Friday, October 10, 2008

Games for Learning

3 papers were presented

Understanding of science concepts through gameplay in a prototype game
By: Kermin Joel Martinez-Hernandez, Dustin S. Hillman, Gabriela C. Weaver and Carlos Rafael Morales

The only difference between control group and the game group is that the game was played.

Prototype Game Description

  • 1st person game with includes action-adventure and puzzle components
  • chemistry content is embedded into the game challenges
  • Tools affect the game...
Assertions for Learning
  • students recognized that aterial seen in the game was something the had previously seen
  • Stuent referred to the concept review as they were playing the game
  • Student acknowledge the existence of some incidental learning as a reault from their interaction with the game.
  • Feedback and debriefing must be present in the game for learning to occur.
On some questions, there was significant differences in responses. Looked at one question. Paper will be online soon.

The Ludenic MBA? Games and Simulations in Management Education: Lessons learned from a comparative, school-wide computerized online multi-game perspective
By: Sheizaf Rafaeli

Graduate School of Managment. Average age of student is 40+.

Problem and Promise

Repeating Sage on the stage model, but should we.

Opportunities

To Change persuade, teach, and learn through the use of games. Especially in the context of online courses.

  • Historicity
  • Excitement
  • Purpose
  • Impact
  • Partner (Second Player)
The promise (shows picture of "Game as anesthesia") References engagement. Looking through games to express, and explore communication collaborations information and community.

To the speaker, a game is only useful if it drives exploration (context: exploration).

Games used in Universities, colleges, corporate training, high schools, etc. (games.yeda.info)

Our Games

buildon where most serious games end. Supply chain simulations (Beer Game & Beer Game Plus)

Ethics games

  • Ecology: water conservation
  • Hiden Profile Games
  • Predication markets

Theory

What are the theories that drive development

  • coordination, trust, community
  • Social Presence and Social Facilitation
  • Value and Subjective Value of Information
  • Interactivity
  • Motivation to Contribute, Lurk
  • Wisdom of Crowds

Issues

What are the considerations in the development and deployment of games used in training managers?

  • Fun is almost a given, Can we document and/or prove actual learning?
  • Should games be developed in-house or can "off-the-shelf" solutions fit the bill?
  • Should players be co-located?
  • Should games in this context be computerized, or can paper-and-pencil, (cardbard) and token games suffice?
  • Logistical advantages or costs of computerizing and networking
  • Pedagogically: How much emphasis on briefing and debriefing?
  • Should games be placed online and networked, or can stand-alone versions suffice?
  • What are the pdagogical advantages or costs of cmoputerizing and networking games?
  • Are international, non-English speaking environments.

Literature

Review the literature. It's all on the speakers website.

Invitation

"In my experience, the most conservative business in dealing with the incorporation of games in education is the education establishment."

Video Game Representations as Cues for Collaboration and Learning (Top Paper Award)
By: Matthew Sharritt and Daniel Suthers

The topic was to examine how learning occurs while students play games.

Literature suggests that games:

  • Provide authentic learning environments
  • Teach differently than traditional instruction
  • Can be a good preparation for tomorrow's kinds of jobs
What cues in the game cause learning to occur?

Used and inductive, qualitative method
Influences to the Study: Ethnomethodology, Grounded Theory (a way of extracting hypothesis out of the data).

We put two students to a computer to force students to interact.

Games used:
  • Sid Meir's Civ IV
  • Making History: the calm and the storm
  • Rollercoaster Tycoon
Used Transana to review and analyze the data. (Remember qualitative and inductive).

Example Game Cues
  • Detectivng an unused icon (game feature) in Civilization IV
  • Consistency in Behavior
  • Social Affordances (potentials for action)
Discussion
Research focuses on HOW the learning occurs and the cues that set it off.

http://www.situatedgaming.com

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