Post on 28-Mar-2015
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesConfrontation
Between Two Perspectives
?!On Learning from Games
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesToday’s Articles
Clark, R. E. (2007). Point of View: Learning from serious
games? Arguments, Evidence, and Research
Suggestions. Educational Technology, May-June 2007.
Mayo, M. J. (2007). Games for science and engineering
education. Communication of ACM, 50(7), 31-35.
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesMerrilea J. Mayo
The Crisis of Engineering and Science Education
The Potential Role of Video Games Massive reach Effective learning paradigms Enhanced brain chemistry Time on task Learning outcomes data
Video Games as a “Bronze Bullet”
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
17%
33%
35%
38%
41%
52%
67%
US
Russia
Iran
Taiwan
Korea
China
Singapore
73
1
Rank91 The rate of choosing science and engineering major
as their bachelor's degree (NSF, 2002)
73
Merrilea J. Mayo
The CrisisThe Crisis
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
90By 2010, 90% of the world’s Ph.D.
scientists and engineers will be
Asians living in Asia.
– Rick Smalley, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)
The CrisisThe CrisisMerrilea J. Mayo
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
In the world in math:
4th Graders: 12th 8th Graders: 14th 12th Graders: 24th
The 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and Program
for International Students Assessment tests
In the world in Science:
12th Graders: 22nd
Only a portion of US k-12 students are well-prepared for a college career in math, science, or engineering.
The CrisisThe CrisisMerrilea J. Mayo
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesThe CrisisThe Crisis
50% of self-declared engineering majors in a national sample of four-year institutions drop out.
The first year instructional experience, tending to discourage individuals from pursuing science and engineering.
Almost all of them (98%) cite “poor teaching (the lecture format) by faculty” as a major concern.
Force Concept Inventory (FCI):
What is surprising about the result is not that mass lectures are an intrinsically poor learning vehicle but that the quality of the lecturer matters not at all.
WHY?
Merrilea J. Mayo
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesThe PotentialThe Potential1. Massive Reach
Over 250,000 subscribers 5,000,000 subscribers Downloaded 800,000 times
38% of computer
and console
game players
21% of graduating
bachelor’s degree holder engineers
400,000 bachelor’s
of science and engineering students
Merrilea J. Mayo
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
2. Effective Learning ParadigmsThe PotentialThe Potential
Merrilea J. Mayo
Experimental learning(If you do it, you learn it)
Inquiry-based learning(What happens when I do this?)
Self-efficacy(If you believe you can do it, you’ll try longer/harder, and you’ll succeed more
often than you would otherwise)
Goal setting(You learn more if you are working toward a well-defined goal)
Cooperation(Team leaning)
Continuous feedback, tailored instruction, cognitive modeling
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
3. Enhanced brain chemistry- The Potential- The Potential
Merrilea J. Mayo
A 1998 Study found that playing video games stimulates subtantial dopamine release
Dopamine is a chemical precursor to the memory storage event
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
4. Time on task- The Potential- The Potential
• Compelling video games that could also deliver educational content would double the time spent learning at home.
• A numerical methods course taught using a race-car game as the “homework” resulted in students spending roughly twice the time working on the course outside of class compared to other mechanical engineering courses.
Merrilea J. Mayo
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
5. Learning Outcome Data (1)- The Potential- The Potential
Merrilea J. Mayo
Squire, K, et al. (2004)
• The 32 students in the control group improved their understanding by 15% over their pretest scores; the 58 students who played the game improved their understanding by 28%.
• Among girls, the control group improved on their pretest scores by only 5% and the game group by 23%.
- Learning electrostatics
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
5. Learning Outcome Data (2)- The Potential- The Potential
Merrilea J. Mayo
- Learning geology and cell biology
McClean, P. et al. (2001)
Lectures produced the lowest learning outcomes
Web-presented information:
not statistically significant (geology)
13%–30% (cell biology).
Games:
15%–40% (Geography Explorer - geology)
30%–63% (Virtual Cell – cell biology)
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games- Conclusion- ConclusionMerrilea J. Mayo
Video games have the potential to directly provide massive
parallel education in science and engineering.
Scale. Anytime. Compelling. Brain chemistry. Better than a lecture.
While they will never be a silver bullet for science and
engineering education, video games have the potential to
be, perhaps, a bronze bullet.
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesRichard E. Clark
A brief view
A few problems
Some suggestions
Possible application of games
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Brief View- A Brief View
Games are enormously popular among adolescents and young adults.
Advocates for games suggest that they are highly motivating vehicles that could support learning, problem solving, and collaborative skills.
HOWEVER…
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Brief View- A Brief View
Use of games for education is apparently not widespread at this point.
Educational decision-makers may, out of bias and/or a lack of understanding, discount or discourage an investment in serious games and so ignore an innovative way to motivate, teach, and train.
The development cost of serious video games is considerable
BECAUSE…
QUESTIONS…
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Brief View- A Brief View
Do people who play serious games learn enough from them to justify the investment when games are tested against viable and less expensive alternative ways to teach the same knowledge and skills?
Do games motivate players to learn more than other, less expensive alternatives?
Are some skills or knowledge most effectively and/or efficiently taught via serious games?
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few Problems
Common conclusion of empirical researches on learning and motivation from serious games
People who play serious games often learn how to play the game and some factual knowledge related to the game.
BUTThere is NO evidence in the existing studies that games teach anyone anything that could not be learned some other, less
expensive, and more effective way.
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few Problems
3981
19
Chen and O’Neil (2005) and O’Neil, Wainess, and Baker (2005)
Reviews of serious games
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few Problems
They provide a detailed analysis of the learning and transfer
measures used in all 19 studies and concluded that “…
positive findings regarding the educational benefits of
games…can be attributed to instructional design and not to
games per se. Also…many studies claiming positive
outcomes appear to be making unsupported claims for the
media” (O’Neil et al., pp. 461–462).
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few Problems
All of the methods used in games could (and have) been
used effectively in non-game instructional programs and
are not unique to games.
None of the peer reviewed studies reported compelling evid
ence that games produced significantly more learning or m
otivation than other instructional platforms
(Gredler, 1996).
.
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few Problems
“…the research shows no instructional advantages of game
s over the other instructional approaches (such as lectures)
…. The research does not allow us to conclude that games
are more effective than other well designed instructional act
ivities”
Only poorly designed studies find learning benefits from ga
mes.
Hayes (2005)
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- A Few Problems- A Few ProblemsExisting Serious Games Researches
tend to IGNORE most of the issues
• Prior Knowledge Differences Are Important
• Comparing Games with Nothing Is Useless
• Serious Games Are Often Confused with Simulations
• Opinions About Learning and Motivation Are not Reliable
• Pedagogy Decisions Are Critical
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
Richard E. Clark
- Suggestions- Suggestions
Suggestions for the Design of Serious Game Studies
• Measurement
• Game Pedagogy
• Comparison Treatments
• Cost-Benefit Ratios
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from Games
The evidence is solidly against the proposition that games
will replace direct instruction. If we can accept that
evidence, we might be able to consider other potentially
valuable applications.
- Conclusion- ConclusionRichard E. Clark
Games designed to support transfer are IDEAL vehicles to
motivate people to practice and accept corrective feedback.
Confrontation Between Two Perspectives
on Learning from GamesDiscussionWhere are you? Do you agree with Mayo or Clark? Why?
What is the unique features that only video games have for
education?
Is there any other considerable ways to solve the current
crisis of science and engineering education?
If we accept the point of view of Clark, why do people (or
should we) research video games instead of seeking other
alternative methods that are cheaper or more effective?
Any other questions?