What Can We Learn From Video
Games for Classroom Application?
Dr. Michael England
Professor of Education
Southwestern Adventist University
August 2012
If the games generation are Digital
Natives, what does that make the older
generations – those who make or buy
the e-Learning that the Digital Natives
use?
One way to think of them is as “Digital
Immigrants.” They came to the digital
shores later in life, and they had to
learn to cope with digital technology as
adults.
“For the first time in
history, we are no longer
limited by our teachers’
ability and knowledge.”
– Mark Anderson
Product of the Environment
Baby
Boomers



TV generation
Typewriters
Memos
Generation
X



Video games
Computers
Email
Millennials




The Web
Multiple,
mobile
devices
Instant
messaging
Online
communities
Our Digital Native’s e-Life
Communicating
email, IM, chat
Sharing
Blogs, webcams
Buying & Selling
ebay, papers
Exchanging
music, movies, humor
Creating
sites, avatars, mods
Meeting
3D chat rooms, dating
Collecting
mp3, video, sensor data
Coordinating
Projects, workgroups,
MMORPGs
Evaluating
Reputation systems–
Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot
Gaming
Solo, 1-on-1, small & large
groups
Learning
About stuff that interests
them
Evolving
Peripheral, emergent
behaviors
Searching
Info, connections, people
Analyzing
SETI, drug molecules
Reporting
Moblogs, photos
Programming
Open systems, mods
search
Socializing
Learning social behavior,
influence
Growing Up
Exploring, transgressing
Mind Boggling Statistics
Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an
average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38)
to using entertainment media across a
typical day (more than 53 hours a
week).
And because they spend so much of that
time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than
one medium at a time), they actually
manage to pack a total of 10 hours and
45 minutes (10:45) worth of media
content into those 7½ hours.
Number of minutes per week that
parents spend in meaningful
conversation with their children: 3.5
Hours per year the average American youth
spends in school: 900
Hours per year the average American youth
watches television: 1500
Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average
child finishes elementary school: 8,000
Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000
The average gamer will have played 10,000 hours by
age 21 with 99 percent of male gamers (94 percent for
females) under the age of 18 playing five days a week.
The average young person racks up 10,000 hours of gaming by the
age of 21 -- or 24 hours less than they spend in a classroom for
all of middle and high school if they have perfect attendance.
It's a remarkable amount of time we're investing in
games. 5 million gamers in the U.S., in fact, are
spending more than 40 hours a week playing games -the equivalent of a full time job!
Reading. Over the past 5 years, time spent
reading books remained steady at about :25 a
day, but time with magazines and newspapers
dropped (from :14 to :09 for magazines, and
from :06 to :03 for newspapers).
The proportion of young people who read a
newspaper in a typical day dropped from 42%
in 1999 to 23% in 2009. On the other hand,
young people now spend an average of :02 a
day reading magazines or newspapers online.
Media and homework. About half of young people say
they use media either “most” (31%) or “some” (25%) of
the time they’re doing their homework.
Rules about media content. Fewer
than half of all 8- to 18-yearolds say they have rules about
what TV shows they can watch
(46%), video games they can play
(30%), or music they’re allowed to
listen to (26%). Half (52%) say
they have rules about what they
can do on the computer.
Gender gap. Girls spend
more time than boys using
social networking sites (:25
vs. :19), listening to music
(2:33 vs. 2:06), and reading
(:43 vs. :33).
Boys spend more time than
girls playing console video
games (:56 vs.:14), computer
games (:25 vs. :08), and
going to video websites like
YouTube (:17 vs. :12).
Tweens and media. Media use
increases substantially when children
hit the 11-14 year-old age group, an
increase of 1:22 with TV content,
1:14 with music, 1:00 using the
computer, and :24 playing video
games, for total media exposure of
11:53 per day (vs. 7:51 for 8-10
year-olds).
Texting.
th
th
7 -12
graders
report spending an average
of 1:35 a day sending or
receiving texts. (Time
spent texting
is not counted as media use
in this study.)
Why Kids Drop Out of School
47%
43%
42%
38%
35%
Classes weren’t interesting.
Missed too many days and couldn’t catch up.
Friends weren’t interested in school.
Too much freedom & too few rules in my life.
Was failing in school.
But 70% were confident they could have graduated. and
81% recognized that graduating was vital to their success.
Online 3 -5 hours
per day.
97% play video games
50% played yesterday
Accustomed to high
level of empowerment
Live in a world with
lots of content to
choose from.
Are active learners
Are active builders
How Millennials Learn
Themes of Millennials
• Digitally literate
• Always on
• Experiential
• Mobile
• Community-oriented
Digital Immigrants
Digital Natives
Conventional
Speed
Twitch
Speed
Step-by-Step
Random
Access
Linear
Processing
Parallel
Processing
Digital Immigrants
Digital Natives
Text
First
Graphics
First
Work
Oriented
Play
Oriented
Stand
Alone
Connected
21st Century Learners
• have had technology forever
• have found new processes for
critical thinking
• have embraced the concept of
change
• have managed to strike fear
into the previous generation
What was your
favorite game?
What was enjoyable
about it?
Why Games Engage Us
Fun
Play
Rules
Goals
Interactive
Outcomes & Feedback
Adaptive
Win states
Conflict, competition
Problem solving
Interaction with people
Representation & Story












Enjoyment and Pleasure
Intense involvement
Structure
Motivation
Doing
Learning
Flow
Ego Gratification
Adrenaline
Creativity
Social Groups
Emotion
We have learned to
“play school.” We
study the right facts
the night before the
test so we achieve a
passing grade and
thus become a
successful student.
– A high school student
“...how many
educators are
able to keep
the undivided
attention of 5th
graders multiple
hours straight
without a
break...and yet
video games
manage to do
so...”
The gamer's world ─
Move over, I'm driving; buckle up!
There is always
an answer
Video games
are fair.
There is always a problem(s)
that has a solution(s) which
lead to an end result -- the
object of the game.
There is always
an answer
The answer is
rarely obvious.
A correct answer will give you
information which will be useful in
reaching the goal; thus you must
persevere to find a correct answer.
The answer is always relevant.
There is always
an answer
Cheats are OK, because you
are learning (gaining valuable
information) as you move
forward toward the goal.
You might be frustrated for
a while and you may need
help in finding it, but it is
always there. Cheats (hints)
are built into the program
and are part of the
resources available to you.
There is always
an answer
Students rarely,
if ever,
associate
fairness with
schools.
In schools, the answer is
given to you; it is often not
linked to anything relevant.
There is only one right
answer and one right way to
get there and cheats are
not to be tolerated!
Nothing is
impossible
You see yourself and your
friends do amazing things
such as save the world from
terrorists or alien invasions,
create thriving civilizations,
and manage a successful
small business.
In any game, you have
the tools and the talent
to be successful on your
own, or you may connect
with someone who has
the information you need
in order to move forward
(collaboration).
You have the power
to control your
destiny. You can
accomplish anything
you want, and
therefore you are
motivated.
Competition &
Collaboration
Competition does not
eclipse collaboration; in
fact, collaboration is
often an integral part of
furthering your success.
Competition and collaboration
are symbiotic rather than
mutually exclusive concepts.
Competition is inherent in
game structure.
Competition is the
motivating
factor
Roles are
clear
You understand
the rules, the
tools at your
disposal and you
are willing to
take the risks.
In games, roles are
clearly defined. You
choose your role and
understand its powers
and limitations.
Roles are
clear
At the secondary
level, a child may
have several teachers
a day who all have
different definitions
of the child's role
depending on the
activity chosen or the
concept being taught.
In schools, the roles are not
as clear. The child's role of
“student” is defined at the
discretion of the teacher.
Roles are
clear
If a child comes into the learning
environment with an identity that is
contrary to the role the teacher is
asking them to perform, he or she will
not be successful. Thus, a child with a
history of failure in math may have
difficult time accepting the role of
“math student.”
They dominate
their culture
Their experience
tells them that
with patience and
perseverance, they
will succeed.
They are the stars in
their own adventure.
They are responsible for
their own success.
Games vs.
Schools
Games are
challenging and
motivating.
Compared to the classroom,
games are empowering,
motivating, individualized
differentiated learning
environments with set rules which
value the efforts of the
individual child.
Games vs.
Schools
The structure is
apparent; the rules
are clear and
unambiguous; and
your role in the
game is well
defined. The goal
is always
attainable.
Games offer the child a
shared experience with their
peers in a collaborative
environment. They are a
platform for problem solving.
Games are
rule-based
Consequences of player
behavior are clearly
either positive or
negative. If there is a
disagreement about the
rules of the game, the
game is stopped until
the disagreement has
been resolved.
The rules are applied equally
to each player. The rules of
the game have to be
sufficiently well-defined so
there is no room for individual
interpretation.
Games are
rule-based
The teacher
chooses the game.
The game
continues even
when rules are
broken.
In schools we tend to consider
our classrooms rule-based.
However, the teacher is the
keeper and the interpreter of
the rules.
The teacher makes the rules
and can change the rules at
will, either for the class or for
the individual.
Player effort influences
The game outcome
Teachers are
frustrated with the
lack of effort students
are putting into their
assignments and
coursework.
Yet these are the same
students who spend hours
playing games which they
find relevant, challenging
and fun.
The amount of energy
the player puts into the
game invests the player
with the outcome.
The Bad News!
Educators have been slow to pick up on this fundamental shift in the
way the video game generation learns. They know something is very
different in the classroom; they just can't pin point what it is.
Teachers are
frustrated by
their inability to
connect with
students.
The Bad News!
We are dealing with a
new, rapidly growing
culture that refuses
to be force fed a
“canned education.”
This attitude is a slap in
the face to our
traditional educational
system, but it is a fact
and it is not going to go
Apathetic students are
willing to be in school,
perhaps, but motivated only
by their parents, their
friends or the law. Even
though they are physically in
attendance, they are not
engaged in the “game” we
call school.
The Bad News!
The structure of the
game molds the gamers‘
experiences, leading to a
different way of looking
at the world and, given a
certain situation,
determining how best to
interact. Teachers who
are not gamers do not
live in the same world
and therefore cannot see
the possibilities.
The Bad News!
The gamers are trying
to send a message to
their teachers and to
the educational system
as a whole. Clearly,
teachers are going to
have to rethink how
they present material
in the classroom.
Kids will walk away
from homework because
it is “too hard.”
Kids will walk away from a
computer game because it is
“too easy.”
ENGAGE ME
or
ENRAGE ME
In Fact,
LEARNING
Is The BIG
SECRET
REASON
We Play Games!
OUR JOB IS TO
COMBINE
GAME PEDAGOGY
WITH
THE CURRICULUM
Fifteen Principles of Gaming
• Risk-taking: Good video games lower the
consequences caused from failure. Risks
are encouraged.
• Customization: Games provide different
difficulty levels and allow players to solve
problems in different ways.
• Agency: Players gain a sense of ownership.
• Well-Ordered Problems: Problems
players face are built to lead players to
form strategies that will work later, on
harder problems.
• Challenge and Consolidation: Games allow
players to gain mastery, then requires
them to learn something new and
consolidate their skills.
• “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand”:
Games give verbal commands versus
written.
• Situated Meanings: Games always situate
meanings of words in terms of actions,
images and dialogue.
• Pleasantly Frustrating: Game are “doable”
but challenging.
• System Thinking: Games encourage
players to think about relationships, not
isolated events.
• Explore, Think Literally, Rethink Goals:
Games encourage players to explore
thoroughly before moving on, thinking
laterally not just linearly.
• Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge:
Players often work with other characters to
complete the game, knowledge and tools are
shared.
• Cross-Functional Teams: Many games
require players to be apart of multiplayer
teams.
So what are positive side effects of games?
• Kids who play games with their parents feel a
stronger connection with them and also perform
better in school.
• Playing "pro social" games like Super Mario
Sunshine where you help out the world makes
you three to four times more likely to help
others in real life.
• As far as music games, 67 percent of
respondents in a pool of 7,000 reported
inspiration to play an instrument in real life
after playing a music game.72 percent of
musicians reported spending more time playing
real instruments after playing music games.
So what are positive side effects of games?
• Playing as an attractive, heroic character in a
video game for 90 seconds will make players
more confident for the next 24 hours. More
likely to put themselves out there.
• The second most positive mental activity in
soldiers was found after they played games for
three to four hours. The most positive activity
came from five to six hours of daily exercise.
• Gamers are more likely to have lucid dreams and
are more likely able to take control in nightmares
for positive outcomes.
The Future
1. Video games / simulations will have a
significant impact upon learning in the
next 5 years that will be verified by hard
data.
2. Games and simulations will transform
learning in the next 10-15 years.
3. Institutions prepared to develop and use
these simulations will have an edge.
4. There will be need to teach with, develop,
and learn from these games and
simulations.
Resource Page
Go to:
http://d2l.swau.edu
User Name: teacher.resource
Password:
(don’t forget the period in-between)
love2teach
Click on the class: EDUC 002 Technology Resource
Go to CONTENT tab at top and click for the resources