The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) reported the following benefits after conducting a test pilot to evaluate student achievement resulting from educational gaming:
• Reinforcement of Cognitive Skills
• Helping Students Understand Abstract Concepts
• Improved 21st Century Literacy
• Increased Motivation
• Timeliness and Feedback
• Support for the Core Curriculum
• Learning How to Take risks and deal with losing in a safe environment
While CoSN states more research is needed to evaluate the connection between student achievement and game usage, they acknowledge that educators and researchers countrywide are embracing games as a way to “compel and provide deep learning experiences” to students (Lester & Prensky 2006).
A survey of 500,000 students, as reported by The National Report from a NetDay’s 2005 Speak Up-Event, revealed over “70 percent of K-3 students use computers in their free time, almost 80 percent of 3-6 students use computers to play games, and 6-12 students use computers to create personal websites on MySpace, read the news and blog (Hurley 2008).”
Marc Prensky, internationally acclaimed speaker and advocate of digital game based learning emphasizes the need for educators to offer technology infused curriculum since “today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.”
Learning from doing: The Multiple Intelligences of e-Games
I hear, and I forget.
I see, and I remember
I do, and I understand.
Chinese Proverb
Tell me….And I Forget,
Teach me…..And I Learn,
Involve Me…..And I Remember.
Benjamin Franklin
e-Games offer a wide variety of opportunities to accommodate the multiple intelligences theory of learning styles by providing students a platform to realize their strengths and to manage their own learning. Games stimulate auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning producing an engrossing educational platform enriching students’ learning experiences.
The Top 10 Free Games Online
The Educational Games Research organization provides websites along with details of the top ten free educational videos. Each game listed includes a learning objective and comments about content. The broad range of topics include the American Revolution, cancer, scientific method through inquiry and teamwork, history, environmental issues, social studies, Shakespeare, the History of Canada, US military expectations for recruits, world hunger, social responsibility, urban management and building a simulated city.
Free games abound online, especially for the budget conscious instructor. Low cost homework helpers also offer students rich multi-media learning platforms such as Cosmeo, as recommended by The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
Game Developers Building Social Capital
Several game developers are taking steps in building social capitol for a better world. One of these games that is provided freely and listed at the number two spot in the “Top 10 Free Video Games” is called Re-Mission. This fabulous high end 3D games’ objective is to help cancer patients understand and fight the disease. The game website is referenced in the resource section, within the Top 10 Free Video Games link. The following link contains an interview with a cancer patient describing his experience, and showing him playing the game. This game is also being distributed through CIGNA.
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=1475790&cl=3087465
Another member of the social capital building network is a group of minority youth living in Brooklyn, called Global Kids. Global Kids created the game “In Ayiti: The Cost of Life.” This role playing game has gamers assuming roles of family members who live in rural Haiti. The point of the game is to teach students what it is like to live in a world of poverty and how to develop decision building skills for overcoming unexpected events such as disease and hurricanes and to keep striving towards their life goals. Ayiti: The Cost of Life gives students the opportunity to experience the struggles encountered from living in poverty, along with inspiring sensitivity towards other cultures.
Mind Habits is an online game that uses principles found in the new science of social intelligence. The game helps to train the mind to develop positive thinking patterns and is based on over a decade of research conducted by Dr. Mark Baldwin, a leader in the field of social intelligence. The game is meant to reduce stress, help improve trust issues, and increase levels of self esteem. This game would be a wonderful tool to use at the beginning of a class to help prepare students to work collaboratively. There is a slight fee for the program. A 60 minute free demo is available.
Another example of social capital building in the world of gaming worth mentioning, is the altruistic act performed by game researcher Mr. Ryuata Kawashima. Mr. Kawashima is the researcher behind Nintendo’s Brain Age game and rather than accepting his $6.5 million dollars in royalties, he donated the money to the Tohoku University for a construction project on campus.
Conclusion
e-Games benefit users in many ways including academics, health, creating a global awareness of other cultures, and in having fun while learning. e-Games give students a chance to learn material in a format they enjoy and understand. Digital native students have 21st century skills from years of using technology. They have the ability to process information quickly by multi tasking while using several forms of instant communication simultaneously. As digital immigrants not having grown up using technology and as educators, we need to learn the language of the digital native student to provide a technology enriched curriculum that reflects keeping in step with learning styles of the 21st century.
Resources and Suggested Game Websites:
e-Games
Mathematics
http://www.k111.k12.il.us/King/math.htm
http://www.coolmath.com/
Variety of Academic Subjects
www.educationarcade.org/
http://www.gamequarium.com/math.htm
Top 10 free Educational Video Games
http://edugamesblog.wordpress.com/2007/12/15/the-top-10-free-educational-video-games/
Stress and Well Being
Mind Habits
www.mindhabits.com
Articles
Twenty-first Century Learners: What Do Digital Natives Need?
http://www.pearsonschool.com/index.cfm?locator=PSZ19x
Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles
http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Multiple_Intelligences_and_Learning_Styles#The_Visual_Learning_Style
Not Just Fun and Games
http://www.cosn.org/resources/compendium/2006Summaries/GamesExecSummary.pdf
Can Games be used to Teach?
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_33_2006_2005_/April_No_7_/33706p.pdf
OnLine Educational Games
http://members.shaw.ca/dbrear/oleg.html
The Games Children Play
http://www.techlearning.com/shared/printableArticle.php?articleID=172303143
http://games2train.com/
Gamers…in the Library?!
http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=2331
Serious Game Initiative
http://www.seriousgames.org/about2.html
Game Development websites – Free
http://scratch.mit.edu/
http://www.yoyogames.com/gamemaker
Game Development School Resource
http://www.gdconf.com/
By: Joanne Blair
EDUI 6707 Midterm
Professor Datta Kaur Khalsa
February 15, 2008