For my final post, I will look at the issues that come with using a game in a classroom
It has been stated previously, that games offer many higher order skills for students. The issue is whether these skills transfer back into the classroom permanently. According to the research conducted by Kebritchi (2010), teachers did not feel that: knowledge would transfer but also that much of the content of the game play did not relate closely enough to the syllabus. This in turn, will be one of the biggest problems; finding an appropriate game for students in order to supplement their learning. For example, students are more interested in games such as Modern Warfare 3, which sold 1.5 million copies in the first day, globally. Tapping into the educational sector, is not a designers focus, as there is no money to be made.
It has also been stated that teachers will rely too much on the game, as students respond better to game play rather than teacher instruction. This is a problem when assessment tasks are constructed and implemented; student will potentially lack the comprehension building blocks leading to completion of higher order assessment.
With the application of games, comes a problem of technology. As games progress, so does technology; it is often not update in schools frequently enough. At current, the National Laptop scheme is still rolling out, and this has been stated to be a waste of money; notebook computers that can’t even load Windows XP.
Subsequent problems are the reasons students participate in game play. According to Beavis (2009), students either played to win, beat others; social reasons and avatar creation were the lowest.
Beavis, C., Apperley, T., Bradford, C., O’Mara, J., & Walsh, C. (2009). Literacy in the digital age: Learning from Computer games. English in Education, 43(2).
Kebritchi, M., (2010). Factors affecting teachers’ adoption of educational computer games: A case study. 41(2).
Maass, A., Kollhorster, K., Riediger, A., MacDonald, V., & Lohaus, A. (2010). Effects of violent and non-violent computer game content on memory performance in adolescents. European Journal of Psychology of Education
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/games/modern-warfare-3-demolishes-sales-records-20111111-1na49.html
