"What do I think about gaming in the classroom?"
As we see games everywhere, they are
in classroom, too. I believe these
games meet standards-based academic content and 21st century thinking skills at
the same time. These
games create an efficient and fun environment for learning experiments. Moreover, they provide students
communication, collaboration, problem solving, and even thinking in a different
way. Maybe, the most important feature of game-based learning is supporting
experiential learning. Plan formulation and strategic thinking are also other
good qualities of some of games.
Describing at least 3 of the gaming/simulation/VR sites you
explored
Math millionaire (Game) http://www.gameclassroom.com/
It looks like
the TV program named who wants to be a millionaire. The rules, and appearance of
the screen are almost like the TV program. There are some math questions. After
choosing a choice, it asks if I am sure
about my answer just like the TV show. I have the rights to wildcard that are 50%
chance, phone calling, taking just 500, and asking audiences just like the TV
show. By answering them correctly, gamers get money. If I chose the wrong
answer, it says “Sorry! That was the wrong answer” Then, I get the check as
much as I earned, and leave. There high level of this game, too. There are also
logic games and word problems in this website. They are like an essay quiz in
math class. For instance, one of the questions was “Terry solved 5 puzzles. Naomi
solved more 78 than Terry. Then, how many puzzles did Naomi solve”? They vary
levels.
Planet Dinasour (Simulation) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014m55k/features/planet-dinosaur-game
There was science
fictional back ground music in this simulation. It was a little bit scaring for
me. With this simulation, people can grow their own dinosaur and watch it
explore and flourish in its environment. People should make their own dinosaur
collection roared by unlocking dinosaurs, plants and objects for their environment.
Before starting the simulation, navigation seem on the screen to introduce what
the symbols mean in the simulation. Then, there was a tutorial. To start the
game, dropping dinosaur into the world should be done. When I did it, I got a
feedback saying “Excellent” with a new duty’s instructions. Then, I fed it by a
fish. By feeding it, it grew. After that, I got another feedback saying “Well
done!” with an another new duty. With these achievements I would unlock new
things throughout Planet Dinosaur like growing new dinosaurs. However, some
kinds of dinosaurs took more time than others. I also had to choose a habitat
which includes sufficient foods depending on the dinosaurs’ kinds. I got a
feedback saying “Your dinosaur doesn’t like this place. Therefore, I needed to
find another habitat that which is fit to the kind of my new dinosaur.
Virtual Cell (VR) http://vcell.ndsu.nodak.edu/animations/
With this
website, learners get a first look, advanced look, and flash movies about cells’
activities depending on their levels. These activities are ATP synthase,
protein trafficking, electron transportation chain, protein recycling, insulin
signaling, mitosis, regulated secretion, and something like that. First look base on 3d pictures. Advanced look
includes more expanded of first look with detailed information. As for flash
movies, they are really cool. They give a general information about the topic
first. Then, announcer explains the each elements of the biological action
through showing a moving 3D picture of them. I watched the photo-synthesis
flash move. It was really cool. I watched the each steps of photo-synthesis. I
saw the all elements running in this biological action in moving 3D pictures
like ATP transferring in a photo-synthesis. Instead of imagining how these
biological actions occurs, these flash movies give us a really helpful
understanding
Explaining the benefits that sites such as the ones I explored
offer in educational environments
The game named math millionaire is a really good game to allow students to demonstrate themselves about what they leant until now. Authors from the In 2011 Horizon Report K-12 says “The students then take interactive quizzes to demonstrate then knowledge they have gained” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 20, para. 5) I would like to talk about other perspective of the game named math millionaire. It is really proper not only make learners to play it but also make them to design the game. In 2011 Horizon Report K-12, authors states that “One way to engage students with educational gaming is to give them a hand in designing games….The idea behind the challenge was that it would be build both critical-thinking and creative design skills.” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 18, para. 5). This game gives instant feedback by giving a chance to earn money and facing a failure. They are important because these provide experiment to learners. From 2011 Horizon Report K-12, writers state that “Proponents also underscore the productive role of play, which allows for experimentation, the exploration of identities, and even failure.” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg 18, para. 3)
Even though Simulations are used in Hollywood and surgeries, it is also very good educational material. In the simulation named Planet dinosaur, it was not a gesture-based simulation but it teaches the learners how to grow/evolve of dinosaurs. In the 2011 Horizon Report, authors alleges “Continued experimentation in the development of AR simulations, games, texts, and situated information bode well for the expansion of AR in higher education learning in the coming year.( Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 18, para 2). In the article named Virtual Reality/Simulations, Strangman and Hall state that” Computer simulations and virtual reality offer students the unique opportunity of experiencing and exploring a broad range of environments, objects, and phenomena within the walls of the classroom. Students can observe and manipulate normally inaccessible objects, variables, and processes in real-time.” (Strangman and Hall, 2009, para.5). As it is highlighted in the article, this simulation is a good educational source to help teach K-12 students about Lives of Dinosaurs because learners cannot observe a dinosaurs life in reality as known.
As for VRs, I
would like to mention about Virtual Cells as I explored it. VR may be used in
terms of enhancing, motivating and simulating students; understanding of
certain events, especially those for which the traditional notion of
instructional learning have proven inappropriate or difficult. In the article
named Virtual Reality/Simulations, Strangman and Hall state that “Virtual reality is a technology
that allows students to explore and manipulate computer-generated,
3-dimensional, multimedia environments in real time.” (Strangman and Hall, 2009, para.3) Therefore, I think Virtual Reality technology in education opens a door
to learners to teach them topics in a style of interaction in order to develop
understanding more proper mental models of complex systems and processes. I
explored the photo-synthesis with 3D pictures and flash videos from the VR
named Virtual Cells. Biology is one of those difficult topics that traditional
notion of instructional learning have proven inappropriate. It involves enriched teaching materials like VR
because they are mostly about micro things and processes we cannot watch or
afford in daily life. This technology is already used in training and
simulation. I believe it will also make a difference to education as we know it
during the next decade.
References
Johnson,
L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC horizon report: 2011 K12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New
Media Consortium. Retrieved
from
Hi Oylum!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your reflections this week. I think it is interesting that you chose sites relate to math and science. Math Millionaire sounds like it is engaging, and easy to follow. My question is, How do we know students who participate in games like are learning more than they would from say, flash cards?
The two other sites you picked, Planet Dinosaurs and Virtual Cells, give students the opportunity to practice skills applications that would not otherwise be available to them. For abstract issues, I think augmented/virtual reality and simulations offer unlimited promise.
Where I work, students have the option to complete all of their labs for science classes in a V-lab, which is cleaner, safer, and cheaper that using real lab equipment. Also, since we are online, we are able to deliver a science lab right to students’ homes. It is fascinating, really.
I was also really interested in the simulated teacher training sites I found, and think this will be a great way to put teachers safely into classrooms as they learn their craft.