Video Games: A way to continue your education outside the classroom
July, 31, 2010
In Elluminate, Future of Education and Conserations.Net recently held a forum with Lucas Guillespie and Peggy Sheehy to discuss the impact video games can have on education. There they spoke about their experience as to how World of Warcraft has influence their pedagogy and how MMORPGS can be used for learnings. At World of Warcraft, over 200 educators take part in a guild “Cognitive Dissonance” to explore the use of the game for education. Similar organizations have been built in other MMORPGs such as Everquest. These educators believe that these games can “captivate students’ attention and use constructivism in its finest but its social”.
Allowing students to save world online and can learn to how to work in groups on outside the game settings. In their opinions, games are another tool, which if used adequately it could improve students educational experience. To its supporters, instances are places in which students can be empowered, become leaders and solve problems together. The goal then is to “harness that and make the world as compelling.” Schools have started to use game learning during afterschool in which they could target an at risk population and ask the parents if they would like their children t o participate in this alternative after school program (targeting asperger, autistic, adhd – kids selected by interviews). Kids were asked at the end of the year questions such as what do you like in world of warcraft, how do you want to better yourself. The kids expressed how they had learned to work together with others, how to use maps, time management, vocabulary, reading and writing, (In another study, they selected a group of students which did not take parts in sports or other extra-curricular activities and could be seen as students that would be endanger to drop out in high school). (Students would go running at the end of the day to turn on the computer). Being a group of computer user, the section of Elluminate had a large number of WoW players. The teacher included the students in the communication.
Steve Harandon believes that as social networks have gained increased absentance in education, games may be the next field to be accepted within traditional education. Many educational games have fallen short of the mark primarily because of the lack of financial support. Would the financial support improve the quality of games as to help games increase their influence within education as another means to reach children? Perhaps like previous PRGmaker programs, a new engine may be develop where educators may have the capability to create games that are more inline with an educational curriculum and can reinforce other educational concepts not traditionally covered in games, so that they could better serve to supplement education and serve as a means for students to continue their education afterschool or outside of the school facilities with parental supervision. Perhaps students will even fill educational needs independently.
(Leadership skills – students voted about guild topics, missions, leaders, wrote character biographies), next year in the school it will be an elective. – Course will be developed in Moodle under a national standard. Cognitance Dissonence guild is where to make the connection but
Wisconsin University – Students that used World of Warcraft were reading beyond college level (in wow language) while in social sciences class they were at a regular level (same students)?
15$ a month and 30$ for the game – Expensive- but they will spend money on what they like
WoW is collaborative (unlike a large amount of school work).- No anonymity – 95% of them tell each other right away who they are.
