Technology & Learning - September 2007 - (Page 18)

games are a valuable addition to the set of tools teachers are using in formal education. But real barriers abound. Among them are the general unfamiliarity of educators with the modern gaming world, the inability of games to fit neatly into the traditional class timeframe, and the lack of evaluation tools to measure what is being learned. Many of these are being addressed with innovative and flexible solutions (see T&L’s October 2005 feature “Game Play”). However, many additional perceived barriers to Right: Muzzy Lane’s Making History simulates pre-WWII Europe. Below: In Railroad Tycoon (Firaxis Games), players build and manage stations, gaining knowledge of history, science, economics, and geography in the process. integrating video games into learning are ill-founded. In fact, there are a number of well-circulated myths that have reinforced widespread negative attitudes toward games. Following, we address those myths. MYth #1— Games are all about twitch speed, not higherorder thinking skills. When most people think about video games for learning they think of titles from the mid-’90s that were basically animated flash cards. Math Blaster, Mavis Beacon, and most of what is 18 | www.techlearning.com sold as “edutainment” fit this profile. These games are fairly rigid, linear, and reward answering a question quickly rather than thinking through complex problems. By contrast the best of today’s games put players into complex simulations they can freely explore. Educators have always used simulations to help students connect content to real-world examples— to wit, the “a train leaves New York going 45 mph and another leaves Buffalo going 35 mph…” math simulation. What video games allow are much richer simulations that can form the basis of deep classroom discussions spanning multiple subject areas. Players are challenged to tackle deeply nested problems, and there are multiple paths to success. Meanwhile, they’re attuning themselves to the game’s culture, the human social context. In one of the many scenarios in Railroad Tycoon (Firaxis Games), players have to find the most efficient railroad route between New York and Buffalo. It turns out that running your trains up the Hudson River Valley rather than the much more direct route through the mountains is the most efficient way despite a much longer track. In addition to this challenge, players have to build stations in the most profitable spots, buy locomotives balancing speed against cost, encourage economic development to generate rail traffic, and run their railroad profitably. History, science, economics, and geography all come into play. Muzzy Lane’s Making History is another excellent example. This game simulates Europe just before World War II. Teams of students are assigned to lead individual countries, and as they take turns the game uses a combination of real economic and military data, historical events, and the choices of the teams to allow the students to “play” history. Teachers have reported finding groups of students in the lunchroom arguing about the Potsdam Conference. They have also observed emergent forms of leadership as students initiate informal diplomatic negotiations around the classroom. This game draws on the core academic disciplines of reading, math, and social studies while also encouraging teamwork, initiative, creativity, problem solving, and leadership. http://www.techlearning.com

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Technology & Learning - September 2007 Contents Editor’s Desk News & Trends Product Guide Reviews Getting It Wrong Cover Story: SchoolBiz School CIO Higher Ed Integration How To What’s New Bottom Line

Technology & Learning - September 2007

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