Educational Gaming vs. Playful Learning for Children

Sandra RogersUniversity of South Alabama

What is the optimal learning state for children? Well-designed educational games, playful learning activities, or a combination ?

Educational Gaming is…

Flat, text-based games like Hangman or Scrabble

Rich text-based, computer-assisted games like Carmen San Diego

Immersive, virtual environment games such as Minecraft

Physically demanding digital games like Dance Dance Revolution

Playful Learning is…

Sociodramatic play Behavioral therapy play Teacher-directed games like Bingo Total Physical Response like Simon

Says Poorly designed commercial games

like Math Blasters

Educational Gaming Benefits

Promotes learner autonomy & metacognition (Van Eck, 2008)

Provides intrinsic motivation (Thai et al., 2009; Van Eck)

Effective learning format for literacy, socialization & healthy behaviors (Thai et al.)

Teaches systems-thinking & problem-solving (Thai et al)

Aids retention & increases learn time (Hung, 2006; Klassen & Willoughby, 2003)

Playful Learning Benefits

Rehearsal of new events, ideas, & roles (Shute, Reiber & Van Eck, 2012)

Recall for language learning (Crookall & Oxford, 1990)

Cognitive development (Piaget, 1960) Social, emotional, physical & intellectual

development (Elkind, 2007) Behavior therapy aids children with

psychological difficulties (Kaduson & Schaefer, 2000)

Got game?

Good game design is similar to good learning design (Shute, Reiber & Van Eck, 2012)

Interesting Active Learning Goal-oriented Anchored in instruction

Gagné’s Got Game!

Gagne’s Nine Events of Learning Game Design (Becker, 2008)

Gain Attention Motion, scenes & sounds

State the Learning Objectives Rules & documentation

Stimulate Recall of Prior Learning Inherent in environmental structure or through familiarity with obstacles

Present Content Presentation of game via storyline, rules & affordances

Provide Guidance Storyline, profiles & help sections

Elicit Performance Unable to advance unless they can demonstrate understanding

Provide Feedback Speech, sound, visual or motion directives

Assess Performance Progression toward the end goal of a challenge

Enhance Retention Interweaving of past learning experiences with new challenges

Game Design Options

Student-created games Instructional designer designs games Teacher-created games Modify commercial games

Children inherently know what makes a game good!

Let the games begin!

PowerPoint, SMART Boards, Paper-based games, & PC games

Gaming Playful Learning

Knowledge-pull Knowledge-push(Chatti, Jarke & Specht, 2010)

Student oriented Teacher-directed

Barbour, Thomas, & Rauscher (2008) found no statistical significance in their literature review comparing gaming and traditional learning.

Game Plan

Teachers may design regular (nongaming) lesson plans to engender specific learning outcomes; however, where the students actually take the lesson is another thing.

Contact Information

Sandra RogersInnovation in Learning CenterUniversity of South Alabama

sandrarogers@southalabama.edu

Twitter @teacherrogers

References

Becker, K. (2008). Video game pedagogy: Good games = Good pedagogy. In C. T. Miller (Ed.), Games: Purpose and potential in education (pp 73-122). New York, NY: Springer.

Bikowski, D., Gardy, J., Hanson-Smith, E., Healy, D., Kuhn, J., & Rosenberg, R. (2013, March). Gaming and language learning. [Presentation] CALL-IS Academic Session symposium at the meeting of the TESOL Convention, Dallas, TX.

Crookall, D., & Oxford, R. (1990). Vocabulary learning: A critical analysis of techniques. TESL Canada Journal 7(2).

Elkind, D. (2007). The power of play: How spontaneous, imaginative activities lead to happier, healthier children. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong.

Elkind, D. (2007). The power of play: How spontaneous, imaginative activities lead to happier, healthier children. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Lifelong.

Hung, W. (2006). The 3C3R model: A conceptual framework for designing problems in PBL. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 1(1), 55-77.

Kaduson, H. G., & Schaefer, C. E. (Eds.). ( 2000). Short-term play therapy for children. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Klassen, K. J. & Willoughby, K. A. (2003). In-Class simulation games: Assessing student learning. Journal of Information Technology Education, 2, 1-13.

Reiber, L. P., Barbour, M.K, Thomas, G. B., & Rauscher, D. (2008) Learning by designing games: Homemade PowerPoint games. In C. T. Miller (Ed.), Games: Purpose and potential I n education (pp 23-40). New York, NY: Springer.

Shute, V. J., Rieber, L. P., & Van Eck, R. (2012). Games…and…Learning. In R. A. Reiser & J. V. Dempsey (Eds.), Trends and issues in instructional design and technology (pp. 321-332). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Thai, A. M., Lowenstein, D., Ching, D., Rejeski, D. (2009). Game changer: Investing in children’s play to advance

children’s learning and health. New York, NY: Sesame Workshop.

Van Eck, R. (2008). COTS in the classroom: A teacher’s guide to integrating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games. In

R. Ferdig (Ed.), Handbook of research on effective electronic gaming in education. Hershey, PA: Idea Group.