelines are given (which I will use) for Effective Game Design:

- active learning
- engagement & goal-oriented
- appropriately contextualised
- reflective opportunities
- equitable experience
- ongoing support


Collaborative Learning underpins every aspect.








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February 11, 2010

Whitton

For adults – motivation and purpose are paramount; they need to be in control. P37

For games in learning, users will accept them if they are the most effective way of learning – this is the most important aspect. P40-41  Games have the ability to engage and must have sound educational principles.

Immersion – fascination – challenge, features that recur in Barab and Malone readings.

Authenticity and identification with context and flow are equally important.

A list of factors contribute to the idea of ‘flow’:

 

  • Challenge, Fantasy and Curiosity reappear, quoted from Malone.  But the idea of CONTROL augments this list, and is suggested by Malone and Leper.

 

 Fun – a by-product – is important but not essential.

 
A Rationale for Digital Games in (Higher) Education

Greatest potential is in developing high-level, transferable skills: autonomy, analysis, critical evaluation and team working.

Experience, discussion and application – this is the constructivist approach.

Constructivism and Active Learning

Ø      Situated cognition

Ø      Cognitive Puzzlement

Ø      Social Collaboration

Games offer a constructivist learning environment. 

"a place where learners may work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools and information resources in their guided pursuit of learning goals and problem-solving activities"

Honebein presents 7 pedagogic goals of the design of constructivist learning environments:

 

Ø      Responsibility for how/what they learn

Ø      Multiple viewpoints

Ø      Ownership of learning process

Ø      Authentic and relevant

Ø      Real-life activities

Ø      Support social learning

Ø      Multiple modes of learning

 

STRUCTURED REFLECTION needs to take place

Experiential Learning – supported via Kolb

Feedback is essential part of interaction

Collaborative Learning – communities of practice supports ZPD.

 

During all of these constructivist approaches, the teacher acts simply as a facilitator.

Story characters and problems – some of the features of adventure/role-playing games.

 

SUMMARY - FOUR THEORIES

Active Learning and Constructivism, Experiential Learning, Collaborative Learning, Problem-based Learning. 

 

Malone

Heuristics for an Enjoyable digital Game.

Why are Computer Games so captivating?

 

  • Boys loved the fantasy more than simple feedback.
  • Fantasy is important – recognizes an awareness of target audience. 

 

How can the features that make computer games captivating make other user interfaces interesting and enjoyable to use?

            Challenge – Goal, Uncertain Outcome?

           Fantasy – Emotionally-appealing?, transferable metaphors?

Curiosity- Optimal level of informational complexity? Knowledge Structures?

 
Toys and Tools – different types of tools identified and have no- and defined-external goals.

Opposite in relation to challenge

 

 

Barab

The users have a sense of control and effect - they can “take action”. (p. 16)

They can bring a context – “experiences, families and cultures, as legitimate material for reflection.”  Therefore, this provides a meaningfulness.

The metaphor used in each quest draws upon real-world issues, with varying levels of difficulty.


Learning Engagement Theory

Helping – Playing- Learning

What succeeds is academic learning disguised as contextualized with important social issues, aesthetically-rich dramatic play…

But Motivation is complex!



Motivation as a Complex Process 

 

Students’ intrinsic motivations for school decline grades 3 to 9.  As a result of extrinsic motivations – grades, expectations, etc.  Applies to intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Aim could be to combine these elements.  Fun, joy, meaning, challenge have been stripped out.

Malone & Lepper developed a taxonomy of four factors in intrinsic motivators when playing games: game challenge, curiosity, control and fantasy.

Ten additional factors (Tuzun 2004): identity presentation, social relations, playing, learning, achievement, helping, rewards, immersion, uniqueness and creativity.

 

Keywords: IDGBL10

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February 06, 2010

Play

I enjoyed the Rousseau references in Kane’s work, which led to the idea of removing boundaries that would, as later indicated by Maria Montessori, allow children’s “natural urge to explore and hypothesize, compare and dramatized.”

In secondary schools, the connotations carried by the term ‘play’ are very much the domain of primary and pupils are expected to have left that behind.

This paper explored the ideas whereby ‘play’ allowed the player (children) to articulate and simulate ideas and imaginative constructs in the ‘real’ world; it facilitates the inevitability of ‘change’ that shapes our futures and destinies.

I now view ‘play’ as a powerful activity, which should underpin – wherever possible – educational activities and processes.  ‘Teaching to the test’ suits the passive, simply regurgitate content model of education – one born from the Dickens era and the Industrial Revolution.  If we are to produce critical minds, we must allow these minds to ‘forage’.

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January 31, 2010

James Paul Gee's 5 Learning Principles are extended here:

http://mason.gmu.edu/~lsmithg/jamespaulgee2

 

 

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January 27, 2010

I found the Greenfield article extremely engaging.

She begins by stating that moving visual imagery (p89) is important and is developed via the skills acquired during TV viewing - an activity still frowned upon if undertaken to extremes. But it is the interaction – being able to control the narrative in addition that creates the engagement or the fascination with videogames.  Other factors include, automatic score keeping, randomness, audio, speed (91)

I have an interest in gender roles, when considering any ICT (teaching S3 & S4 all boys classes) and was interested in her observation that the entry point to computing is a via gaming, which was predominantly male. (94)  I find that boys in mixed classes can often be heard discussing computer games, especially their collaborations/challenges online.  Spatial skills, said to better exhibited by males.

I was interested in the principle that the human brain looks for patterns as a way to discern the world: computer games call up inductive skills much more (100)  Pattern recognition is required, as is parallel processing – the assimilation of several sources of information at the same time.

Whitton notes that:  

  • Pictorial – parallel
  • Audible – serial

something which I am keenly aware of during my teaching practice. Also, one must consider the context/setting in interpreting “interacting dynamic variables” (102).

Which leads to the issue of ‘transfer’ – into other domains – and generalization of these skills.  How can this be achieved?  For an English Teacher, Fantasy Games allow for the creation of far more complex characterization.  This is useful in conjunction with any imaginative/creative writing activities - I have noted that the Neverwinter Nights has the feature(s) for users to create and build within the videogame domain.  Again, something that offer more features that allow for creativity. 

A LADDER OF CHALLENGES

Closely linked to the motivation and the maintenance of an optimal level of engagement:

  • visible progress
  • improved score
  • next level progression, to a level of increased difficulty

during all of which, the user (children) need to feel control.

This seems to be the elixir of creative and successful education.

Keywords: IDGBL10

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January 23, 2010

‘Popeye’

‘Popeye’ is an arcade platform game, developed and released by Nintendo in 1982, featuring an 8-bit rendering of the eponymous cartoon character, and features Olive Oyl, See Pea’, Wimpy, Bluto and Sea Hag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye_(arcade_game)

This game draws upon existing cultural references and uses the relations and enmities between the characters as the strategies and mini-plots, which span three levels. 

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January 22, 2010

Sherlock Holmes: The Secret of the Silver Earring (PC)

Pupils are required to produce a piece of journal writing in 5 minutes at the beginning of each lesson – applicable only to S1 and S2 pupils.

For most pupils, this would descend into the more mundane repetitive nature of listing the subjects they had visited or a window on their limited experience at the weekend in a small community.

The pupils are undertaking curricular study of a drama adaptation of a classic Sherlock Holmes story, The Mazarin Stone, so I decided to use one of the suggested titles by Whitton at http://digitalgames.playthinklearn.net/

Having acquired a ‘walkthrough’ and a copy of the PC game I decided to allow the pupils to play the game for five minutes and then spend a further 5 minutes producing a journal entry of the investigation to date in the persona of either Holmes or Dr Watson.

Pupils are in groups of 2-3, and each day a group undertakes the game control and scribing activities, whilst they participate in a whole class discussion of investigation.  I, as teacher and ‘omniscient prompt’ offer suggestions and instigate elaborations of suggestions. 

Pupils are:

  • Collaborating
  • Following instructions
  • Deconstructing a flexible narrative
  • Using higher-order thinking skills (i.e. deduction)
  • Learning about and writing in register
  • Reconstructing narrative(s)

To date, 3 periods - w/b 17th to 22nd January – have been successful; pupils have been confident to adopt 1 of the 2 offered personas; 1 has adopted a 3rd person.

I will continue to monitor the interaction and final outcomes of this activity.

I am considering the suitability of narrative-rich games such as ‘Neverwinter Nights’ and ‘The Longest Journey’.

Keywords: IDGBL10

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