ASSIGNMENT N° 2

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.

http://consilr.info.uaic.ro/uploads_lt4el/resources/pdfengReport%20on%20the%20educational%20use%20of%20games.pdf

Games in education project

Introduction 

There is a widely held view that games software is capable of developing a degree of user engagement which could be usefully harnessed in an educational context. This project was seeking to: 

• Explore the notion of the computer game. 
• Understand the complexity of the genres.
•  Identify what if anything particular types of game might contribute to the development of learning related skills or the knowledge of content. 
• Consider the match and mismatch between these skills and content and those recognised as valuable within traditional educational settings. 
• Identify the likely nature of valuable collaborations between games developers and education professionals.

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 (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. 

The evaluators

 The teachers involved were all TEEM trained digital content evaluators, used to incorporating ICT into their teaching, and managing the use of computers in the classroom.

Methodology

 Pairs of teachers in different schools were asked to evaluate each title within one of the Key Stages, with a class they taught and within their mainstream teaching if at all possible. The games were used on more than one occasion over a period of the summer term of 2001. 

The 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 realised. 

This report is a summative analysis of all the teacher evaluation reports received.

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.

Stimulus for learning 

The use of games as a stimulus for associated work was restricted to primary schools in practice, although this is not theoretically the case. In the evaluations such work included largely creative writing using characters or scenarios from the games. Here the high degree of engagement with the game, and the perceived authenticity of the game’s context provided jumping off points for other activities. These factors could also be used to stimulate creative work in other areas such as art and design, technology, and in some cases science. In addition teachers could use pupils’ extensive games experience outside school as a starting point for work in school. This would require teachers to be more aware of the importance of games in pupils’ lives, and a willingness to have children contribute their expertise in these areas to the learning activity. Business style simulations often include graphs and charts which can be a starting point for discussion and work away from the game.

Skills games develop 

There was a recognition across the age range that games support the development of a wide range of skills which are essential to the autonomous learner. Some of these related directly to the context of the game which developed skills such as problem solving, sequencing, deductive reasoning and memorisation. Others were a result of the learning context when children work in groups on a task. These included peer tutoring, co-operation and collaboration, and co-learning. In particular the nature of discussion around the task was valued throughout. This led to development of negotiating skills and group decision-making as well as respect for peers. Teacher evaluators were asked to describe the curriculum relevance of the games that they were using. Teachers at different Key Stages identified specific curriculum objectives that games play could support. 

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.

Parents’ views on software usage

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. There was no attempt to tie the home use into the use that the children might have already made of the game in the classroom, and only a small number of parents commented on the relationship between what the child had already experienced and the use of the game at home. 

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

 Whilst 60% of the parents reported that their children played alone with the game at some time during the evaluation, only two children had had no one playing the game with them at any time. In 95% of the evaluating families other family members had got involved; siblings were the most common other family member, but parents were significantly represented, with 40% fathers and 22% mothers getting involved. About 40% reported that the children always played with friends, usually their own peer group, but occasionally a mixture of ages playing along. These trends were also reflected in the larger sample of questionnaires from children (see p16).

Analysis of pupil questionnaires

Overview 

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. The games which pupils prefer and which keep their attention are those which offer an appropriate level of challenge, and multiple levels so that they can make progress. Generally, although arcade style games are common, adventure and race games are also very popular.

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 favour adventure games than boys through out.

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. Not surprisingly games are played at weekends and after school. There is a tendency among girls to play games when they are bored or have nothing more interesting to do, whereas boys are more likely to play games as a first choice activity

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.

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.

Curriculum issues 

Valuing thinking skills in the curriculum There were many comments from teachers, parents and pupils about the valuable ways in which games made them think. However, within the school curriculum teachers found it hard to justify using resources whose value lay in thinking alone, however effective that resource might be at developing thinking skills. 

Stimulating communication skills in school

 Many of the games evaluated were designed to be played by two players discussing the scenario and planning what to do. This discussion was often very much valued by the teachers involved, but again teachers felt that the game as stimulus would be hard to justify including within the curriculum as it is currently framed.

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.