Our Digital Native’s e-Life

Communicatingemail, IM, chat

SharingBlogs, webcams

Buying & Sellingebay, papers

Exchangingmusic, movies, humor

Creatingsites, avatars, mods

Meeting3D chat rooms, dating

Collectingmp3, video, sensor data

SearchingInfo, connections, people

AnalyzingSETI, drug molecules

ReportingMoblogs, photos

ProgrammingOpen systems, mods search

SocializingLearning social behavior, influence

Growing UpExploring, transgressing

CoordinatingProjects, workgroups, MMORPGs

EvaluatingReputation systems–Epinions, Amazon, Slashdot

GamingSolo, 1-on-1, small & large groups

LearningAbout stuff that interests them

EvolvingPeripheral, emergent behaviors

What was your favorite game?

What was enjoyable about it?

Mind Boggling Statistics

Today, 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes (7:38)

to using entertainment media across a typical day (more than 53 hours a

week).

And because they spend so much of that time ‘media multitasking’ (using more than

one medium at a time), they actually manage to pack a total of 10 hours and

45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7½ hours.

Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful

conversation with their children: 3.5

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900

Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500

Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school: 8,000

Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18: 200,000

The average gamer will have played 10,000 hours by age 21 with 99 percent of male gamers (94 percent for females) under the age of 18 playing five days a week.

The average young person racks up 10,000 hours of gaming by the age of 21 -- or 24 hours less than they spend in a classroom for all of middle and high school if they have perfect attendance.

It's a remarkable amount of time we're investing in games. 5 million gamers in the U.S., in fact, are

spending more than 40 hours a week playing games --the equivalent of a full time job!

Reading. Over the past 5 years, time spent reading books remained steady at about :25 a day, but time with magazines and newspapers dropped (from :14 to :09 for magazines, and

from :06 to :03 for newspapers).

The proportion of young people who read a newspaper in a typical day dropped from 42% in 1999 to 23% in 2009. On the other hand, young people now spend an average of :02 a day reading magazines or newspapers online.

Media and homework. About half of young people say they use media either “most” (31%) or “some” (25%) of the time they’re doing their homework.

Rules about media content. Fewer than half of all 8- to 18-year-olds say they have rules about what TV shows they can watch

(46%), video games they can play (30%), or music they’re allowed to listen to (26%). Half (52%) say they have rules about what they

can do on the computer.

Gender gap. Girls spend more time than boys using social networking sites (:25 vs. :19), listening to music (2:33 vs. 2:06),

and reading (:43 vs. :33).

Boys spend more time than girls playing console video games (:56 vs.: 14),

computer games (:25 vs. :08), and going to video websites like YouTube (:17 vs. :12).

Tweens and media. Media use increases substantially when children hit the 11-14 year-old age group, an increase of 1:22 with TV content, 1:14 with music, 1:00 using the computer, and :24 playing video

games, for total media exposure of 11:53 per day (vs. 7:51 for 8-10

year-olds).

Texting. 7th-12th graders report spending an average of 1:35 a day sending or receiving texts. (Time

spent texting is not counted as media use

in this study.)

Product of the Environment

Video games

Computers

Email

GenerationX

The Web

Multiple, mobile devices

Instant messaging

Online communities

MillennialsBaby Boomers

TV generation

Typewriters

Memos

Online 3 -5 hours per day.

97% play video games

50% played yesterday

Accustomed to high level of empowerment

Live in a world with lots of content to

choose from.

Are active learners

Are active builders

How Millennials Learn

Themes of Millennials

• Digitally literate

• Always on

• Experiential

• Mobile

• Community-oriented

Conventional Speed

TwitchSpeed

Step-by-StepRandom Access

Linear Processing

ParallelProcessing

Text First

GraphicsFirst

WorkOriented

PlayOriented

StandAlone

Connected

21st Century Learners

• have had technology forever• have found new processes for critical thinking

• have embraced the concept of change

• have managed to strike fear into previous generation

We have learned to “play school.” We

study the right facts the night before the test so we achieve a passing grade and thus become a

successful student.

– A high school student

“...how many educators are able to keep the undivided

attention of 5th

graders multiple hours straight

without a break...and yet

video games manage to do

so...”

The gamer's world ─Move over, I'm driving; buckle up!

There is alwaysan answer

There is always a problem(s) that has a solution(s) which lead to an end result -- the

object of the game.

Video games are fair.

There is alwaysan answer

A correct answer will give you information which will be useful in reaching the goal; thus you must

persevere to find a correct answer.

The answer is rarely obvious.

The answer is always relevant.

You might be frustrated for a while and you may need help in finding it, but it is

always there. Cheats (hints) are built into the program

and are part of the resources available to you.

There is alwaysan answer

Cheats are OK, because you are learning (gaining valuable

information) as you move forward toward the goal.

In schools, the answer is given to you; it is often not linked to anything relevant.

There is only one right answer and one right way to get there and cheats are

not to be tolerated!

There is alwaysan answer

Students rarely, if ever, associate

fairness with schools.

Nothing isimpossible

You have the power to control your destiny. You can

accomplish anything you want, and

therefore you are motivated.

In any game, you have the tools and the talent to be successful on your own, or you may connect with someone who has

the information you need in order to move forward

(collaboration).

You see yourself and your friends do amazing things

such as save the world from terrorists or alien invasions, create thriving civilizations, and manage a successful

small business.

Competition &Collaboration

Competition and collaborationare symbiotic rather than

mutually exclusive concepts.

Competition is inherent in game structure.

Competition is the motivating

factor

Competition does not eclipse collaboration; in fact, collaboration is

often an integral part of furthering your success.

Roles are clear

You understand the rules, the tools at your

disposal and you are willing to

take the risks.

In games, roles are clearly defined. You choose your role and understand its powers

and limitations.

At the secondary level, a child may

have several teachers a day who all have different definitions of the child's roledepending on the

activity chosen or the concept being taught.

Roles are clear

In schools, the roles are not as clear. The child's role of “student” is defined at the discretion of the teacher.

Roles are clear

If a child comes into the learning environment with an identity that is contrary to the role the teacher is

asking them to perform, he or she will not be successful. Thus, a child with a history of failure in math may have difficult time accepting the role of

“math student.”

They dominatetheir culture

Their experience tells them that

with patience and perseverance, they

will succeed.

They are the stars in their own adventure.

They are responsible for their own success.

Games vs.Schools

Compared to the classroom, games are empowering, motivating, individualized differentiated learning

environments with set rules which value the efforts of the

individual child.

Games are challenging and

motivating.

Games vs.Schools

The structure is apparent; the rules

are clear and unambiguous; and your role in the

game is well defined. The goal

is always attainable.

Games offer the child a shared experience with their

peers in a collaborativeenvironment. They are a

platform for problem solving.

Games arerule-based

Consequences of player behavior are clearlyeither positive or

negative. If there is a disagreement about the rules of the game, the game is stopped until the disagreement has

been resolved.

The rules are applied equally to each player. The rules of

the game have to be sufficiently well-defined so

there is no room for individual interpretation.

Games arerule-based

In schools we tend to consider our classrooms rule-based. However, the teacher is the keeper and the interpreter of

the rules.

The teacher chooses the game.

The teacher makes the rules and can change the rules at

will, either for the class or for the individual.

The game continues even when rules are

broken.

Player effort influencesThe game outcome

Yet these are the same students who spend hours playing games which they find relevant, challenging

and fun.

The amount of energy the player puts into the game invests the player

with the outcome.

Teachers are frustrated with the

lack of effort students are putting into their

assignments and coursework.

The Bad News!

Educators have been slow to pick up on this fundamental shift in the way the video game generation learns. They know something is very

different in the classroom; they just can't pin point what it is.

Teachers are frustrated by

their inability to connect with students.

The Bad News!

We are dealing with a new, rapidly growing culture that refuses to be force fed a “canned education.”

This attitude is a slap in the face to our

traditional educational system, but it is a fact and it is not going to go

Apathetic students are willing to be in school,

perhaps, but motivated only by their parents, their friends or the law. Even

though they are physically in attendance, they are not engaged in the “game” we

call school.

The Bad News!

The structure of the game molds the gamers‘ experiences, leading to a different way of looking at the world and, given a

certain situation, determining how best to interact. Teachers who are not gamers do not live in the same world

and therefore cannot see the possibilities.

The Bad News!

The gamers are trying to send a message to their teachers and to the educational system as a whole. Clearly, teachers are going to have to rethink how

they present material in the classroom.

Kids will walk away from homework because

it is “too hard.”

Kids will walk away from a computer game because it is“too easy.”

“Work is all that a body is obliged to do.

Play is all that a body is not

obliged to do.”Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

Why Games Engage Us

FunPlay

RulesGoals

InteractiveOutcomes & Feedback

AdaptiveWin states

Conflict, competitionProblem solving

Interaction with peopleRepresentation & Story

Enjoyment and Pleasure Intense involvement Structure Motivation Doing Learning Flow Ego Gratification Adrenaline Creativity Social Groups Emotion

Games and Learning

• Learning by doing

• Learning by thinking and strategizing

• Learning by collaborating

• Learning by establishing shared values

• Learning by persistent engagement

• Learning by experiencing…being immersed in a role, being bound to the rules and values of an environment (situated learning!)

Life Lessons from Video Games

• Cause and effect

• Long term winning versus short term gains

• Order from seeming chaos

• Second-order consequences

• Complex system behaviors

• Counter-intuitive results

• Using obstacles as motivation

• The value of persistence

Learning Principles from Good Games

• You take on an identity to see things in a new way.

• Interaction is ongoing and essential.

• Players are producers…not just consumers.

• Players are encouraged to take risks, explore, and try new things.

• Players can customize the game to match their style.

• Players have a sense of agency…ownership in what they are doing.

• Well-ordered problems

• Cycle of expertise (challenge, routine developed, new challenge, new routine…)

• Just in time or on demand information

• Situated meaning (they experience what something means…not just told)

• Pleasantly frustrating

Learning Principles from Good Games

• Systems thinking is encouraged (look for relationships)

• Explore, think laterally, rethink goals

• Smart tools and distributed knowledge (Players learn to use tools and team)

• Cross functional teams

• Performance before competence (opposite of most classroom experiences)

Learning Principles from Good Games

Clark Quinn’s Principles of Educational Simulations

1. Theme - a setting and context2. Goal - a clear goal that can guide the student

actions and it should be tied into the story3. Challenge - challenging but not overwhelming

goal4. Action-Domain Link - decisions in the context

of the story 5. Problem-learner Link - matches the learner

interests6. Active - frequent actions required7. Feedback - quick feedback on decisions8. Affect - emotion – often through

unpredictability Quinn, C. (2005). Engaging Learning: Designing E-learning Simulation Games. San Francisco:Pfeiffer.

The Future1. Video games / simulations will have a

significant impact upon learning in the next 5 years that will be verified by hard data.

2. Games and simulations will transform learning in the next 10-15 years.

3. Institutions prepared to develop and use these simulations will have an edge.

4. There will be need to teach with, develop, and learn from these games and simulations.

“For the first time in history, we are no longer limited by our teachers’ ability and knowledge.”

– Mark Anderson

If the games generation are Digital Natives, what does that make the older generations – those who make or buy the e-Learning that the Digital Natives use?

One way to think of them is as “Digital Immigrants.” They came to the digital shores later in life, and they had to learn to cope with digital technology as adults.

The most important things to remember are:

• multi-player• creative• collaborative• challenging• competitive

– a high school student

ENGAGE MEor

ENRAGE ME

In Fact, LEARNINGIs The BIG

SECRETREASON

We Play Games!

1. Doing and reflecting2. Appreciating good design3. Seeing interrelationships4. Mastering game language5. Relating the game world to other worlds6. Taking risks with reduced consequences7. Putting out effort because they care8. Combining multiple identities9. Watching their own behavior10. Getting more out than what they put in11. Being rewarded for achievement12. Being encouraged to practice13. Having to master new skills at each level14. Tasks being neither too easy nor too hard.15. Doing, thinking and strategizing16. Getting to do things their own way17. Discovering meaning18. Reading in context

Why We Learn From Games

19. Relating information20. Meshing information from multiple media21. Understanding how knowledge is stored22. Thinking intuitively23. Practicing in a simplified setting24. Being led from easy problems to harder ones25. Mastering upfront things needed later26. Repeating basic skills in many games27. Receiving information just when it is needed28. Trying rather than following instructions29. Applying learning from problems to later ones30. Thinking about the game and the real world31. Thinking about the game and how they learn32. Thinking about the games and their culture33. Finding meaning in all parts of the game 34. Sharing with other players35. Being part of the gaming world36. Helping others and modifying games, in addition to just playing.

• visual selective attention• multiple task processing • rule understanding• strategy• morality• ethics • identity • flow • traditional literacy • digital literacy • new media literacy • concentration• social skills

What We Learn from Games

• stress relief • scientific thinking • intellectual development • affective development • social development • transfer • comprehension skills • academic skills• strategies & procedures • use of symbols • problem solving • sequence learning• deductive reasoning

What We Learn from Games

GettysburgThe New WorldCivilization IIIPharaohMedieval Total WarViking InvasionRampage Across BritainStronghold CrusaderCaesar IIIThe Age of KingsThe Age of EmpiresThe Rise of NationsShogunQin

History

Emergency RoomEmergencyEmergency EMTVet EmergencyRoller Coaster TycoonAirport TycoonCruise Ship TycoonBig Biz Tycoon, Roller Coaster TycoonMall TycoonStartupTheme Park TycoonZoo TycoonRestaurant Empire

Job Simulation

Resource MgmtBusiness

PhysicusChemicusGreen Globs and

Graphing Equations

Math-Science

Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) Games

Virtual LeaderTraderObjection!Strategy Co-PilotMarketing Co-PilotSales Co-PilotVirtual U

So how do we create Digital Game-Based Learning ? Some think it is through the addition of expensive, eye-catching, game-like graphics. In the games world, this is known as “Eye-candy.” But just adding eye candy to traditionally e-learning is not going to make it into Digital Game-Based Learning . In fact, it is likely to be an expensive mistake. What we need to add instead, is something called…

includes•Continuous decision making•Good pacing•Complexity•Important choices•Immediate feedback•Adapting to the player’s skills

• Engagement

GameDesign

CurriculumDesign

Focus

Mode

Decisions • Frequent and important

• Gameplay

• Content

• Relatively Rare

• Presentation

OUR JOB IS TOCOMBINE

GAME PEDAGOGYWITH

THE CURRICULUM

Fifteen Principles of Gaming

• Risk-taking: Good video games lower the consequences caused from failure. Risks are encouraged.

• Customization: Games provide different difficulty levels and allow players to solve problems in different ways.

• Agency: Players gain a sense of ownership.

• Well-Ordered Problems: Problems players face are built to lead players to form strategies that will work later, on harder problems.

• Challenge and Consolidation: Games allow players to gain mastery, then requires them to learn something new and consolidate their skills.

• “Just-in-Time” and “On Demand”: Games give verbal commands versus written.

• Situated Meanings: Games always situate meanings of words in terms of actions, images and dialogue.

• Pleasantly Frustrating: Game are “doable” but challenging.

• System Thinking: Games encourage players to think about relationships, not isolated events.

• Explore, Think Literally, Rethink Goals: Games encourage players to explore thoroughly before moving on, thinking laterally not just linearly.

• Smart Tools and Distributed Knowledge: Players often work with other characters to complete the game, knowledge and tools are shared.

• Cross-Functional Teams: Many games require players to be apart of multiplayer teams.

7 Ways Videos Engage the Brain

So what are positive side effects?Kids who play games with their parents feel a stronger connection with them and also perform better in schoolPlaying "pro social" games like Super Mario Sunshine where you help out the world makes you three to four times more likely to help others in real lifeAs far as music games, 67 percent of respondents in a pool of 7,000 reported inspiration to play an instrument in real life after playing a music game.72 percent of musicians reported spending more time playing real instruments after playing music gamesPlaying as an attractive, heroic character in a video game for 90 seconds will make players more confident for the next 24 hours. More likely to put themselves out there.The second most positive mental activity in soldiers was found after they played games for three to four hours. The most positive activity came from five to six hours of daily exerciseGamers are more likely to have lucid dreams and are more likely able to take control in nightmares for positive outcomes