As I read this week information I have learned a lot of new
and intriguing information. I have always played games of interest and thrown
games of no interest to the way side; however, I never realized regardless of
playing I am engaged and still learning. As I continue to go through the
readings I am in disbelief.
·
Selected trends affecting game-based learning Selected
trends affecting game-based learning include:
o
Widespread use of games technologies and serious
games movement
o
Wider use of games technologies in the home is
increasing the interest in the use of games in educational contexts, and in
turn this is leading to increasing use of games particularly in schools and
colleges, but also in universities.
o
The serious games movement is a trend towards
designing and analyzing the use of games (and simulations) for supporting
formal educational and training objectives and outcomes. The movement aims to
meet the significant challenge of bringing together games designers and
educationalists to ensure fun and motivation as well as demonstrating
educational value.
The main conclusions arising from this study include:
·
Games need to be embedded into practice to
ensure effective learning
o
Use of both leisure (commercial-off-the-shelf)
games and proprietary games need to be embedded in practice effectively and in
accordance with sound pedagogic principles and design.
o
More research is needed to provide empirical
evidence for how game-based learning can be used most effectively
o
Need for more rigorous baseline studies that can
quantify how much and in which ways games and simulations are currently being
used most effectively to support learning.
o
More effective supporting materials are needed
to support practitioners wishing to use game-based learning approaches
o
There is a need for guidelines, case studies and
exemplars from current practice to inform and improve the quality of delivery
of games-based learning across the sector and to support better future planning
and resource allocation.
o
New developments including the serious games
movement are informing the development of games for learning
o
New developments such as the serious games
movement are facilitating collaborations between academic, industrial and
government agencies seeking to develop proprietary learning games. However, further
work still needs to be done to bring the games development and education
communities closer together in order to build shared vocabularies and
expectations, as well as to inform new learning designs to support effective
game-based learning experiences.
o
Great potential and need for tutors and
practitioners to become involved with games development for learning
o
The potential for educators to become involved
in the development of learning content associated with these new games formats
at this stage is substantial. This may be further encouraged using
participatory development methodologies to ensure that tutors and learners have
a greater say in dedicated content developed for games-based learning, and importantly
to ensure compliance with sound pedagogic design principles as well as
alignment with learning outcomes and assessment.
o
Need for more opportunities for staff
development to support tutors wishing to adopt game-based learning in their
practice
o
The potential of game-based learning in practice
can only be supported by a more coordinated approach to staff development and
opportunities for buying out staff time to allow tutors time to explore and experiment
with existing tools and game spaces.
o
Potential for learners to become more empowered
with game-based learning
o
Game-based learning presents new opportunities
for re-considering how we learn. Using immerse spaces, learners may produce
their own materials, share learning experiences and rehearse skills for the ‘real-world’.
Gamification
Implementation Chart
Why do we play games, Motivate students to do what we need
them to do. Games are played because of strategy and choices, simulation,
social interaction, competition, self-reliance and thrill and luck. John Radalf
uses a chart to describe that we use immersion; cooperation, competition and achievement
are the reasons behind playing games. All games have different reasons as to
why we play, most people it’s the story behind the game and not the game
itself. Many won’t play if there isn’t a story to follow as they play.
This
PDF had a lot of information I was not aware of. Simply stating that we
should waste 4 minutes of every hour playing angry birds because it will make
us smarter or work better? I have played angry birds and completed what I had
and deleted it and moved on to something new. I have to admit I liked the game,
little did I know it was engaging my brain and making me smarter. All I thought
was that I was wasting my time or using time up that I had free, especially on
my commute to NYC on the train. If and
when I do play games I usually make sure they are strategy or learning games
and try to keep my brain involved and actively thinking. Same reason why I read
mystery books, I like to figure out the end before I get there; however, I’m
not always right but I am always on the edge of my seat.
This article also discusses and gives lots of diagrams to
becoming and expert. The more time we spend and the better attitude we have the
more people who reach level expert per day, week and year.
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