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Beyond Edutainment:
Exploring the Educational Potential of Computer Games
PhD student Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen
IT-University Copenhagen
27th May 2005
“…develop games which contain advanced
content, operate according to sound
pedagogical principles, enable classroom
customisation, and create real excitement
within the core game market”
- Henry Jenkins
"I have never seen a good educational game.
It's crap for 30 years."
- Brenda Laurel
Agenda
1.
The mission
2.
The field
3.
The empirical study
4.
A theory
5.
Future challenges
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The problem statement
The problem this dissertation overall solves is the fragmented nature
of the research field educational field. This implies building a
framework for the research field educational use of computer games
extending from the following key elements: experience-based,
engagement, educational quality, safe environment, student autonomy
and emotional investment
Exploring alternatives to the current thinking
manifested in edutainment titles
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Main elements
• Before educational computer games
• The history of educational computer games
• Research overview
• Educational theory (Kolb, Dewey, Vygotsky)
• Charateristics of computer games
• Empirical study of Europa Universalis II
• Overall theory of educational use of computer games
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Agenda
1.
The mission
2.
The field
3.
The empirical study
4.
A theory
5.
Future challenges
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Early years of educational games
Military and business long traditon for educational use of games with
formal use reaching back to 19th century.
Simulation & Games a strong research tradition dating back to 1950s:
Relies on experiential learning, conscious of barriers, efficiency, and
assesment problems.
Educational media influences in direction of edutainment with motivation
becoming most important. Problems today shared with educational media
since start of 20th century: Low culture, short-sighted products, technical
problems, copyright issues, subsidies and balance between commercial
industry and educators.
The 1980s see more experimental titles especally Oregeon Trail, Rocky
Boots and Lemonade Stand that are not as such edutainment. Up
through the late 1980s edutainment kicks in, and in 1990s they are ruling
the waves.
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What is edutainment
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Little intrinsic motivation: Edutainment relies more on extrinsic motivation
through rewards, rather than intrinsic motivation.
No integrated learning experience: Edutainment lacks integration of the
learning experience with playing experience, which leads to the learning
becoming subordinated the stronger play experience.
No teacher presence: Edutainment never makes any demands on teachers
or parents.
Drill-and-practice learning principles: Learning principles in edutainment rely
on drill-and-practice rather than understanding – training above learning.
Simple gameplay: Most edutainment titles are built on a simple gameplay
often from classic arcade titles or a simple adventure game.
Small budgets: Edutainment titles are often produced on relatively limited
budgets with less than state-of-the-art technology.
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Edutainment crisis
US edutainment revenue
600
Mio $
500
400
300
200
100
0
1999
2000
2001
Year
2002
Research on educational games
Research in different areas focusing on
educational use of computer games
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
Instructional technology
Edutainment
Health-related games
Constructionism
Socio-cultural approach
Cognitive skills
Math games
Adventure games
Media education
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Agenda
1.
The mission
2.
The field
3.
The empirical study
4.
A theory
5.
Future challenges
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The research set-up
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Purpose
1. Can computer games play a part in fulfilling the purpose of history teaching
in secondary school (age 15-19 years). Can computer games work within
the current educational setting, the existing teaching practice, and the
existing understanding of learning.
2. Examine the characteristics of educational use of computer games in
general. The findings especially address issues related to strategy and
simulations. The results also have a stronger relevance for social studies
than other subjects.
Sample
72 Students, 15-19 years old, both genders
Middle/upper-class, sub-urban
Computer literate
Qualitative and quantitative methods
A variety of method problems i.e. sampling, incomplete data, researcher role.
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Overview of study
Course Start
Course finish
Background
survey
Evaluation
survey
Factual
post-test
Teacher
interviews
Student
interviews
Observations/logbooks
Five months after
course finished
Factual
Retention-test
The Game
Interesting because: Historical universe, complex model, relevant problems
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The Course
Playing the computer game and parallel with this jotting down.
Reflecting and discussing the game experiences in groups
Teacher talk on related topic based on the history text book.
(last step is where history teaching is still 95% of the time)
Introduction: Denmark a small manageable country to learn game
Follow up: Follow up on technical problem/installing game at home
Scenario 1: Play Denmark with an aggressive approach.
Scenario 2: Play England/France/Spain with a careful approach
Scenario 3: Play England/France/Spain with a balanced approach
Scenario 4: Play a country of your own choice with any strategy
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Findings: Different Groups
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Gender, academic ability, attitude, history knowledge, and game knowledge.
Give up: This group within the first two weeks gave up on the game, and hence
the course – in general few resources. Some didn’t see the relevance of
this course due to the nature of computer games. Critique of the game
was also a defense of their own position in history.
Upwardly mobile: Mostly boys that knew and liked games but rarely excelled in
school. Liked history in general but less likening for history in school.
Lacked the historical background information and academic ability to
engage with the game from a historical perspective.
Runners-up: Were able to learn the game through a lot of work. Positive towards
the game but never really got beyond seeing it lacking in facts. They
never had the energy to engage with it more reflectively.
High achievers: Generally boys that knew games, liked history, and had surplus of
energy in school. Able to approach the game from an abstract perspective
not limiting themselves to the game’s facts/diversions from history.
Findings: Practical barriers
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The educational setting
Time, space, expectations, technical
The preparation phase
Material, installing, learning game, combining.
Learning the game
Tutorials, freedom vs. regulation, competence gaps, homework
Tools for reflecting on the game
Lacking, save games, discuss around game, maps, extra material.
The teacher’s role
Know games, prepare specifically for game, just-in-time lectures, commitment,
teaching approach
Findings: Teaching with games
Recognizing games as learning
Games position, understanding of history, balancing play (deep/social) vs.
learning, pop-ups failure.
Transfer problem
Different context, history understanding, background information, teacher
approach
Cross-curriculum
History, Geography, English, Danish, Media.
Fight on history understanding
Fact obsession, emerging academic identity, games cultural position.
Learn the same but better retention
Less information, more exposure, hard to measure
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Agenda:
1.
The mission
2.
The field
3.
The empirical study
4.
A theory
5.
Future challenges
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Basic foundation for education
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Student relevance (Builds engagement and investment)
- Linking with experience
•Autonomy
Computer games support these
features quite naturally
•Modality
•Safety
•Challenge
}
The linking of these two parts is hard
Educational (requires instruction)
- Linking the right experience
•Points forward ‘desirable direction’
•Support desire to learn
•Match curriculum
}
Computer games do not necessarily
support these features but they
may be integrated
Educational use of computer games
Player
perspective
Student
perspective
Game
Experience
Relevance
• Autonomy / Choice
Educational
• Points forward
• Modality
(Audiovisual)
• Safety through play
• Curriculum
• Desire to learn
Concrete
Experience
• Challenging
Engagement
• Doing
• Applying
Active
experimentation
Reflective
observation/
Abstract
concepts
• Probing
Investment
in activity
Spontaneous
concepts
Scientific
concepts
Instruction
• Appreciation
• Exploration
• Linking
Investment
in activity
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Important contributions
Experiential learning with computer games: Computer games provide
experiences building a sense of relevance and engagement leading
students to invest in learning. Instruction extends from the students’s
concrete game experiences and investment – instruction facilitates the
necessary direction, order and reflection refining the experiences.
• Sidste punkter fra final thoughts!
Cultural position: Computer games have a lot of baggage when they
enter school both positive and negative.
Market conditions: The market for producing material, support and titles
for using computer games in schools is practically non-existent.
School structure: School hardly favours the use of computer games with
classroom structure, short lessons, few cross-disciplinary courses,
curriculum, teaching practice, sparse equipment and low budgets.
Practical experiences: Still few experiences with using computer games
for educational purposes and the barriers are substantial for most
teachers on the classroom level. We need more actual experiences.
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Agenda
1.
The mission
2.
The field
3.
The empirical study
4.
A theory
5.
Future challenges
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What would it take: A different course
Full package of teacher talks, playing, group discussions, plenum
discussions and tailored background materiale.
Cross-disciplinary, project-based & closeness between working forms
Teacher preparation and game skills, hardware situation, support, easier
install and update (server)
Specific titles – more overlap between game actions, winning and
learning – if we are to learn policy then make policy decisions – but do it
in an interesting, safe, rich universe, that you are engaged in, and get
feedback on your actions.
Instruction most be relevant for playing the game and playing the game
most be relevant for instruction.
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Contact
Questions or comments
sen@itu.dk
Slides at http://www.itu.dk/people/sen
Links:
http://www.seriousgames.dk
http://game.itu.dk
http://www.game-research.com
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