Many educators are at odds about the effects of instructional games in the classroom. Some critics have said that students forget the initial reason for playing the game, and begin to focus more on just winning the game. Other critics say that students aren't able to apply the skills they've mastered from game-like situations to non-game situations. In my opinion, instructional games are a great resource for practicing and reviewing skills, if used appropriately.
Games are a great way to rejuvenate your students from the old pen and paper routine. With careful consideration, games can be a substitute for the constant use of worksheets. Many of the same skills we practice using worksheets can be practiced within some form of software. Before students begin playing, make sure students know the relationship between game rules and content-area rules (Roblyer and Doering, 2013, p.98). This will help students stay focused on the educational purpose for which it is intended.
Also, games create a basis for peer cooperation. Many multiplayer games offer students a chance to work together to reach a common goal. This is a chance for the teacher to introduce the characteristics of a cooperative team player. In one of my first game classes, this is extremely effective. Even in single player games, you can often hear students asking for help, shouting encouraging words, and even giving strategies to their fellow classmates. For this class, games have provided positive cooperative play, and it has also provided a very rewarding experience for the teacher.
As I end this post, I would like to leave with you the words of a New York Times journalist. "When it comes to capturing and keeping the attention of children, game designers appear to be getting something right that schools, in many cases, are getting wrong" (Corbett,2010).
For your entertainment, check out Sara Corbett's article, "Learning by Playing: Video Games in the Classroom".
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2013). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Corbett, S. (2010, September 15). Learning by playing: video games in the classroom. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/magazine/19video-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
I agree with the fact that the games could be use to replace some of the drill and practice and the pen and paper aspect of the classroom. If students are engaged by the game and it is has a component that will allow the teacher to monitor the progress you would have a means of an alternative formative assessment.
ReplyDeleteMy five year old nephew, along with other kids, love to use the computer. He found out about Brain Pop from another kid and it is amazing what he has learned from that site. I think computer games are a great supplement to classroom instruction.
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