ASSIGNMENT N° 2: GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK
AND READ THE RESEARCH STUDY THOROUGHLY. WRITE DOWN THE KEY IDEAS ON A TWO (2)
PAGES WORD DOCUMENT, PASTE IT HERE AND LATER PRESENT IT IN THE CLASSROOM.
Chosen games that have apparent
curriculum relevance and/or support a relevant learning style, or develop a
particular skill.
Provided the games to trained
evaluators to explore and evaluate in the classroom against a draft evaluation
framework. Refined the framework in response to the feedback from this first
phase.
Provided a framework/questionnaire
that the teachers can give to a small sample of parents, who contribute
evidence on honre use. Conducted a focus group amongst the teacher evaluators
to explore the issues further.
The games
The games selected for trial in the classroom were
primarily of the simulation or quest-based genres. Some of these contained
within them some arcade style games, often appearing randomly or as a reward
for the successful completion of a task. Other game types (see page 8) were not
identified as potentially appropriate for classroom use, even though they may
have some broad educational benefits in an informal learning context.
MethodologyThe teachers recorded their experience using modified evaluation frameworks based on the TEEM frameworks for the evaluation of digital content (see page 39). The emphasis throughout was on the potential of the game to support learning within a classroom context, to identify learning outcomes, and to highlight management issues. This last point ensured that data collection captured the context within which the game was used and the task structure and management required to ensure the potential learning objectives were realized.
Different types
of software
There are lots of different ways of defining genres of
computer games that are used in related magazines and amongst keen games
players. For the purpose of this exercise games were differentiated by the type
of activity involved in playing the game. Feedback from teachers has been an
important part of the development of this classification.
Teacher evaluation of games in a classroom context
The games
The games selected for trial in the
classroom were primarily of the simulation or quest-based genres. Some of these
contained within them some arcade style games, often appearing randomly or as a
reward for the successful completion of a task. Other game types were not
identified as potentially appropriate for classroom use, even though they may
have some broad educational benefits in an informal learning context.
Genres of title
Key features of genre
Adventure/quest, Simulations, Race
games, Maze games, Edutainment activities, Traditional games
Learning
outcomes from playing games in school
The overall
sense that quest and simulation games contributed to children's learning was
universal across the key stages. The nature of the learning supported by games
use could be broadly divided into three types —learning as a result of tasks
stimulated by the content of the games, knowledge developed through the content
of the game, skills arising as a result of playing the game. This last one can
be subdivided into direct and indirect learning.
Integrating
games use into the classroom
It needs confidence with the genre and imagination to
integrate games into learning tasks eg data handling and reading within
Championship Manager, creative writing from Freddi Fish. It also requires a
knowledge of the game which the teachers in this evaluation had taken time to
develop. In terms of practical lesson planning this takes too much time to
develop as it can only be done through playing the game. The more complex games
are, the greater the need for more teacher preparation.
Methodology
Each teacher evaluator was asked to identify two children
from their class or group who would be prepared to use the computer game at
home, and who would also carry out a short evaluation of the game and answer
other questions about game use at home. The game was sent home with the children
towards the end of the summer term, and children and often parents and siblings
played with them and completed the evaluation form which they sent back to TEEM
independently.
Learning outcomes valued by parents
85% of the
parents evaluating games with their children believed that computer games
contributed to learning as well as providing entertainment. Many acknowledged
that the balance shifted with age, so that whilst games can be bought for
younger children that directly contribute to the child's spelling and maths
skills, older children are more likely to value games directly for their
entertainment value. Integrating games use into family life
Analysis of pupil questionnaires
The stereotypical picture of the lone boy playing
aggressive computer games alone in his room is not fully representative of
young people's use of computer games. In fact both boys and girls enjoy
computer games, and even though they play in their rooms they often play with a
friend or family member. As a result they describe that working as a team,
decision making and planning are commonly reported learning outcomes from games
playing.
What do they play?
The most popular games genres were Adventure, Race Games
and Shooting/Arcade. At KS 2 and 3 Adventure was ahead of the other two, but in
KS 4 it was equal first with Race games. Race games remain equally popular with
girls and boys in all Key Stages, as do shooting/arcade games in Key Stage 2. However,
girls are far more likely to favor adventure games than boys throughout.
Where and when do they play?
The majority of pupils play games at home, most
frequently in their rooms. Key stage 2 pupils are more likely to play elsewhere
in the house than older pupils. No more than 15% (KS 3 Girls) report playing at
a friend's house. Very few report playing games at school, with the only
significant incidence at KS 2 where 12% of girls report playing.
How long do they play?
Approximately 25% of pupils reported playing games for
over 2 hours at a time in each keystage. This group was composed of at least
twice as many boys as girls, except in KS 3. By KS 4 8o% of girls reported
playing up to 1 hour or less, whereas 57% of boys were still playing up to 2 hours
or more. Other than these trends, the pupils reported fairly evenly across the
options.
Who do they play with?
Overall pupils are more likely to play games with one or
more friends than on their own. They also play with family members, although
even girls are more likely to play with a mate family member that a female one.
What do they own and who pays for them?
Pupils are more likely to own either less than lo or over
twenty games, and boys are more likely to be in the second group. Younger
children own more games than older ones. This may be because the games they
report in their favorites list are smaller, cheaper products. Parents are far
more likely to have bought games for KS 2 and 3 pupils, with over 75% reporting
parents as paying for games. However, children spend their own money as well as
receiving presents. KS 4 pupils are as likely to buy games with their own money
as have parents buy them, although boys are more willing to do this than girls.
What do they learn?
Working as a team is the most commonly reported skill
developed through game playing in KS 2 and 3. At KS 2 boys and girls report
this more or less equally at 48%. At KS 3 the overall figure is 64% but only
55% of girls as opposed to 75% of boys selected this option. At KS 4 the most
commonly reported skill is decision making, but planning and working as a team
are also popular. Girls report more decision making and boys report more
planning and working as a team.
Games at school
When pupils were asked where they played games, schools
did not feature very frequently at all. However, when asked directly if they
played games at school the answers were more positive. This probably reflects
the fact that pupils do play games at school, but nowhere as frequently as at
home. Girls are slightly less likely than boys to play games at school, and
games playing at school reaches a peak on KS 3 with 7o% of pupils reporting
positively. However, this drops significantly to 23% in KS4.
Implications for successful computer game
design for classroom use
Design and navigation issues
As has been shown throughout this report, there are some
valuable opportunities that some genres of game could offer to support learning
outcomes within a formal educational setting. These opportunities could be
greatly enhanced if some of the following program design issues were taken into
consideration. Not all of these issues will necessarily apply to any one game,
but addressing them where appropriate could significantly facilitate the use of
games within an educational context.
Elements of games that make their play successful
Whilst direct comparisons were not made with the variety
of educational games that are available in the school context already, a number
of comments did emerge through which pupils engaged in this project compared
these games with those that they normally access in school, and commented on
the way educational titles could be enhanced.
TEEM teacher evaluation framework
In constructing the evaluation
framework TEEM has produced a single document that will relate to a wide range
of different games. The framework includes a range of questions and issues
under the headings known to be significant when evaluating software. Some of
the questions may be redundant when it comes to writing about particular games.
However, whatever the software, the purpose of the framework is the same. It is
a document that presents a number of headings under which teachers report on
their findings and experience of a program, and offers prompting questions that
have to be considered when writing about each of the particular issues —
content, curriculum relevance, design and navigation and so on. In writing to
the framework, teachers will have developed a sensitivity to the issues
relevant to each section as they view each game, and then write about the title
with those issues in mind. This ensures that there is a commonality of
information about the evaluated games, allowing appropriate comparison of
evaluations.
In constructing this questionnaire,
TEEM was conscious that it would be used by parents who reflected a wide range
of interest in, and experience of, using software with their children. Its
purpose was to concentrate on those factors that both described the way in
which their children interacted with the given game, and also painted a picture
of the wider use the family and friends made of software and computers
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