Comments on: Is the Label “Games Based Learning” Useful? http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/ Inspire Connect Engage Create Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:42:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: gjholl http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1967 gjholl Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:34:25 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1967 Thanks for this post. I'm becoming more and more conviced that GBL is going to be one of the major ways of encouraging disaffected (male) pupils. The issue seems to me that a large number of people in education who aren't gamers themselves are quite suspicious of gaming and are fightened (?) of their impact on children. I can only say that the biggest impact on developing my so's reading wasn't me - I'm an English teacher, by the way - or books: it was playing games like Zelda on his NDS and Halo on the 360. I saw a sudden leap in his reading because he had to understand the text to play games. I've no doubt that he also developed a range of other skills alongside that, too. I wonder how much the government would invest in decent GBL - it would certainly have more impact than all the National Strategies resources they've bombarded schools with.<br><br>Great site, by the way! Thanks for this post. I'm becoming more and more conviced that GBL is going to be one of the major ways of encouraging disaffected (male) pupils. The issue seems to me that a large number of people in education who aren't gamers themselves are quite suspicious of gaming and are fightened (?) of their impact on children. I can only say that the biggest impact on developing my so's reading wasn't me – I'm an English teacher, by the way – or books: it was playing games like Zelda on his NDS and Halo on the 360. I saw a sudden leap in his reading because he had to understand the text to play games. I've no doubt that he also developed a range of other skills alongside that, too. I wonder how much the government would invest in decent GBL – it would certainly have more impact than all the National Strategies resources they've bombarded schools with.

Great site, by the way!

]]> By: gjholl http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1758 gjholl Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:34:25 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1758 Thanks for this post. I'm becoming more and more conviced that GBL is going to be one of the major ways of encouraging disaffected (male) pupils. The issue seems to me that a large number of people in education who aren't gamers themselves are quite suspicious of gaming and are fightened (?) of their impact on children. I can only say that the biggest impact on developing my so's reading wasn't me - I'm an English teacher, by the way - or books: it was playing games like Zelda on his NDS and Halo on the 360. I saw a sudden leap in his reading because he had to understand the text to play games. I've no doubt that he also developed a range of other skills alongside that, too. I wonder how much the government would invest in decent GBL - it would certainly have more impact than all the National Strategies resources they've bombarded schools with.<br><br>Great site, by the way! Thanks for this post. I'm becoming more and more conviced that GBL is going to be one of the major ways of encouraging disaffected (male) pupils. The issue seems to me that a large number of people in education who aren't gamers themselves are quite suspicious of gaming and are fightened (?) of their impact on children. I can only say that the biggest impact on developing my so's reading wasn't me – I'm an English teacher, by the way – or books: it was playing games like Zelda on his NDS and Halo on the 360. I saw a sudden leap in his reading because he had to understand the text to play games. I've no doubt that he also developed a range of other skills alongside that, too. I wonder how much the government would invest in decent GBL – it would certainly have more impact than all the National Strategies resources they've bombarded schools with.

Great site, by the way!

]]> By: Mark R http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1724 Mark R Wed, 30 Dec 2009 16:22:27 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1724 I also do believe the word "games" comes with a lot of baggage.<br><br>A game can be anything from an novel amusement to a deep and accurate simulation - While these ideas all have a place in a classroom some things are better than others. <br><br>The phrase that most stuck with into me many years ago was "the person who learns the most from a CD-ROM is the one who programs it". <br><br>I think it is the same today for games - it is one things to consume a game and utilise the content to support teaching and learning and another level again to create games and simulations. We need a series of terms to avoid Game Based Learning tp become - the use of commercial off the shelf games in the classroom.<br><br>If I had an order - I would put tools like Alice and Algodoo/Phun and Scratch and Lego Robots above the guitar hero's of the world. A school fighting robot league is as much a game for kids as something on a console - a game can be social play. I also do believe the word “games” comes with a lot of baggage.

A game can be anything from an novel amusement to a deep and accurate simulation – While these ideas all have a place in a classroom some things are better than others.

The phrase that most stuck with into me many years ago was “the person who learns the most from a CD-ROM is the one who programs it”.

I think it is the same today for games – it is one things to consume a game and utilise the content to support teaching and learning and another level again to create games and simulations. We need a series of terms to avoid Game Based Learning tp become – the use of commercial off the shelf games in the classroom.

If I had an order – I would put tools like Alice and Algodoo/Phun and Scratch and Lego Robots above the guitar hero's of the world. A school fighting robot league is as much a game for kids as something on a console – a game can be social play.

]]> By: John McLear http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1722 John McLear Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:22:17 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1722 Tom, thousands of games are played each day on Primary Games Arena during the school holidays. That can't be a bad thing can it? I think its mostly due to the easy entry point that kids like them. I'm not pro or anti gaming, I take advice from guys like you but there is obviously a demand for "games based learning". I hope we are doing a good enough job to provide quality resources that educators approve of! Tom, thousands of games are played each day on Primary Games Arena during the school holidays. That can't be a bad thing can it? I think its mostly due to the easy entry point that kids like them. I'm not pro or anti gaming, I take advice from guys like you but there is obviously a demand for “games based learning”. I hope we are doing a good enough job to provide quality resources that educators approve of!

]]> By: Nicholas http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1721 Nicholas Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:58:26 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1721 Tom, I applaud what your doing in the classroom but I would like to see how it works in the secondary world and with research to reinforce it. Normal learning presents enormous problems and I would like to see a set of principles established that would help me use these tools. Tom, I applaud what your doing in the classroom but I would like to see how it works in the secondary world and with research to reinforce it. Normal learning presents enormous problems and I would like to see a set of principles established that would help me use these tools.

]]> By: tomgbarrett http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1720 tomgbarrett Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:47:35 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1720 I am not sure it is necessarily negative, in fact it is a useful, simple phrase to communicate what we do. But it is much more complex and wide-reaching than that simple phrase. I am not sure it is necessarily negative, in fact it is a useful, simple phrase to communicate what we do. But it is much more complex and wide-reaching than that simple phrase.

]]> By: tomgbarrett http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1719 tomgbarrett Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:45:30 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1719 Perhaps if using gaming in the classroom is ever going to break from it's niche then it needs people to be aware of the facets your refer to Ewan. <br><br>From using "Endless Ocean" it has made me more aware of the ways a sandbox game can be used in the classroom. It is open and allows us, as educators, to layer structure in any form we like. Using World of Goo is different, for example, it presents opportunities for different interactions for the gamer. Making teachers aware of these distinctions seems important to me. <br><br>Your reference to the "Taxonomy of Gamers" post is an interesting one - I agree with the two polarities of "tourist" and "skill-player" but find it too clear cut. I would consider them with more credence if on a sliding scale. I think I am both - I can jump the hoops, but enjoy the minutiae as well. Are we not just creating another neat compartment? I think the type of gamer you are is more complex, just as we are complex learners - nothing like the shallow visual, auditory and kinaesthetic labels all too often used.<br><br>When we use games with our classes are we taking into account the types of gamers/learners that children are? When we choose a type of game to use, are we just steering children to use it in a specific way? Perhaps if using gaming in the classroom is ever going to break from it's niche then it needs people to be aware of the facets your refer to Ewan.

From using “Endless Ocean” it has made me more aware of the ways a sandbox game can be used in the classroom. It is open and allows us, as educators, to layer structure in any form we like. Using World of Goo is different, for example, it presents opportunities for different interactions for the gamer. Making teachers aware of these distinctions seems important to me.

Your reference to the “Taxonomy of Gamers” post is an interesting one – I agree with the two polarities of “tourist” and “skill-player” but find it too clear cut. I would consider them with more credence if on a sliding scale. I think I am both – I can jump the hoops, but enjoy the minutiae as well. Are we not just creating another neat compartment? I think the type of gamer you are is more complex, just as we are complex learners – nothing like the shallow visual, auditory and kinaesthetic labels all too often used.

When we use games with our classes are we taking into account the types of gamers/learners that children are? When we choose a type of game to use, are we just steering children to use it in a specific way?

]]> By: tomgbarrett http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1718 tomgbarrett Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:22:18 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1718 Blended Learning makes a lot of sense to me as it fits in with the way I believe things should be done in the elementary/primary classroom. It is about providing choice for learners to express themselves.<br><br>I think we all need to get over the novelty of working with consoles, online or PC games. We need to get over the fact they engage our youngsters. I am not sure what sort of educator you can be if you don't know that already. But as you say knowing is one thing, leveraging it is another. Blended Learning makes a lot of sense to me as it fits in with the way I believe things should be done in the elementary/primary classroom. It is about providing choice for learners to express themselves.

I think we all need to get over the novelty of working with consoles, online or PC games. We need to get over the fact they engage our youngsters. I am not sure what sort of educator you can be if you don't know that already. But as you say knowing is one thing, leveraging it is another.

]]> By: tomgbarrett http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1717 tomgbarrett Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:13:18 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1717 I am not so sure that I separate the terminology to such a fine grained level David. If curriculum content is built for the PSP, Wii or any other type of console - then surely if it is worth the investment it will be in the medium of games. I don't exclude curriculum based content such as yours from the phrase. I am not so sure that I separate the terminology to such a fine grained level David. If curriculum content is built for the PSP, Wii or any other type of console – then surely if it is worth the investment it will be in the medium of games. I don't exclude curriculum based content such as yours from the phrase.

]]> By: tomgbarrett http://edte.ch/blog/2009/12/21/is-the-label-games-based-learning-useful/comment-page-1/#comment-1716 tomgbarrett Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:09:00 +0000 http://edte.ch/blog/?p=706#comment-1716 I suppose if people use GBL when referring to fairly unique and innovative use of consoles it can stick. But the phrase of course can relate to any type of game. I suppose if people use GBL when referring to fairly unique and innovative use of consoles it can stick. But the phrase of course can relate to any type of game.

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