by Raffaele Antonio Nardella - Monday, 15 April 2019, 5:42 PM

 

When we talk about game-based learning, we usually think about learning through playing games; the video “What is Game Based Learning?” underlines some of the most important advantages in using this methodology in Education and Training, for example simulation, problem solving, learning about the past, learning languages and so on. However I like to see the GBL from a different point of view that is closer to a modern and open didactical approach: which are the advantages of learning through the making of a game? What about the developing of cooperation skills in the creation of a game? Which consequences would we have in teaching and learning at schools? As stated by Matthew Farber in his article “The Benefits of Constructionist Gaming” (https://www.edutopia.org/article/benefits-constructionist-gaming), “when students make and share games, they learn not only about course content but also about their own thinking”, in this way the constructionist gaming combines, in a metacognitive approach, game-based learning with project-based learning, developing team working skills or cooperation skills or role-play based learning. This kind of vision is strictly connected to the new tech world of education, where teachers are tutors and students work and learn together (peer-to-peer) to create new didactical material to be shared on the Internet.

by Alicja Bomirska - Saturday, 20 April 2019, 7:48 PM

 

The article presents a handful of useful tips on how and when to use games in the classroom and it can be especially useful for teachers or students who are hesitating or have some doubts whether to use games in the classroom or not. The authors support the ideas with several new educational approaches, which makes them sound more convincing.

What is more, the guide not only introduces the reader into the concept of Digital Pedagogy, but also it includes information on educational theory, presents a collection of case studies, and resources relevant to the study of digital pedagogy. In my opinion it can be very useful for someone who wants to begin their adventure with game-based learning.

 

There is a difference between Game-Based Learning and Gamificafion: when students play games to learn some content, we experience GBL, whereas when we incorporate the game based elements to non-game situations, we experience Gamification. This difference results in a more accurate planning of the activities in Gamification, because mechanism has to be prepared before implementing activities in the classroom; while the GBL is more adapted to a work-in-progress approach, where the co-building of rules is one of the aims of the project itself, in Gamification the setting of the main elements of serious games (strategy, time management and role-playing) are to be carefully designed to help reconfiguration of an educational experience on the principles of game. Moreover the 4 freedoms of play (fail, experiment, assume different ID and effort) lead students to a new idea of learning, more enjoyable and motivating.

 

Dear Alicja,

more than gamification or GBL, I've been using a blended methodological approach mainly based on PBL project-based learning and edutainment; here is an example of a PBL for second-year course students from a high school, final product: a presentation (power point, google presentation, google tour builder, prezi)

Cheers

Raffaele

a. This project is designed to allow you to research a place you would like to go in the US on holiday. Your trip will be for 7 days. You have the opportunity to research parts of a trip, such as:
 • hotels
 • important museums/monuments/places to visit
 • restaurants and bars
 • anything else that helps you be an informed traveller.
 You must also work on a budget. Your final result will be a presentation (PowerPoint, Prezi, Google Tour Builder, etc) that you will give to the class about all of your choices.

 b. In your research and presentation you must:
 1. CHOOSE A HOTEL, and give the address and rate per/night
 (you may include photos, maps, etc.)
 2. CHOOSE AT LEAST 5-6 "OUTSIDE" DESTINATIONS/MONUMENTS/ PLACES/THINGS TO SEE, and give at least a sentence/phrase about their importance, the location or address, and the cost
 (you may include photos, maps, hours, etc.)
 3. CHOOSE AT LEAST 5-6 "INSIDE" DESTINATIONS/MUSEUMS/ PLACES/THINGS TO SEE, and give at least a sentence/phrase about their importance, the location or address, and the cost
 (you may include photos, maps, hours, etc.)
 4. CHOOSE AT LEAST 5-6 LUNCH RESTAURANTS, and give at least a sentence/phrase about their importance, cooking style, or best dishes. Also include the location and price range (if you know the price range).
 (you may include photos, maps, hours, etc.)
 5. CHOOSE AT LEAST 5-6 DINNER RESTAURANTS, and give at least a sentence/phrase about their importance, cooking style, or best dishes. Also include the location and price range (if you know the price range).
 (you may include photos, maps, hours, etc.)
 6. CHOOSE AT LEAST 3-4 PLACES TO GET DRINKS OR GO OUT pretending you are of age in the US, and give the importance if it exists and location.
 (you may include photos, maps, hours, special drinks, etc.)
 7. Finally, TELL ME WHY YOU CHOSE THAT PLACE/CITY, IF YOU THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD TRIP, and IF YOU WOULD WANT TO SAVE MORE MONEY BEFORE THE TRIP.
 • REMEMBER TO CREATE AN INTRODUCTION SLIDE: WHERE YOU ARE GOING (CITY, STATE), YOUR NAMES, and maybe photos, something cultural, etc.

 c. Be as realistic as you can. Be as creative as you can. Research as if you really had this opportunity for Summer 2019.

 d. As for THE BUDGET, once in groups you will draw out of a hat how much money you have for your trip, ranging from 2000 dollars, 3500 dollars, 5000 dollars, or unlimited resources. Remember:

 • Your trip will be for seven days any time during the summer.
 • Don't worry, I bought your plane tickets, and you can go and return whenever you want (as long as it's seven days).
 • You must reserve at least 45 dollars a day for food. In the case of a special restaurant you should reserve more.

 Some important websites that can be used:
 www.expedia.com
 www.travelocity.com
 www.kayak.com
 www.tripadvisor.com
 www.lonelyplanet.com
 www.citysearch.com
 www. smartertravel.com

 

Learn or Die! 5 Epic Ways to Learn Languages by Playing Video GamesBy 

The guide focuses more on practical tips for teachers or students who would like to start with game-based learning approach. The author particularly praises video games and stresses their additional therapeutic or catharctic load. I agree that the VR can provide constant electronic stimulation which surely can facilitate language learning. Additionally, they offer in-context learning, which can be easily customised and provide constant repetition, which definitely helps recycle and solidify new chunks of language. The social aspect is important as well, the author gives tips on how and where students  can meet other players and create new teams. Finally, there is a selection of sites for different types of apps or games for learning languages, which I think is a very useful selection.

 

Some of the five tips for using videogames for language learning suggested by Lindsay Williams are to be considered out of the school context, in what we call an “informal learning”; it’s hard to plan such activities at school if students have to browse on platforms searching for unknown gamers or using a slang language; other tips could be useful for language learning: managing to play games in a foreign language, or choosing strategy games for cooperative learning, or becoming a game designer making your own game.

 

Comment on the article Game-based Learning: benefits and challenges

Using gaming in the class certainly has potentials as far as 21st century skills are concerned. One of the most interesting aspects underlined in the article is the potential for developing resilience as it is sometimes difficult to promote among teenage students the notion of failure as a step towards success.

Creativity and divergent thinking are also skills which are not easy to work on in traditional class activities.

All the challenges listed in the article still prevent the widespread use of GBL in public schools.

 

Comment on “Tips for using videogames for language learning” by Lindsay Williams

Not all games are suitable for language learning. I agree with Williams on the benefits of strategy games or simulation games which provide chunks of language in context, and among these types of games I would prefer contemporary settings and real-life situations to teach language rather than immersions in medieval jousts and expressions, which could be used, on the other hand, to teach literature.

 

The video gives an overall view of the variety of impact video games can have on learning through serious games, simulations, sci-fi or historical narratives, virtual reality and language learning applications, together with some of the downsides of using games in learning, such as the fact that students do already spend most of their times playing video-games or using their tech devices, reducing face to face interaction with peers or first hand real immersion in nature and environment. As language teachers we have generally applied playful learning using board or other language games, efl apps or other games/applications not specifically designed for learning as well as extracts from narratives both from games or movies, as hubs for our projects, with varied short and long term results. As for virtual reality developments, though promising they look, I believe they are not to be taken in consideration, realistically, for the next few years, due to the cost of the investment, in terms of training/design time and money required, for the educational use of the headsets and their software.

 

I agree with you in some ways about VR Farizio.  I saw a class set of VR tech being demonstrated for history classes last year - it was for learning about the conditions in the trenches/life during wartime.  The set + support + software updates and so on soon added up to a pretty hefty price.

But I also think that there are ways to use VR in the classroom now without a huge expense or much training in some contexts.  For example I've used this free Mars Walk app (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mars-walk/id1192328042) and a cheap cardboard VR headset in class for lessons on functional language of description and direction.  The class was in small groups and took turns to have the headset or to be the notetaker/instructor.

Having said that I think that there is more potential for AR to be widely used in education sooner.  One AR app I loved was BBC Civilisations:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/taster/pilots/civilisations-ar which meant you could project historic artefacts into the classroom.  This was just run as a trial by the BBC, but hopefully it will be available again in the future.  What are your thoughts on AR in education?

There's real potential for this kind of augmented reality social software, but the trick has always been developing an interface that will make sense in such a rich sensual environment.

 In contrast, the goal of augmented reality is to allow users to engage with the world more fully. 

 

Hello Claire. Nice tools the ones you suggested, thanks for sharing. I think, being time a valuable resource, we'd better rely on Augmented Reality software , rather than on Virtual or Mixed Reality,  being handset based and with a mixed PC/mobile more practical and varied usage, though already implying issues at school, with BYOD approach always having to fight against schools strict regulations regarding the use of mobile devices in class. If we are into coding, traditional, opensource apps as MIT AppInventor or newer ones like Metaverse Studio/App I think provide valuable coding practice while creating useful augmented reality educational applications that can be created on PC an then used on just a mobile phone or tablet. Unfortunately, even in the field of AR there are very few applications - like Aurasma and MetaverseApp so far - free to use or even with a free plan for students or teachers (Augment and WakingApp, for example, were good ones that used to have basic free plan but no longer do) and if they do there is no guarantee they would provide that in the future, so I honestly think twice before spending time, students' and mine, on learning how to use them :)

 

The video provides 5 valuable, clear cut tips to (get teachers to) encourage students, probably already playing their favourite videogames, to ‘fine tune’ their gaming time in order to get the best of it  for language learning purposes: 

Difficult not to agree with all of the above, provided that in order follow guides and tutorials in native English, for example, already requires a fairly good level of language expertise, and creating games either on a block or scripted language requires a good amount of coding programming/activity as prerequisite. I think all the above relates more to the kind of side activities or habits every language learner should take up to further practice the language they are studying. 

 

I think the video ultimately makes the point as for the difficulties teachers may have in applying effectively and permanently gamification in their school curricula. School, parents and class team support, in terms of involvement and time (or possibly financial) investment is not something you can do without if you want to go beyond the ‘sugar coating’ level of integrating games, videogames or even game techniques and mechanics in you lessons, more or less occasionally, and design instead, from head to toe, a game based, structured, permanent learning environment, efficient and user-friendly, providing a game like approach at all levels of the teaching activities - from design to development to feedback and assessment - fostering students cognitive as well as social and emotional/physical skills.    

The study also mentions a number of benefits coming from gamification being part of the teacher's toolbox, and I especially like the idea that  the gamification encourages learners to progress through the content and motivate  action. An obvious benefit is of course higher recall and retention. Finally, we learn about components and elements that make a game successful and in what proportions they should be used. I think this study is a good manual for a teacher who wants to enter the environment of immersive teaching, with a lot of theory and practical tips on how to procede and why.

In each domain, the external situations which arise may be described in terms of:

• the locations in which, and the times at which, they occur;

• the institutions or organisations – the structure and procedures of which control much of what can normally occur;

• the persons involved, especially in their relevant social roles in relation to the user/learner;• the objects (animate and inanimate) in the environment;

• the events that take place;

• the operations performed by the persons involved;

• the texts encountered within the situation.

2. house and home, environment

3. daily life

4. free time, entertainment

5. travel

6. relations with other people

7. health and body care

8. education

9. shopping

10. food and drink

11. services

12. places
13. language

14. weather

Create simple machinima that demonstrate classroom nouns/objects  (Home: house, rooms, garden, street, square, park

Create machinima that contextualize the vocabulary, e.g. travel vocabulary, educational vocabulary, restaurant vocabulary, etc.  
Fixed Expressions Presentation

Machinima narrating: 

In teaching, we should focus rather on the aspect of ‘doing’ things using the learning by doing approach

-find and apply resources relevant to their learning tasks
-assess and value people ‘s learning experiences
 -improve their language skills in the field of their interest
-collaborate and interact with other students to practice oral and written communication skills
-explore new ways of learning

The learning objectives suggest that successful learners achieve the following:
-initiate and sustain conversations in-world
-comprehend messages from peers and react accordingly

-understand the main idea when listening to or evaluating reports or videos
-read and comprehend materials written for native speakers, when the topic is familiar
-write short notes and reports
-restate and summarize material for the benefit of the group.

When designing a solid PBL curriculum, research shows that 8 essential criteria should be met, specifically: 1) significant content,2) a need to know, 3) a driving question,4) student voice and choice,5) 21st century skills,6) inquiry and innovation,7) feedback and revision and 8) publicly presented product

       - the use of interactive multimedia software seems to motivate students and leads to improved performance

        - focuses on Internet technologies and the new opportunities created to learn and share information across the World Wide Web.

-  the main principles of connectivism are the following:
•Learning and knowledge are based on adiversity of opinions;
•Learning is the process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources;
•Learning may reside in non-human appliances;
•The capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known;
•Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate learning;
•The ability to identify connections between concepts is important;
•Maintaining current and accurate knowledge is the purpose in connectivist activities;
•Decision-making is a learning process as information can change and what is viewed as correct one day may be incorrect the next.

 peers in other parts of the world toward mutual understanding 

Today’s students perceive little value in the absorption of factual information, given the accessibility and ease of use of search engines and web-based reference sites such as Google and Wikipedia ; students are now very much in control of online content and, as members of the open and interactive culture of the Web, are capable of being both producers and consumers of knowledge using a variety of accessible tools that empower them to develop and share ideas 

•What students learn during their self-directed learning must be applied back to the problem with reanalysis and resolution.
•A closing analysis of what has been learned from work with the problem and a discussion of what concepts and principles have been learned are essential.
•Self and peer assessment should be carried out at the completion of each problem and at the end of every curricular unit.
•The activities carried out in problem-based learning must be those valued in the real world.
•Student examinations must measure student progress towards the goals of problem-based learning.
•Problem-based learning must be the pedagogical base in the curriculum and not part of a didactic curriculum