Students’ Learning Experiences in the Digital Age Mick Grimley, Richard Green and Trond Nilsen University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Aims and Background Many students are now what Prensky (2001) calls Digital Natives They are accustomed to working digitally But do they expect/benefit from a more digital style of engagement as opposed to traditional expository methods (e.g. Lectures) In this paper I ask the question: What is the students’ experience of learning through computer games compared to traditional lectures?

Many students are now what Prensky (2001) calls Digital Natives

They are accustomed to working digitally

But do they expect/benefit from a more digital style of engagement as opposed to traditional expository methods (e.g. Lectures)

In this paper I ask the question:

What is the students’ experience of learning through computer games compared to traditional lectures?

Design 1 st Year (Stage 1) University BA course (basic Educational Psychology concepts) Year 1 (42 male, 17 female) Delivered in traditional mode (as lectures) Year 2 (21 male, 10 female) Half traditional lectures, half transformed into computer game modules

1 st Year (Stage 1) University BA course (basic Educational Psychology concepts)

Year 1 (42 male, 17 female)

Delivered in traditional mode (as lectures)

Year 2 (21 male, 10 female)

Half traditional lectures, half transformed into computer game modules

Data Collection Csikszentmihalyi’s Experience Sampling Method (ESM) designed to capture real time experience and measure feelings of flow (flow being the highly motivational state and pleasant experience described in the writings of Csikszentmihalyi) Experience sampling Form (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde & Whalen, 1997, p52-53) 1 per 1 hour lecture (randomly administered)

Csikszentmihalyi’s Experience Sampling Method (ESM) designed to capture real time experience and measure feelings of flow (flow being the highly motivational state and pleasant experience described in the writings of Csikszentmihalyi)

Experience sampling Form (Csikszentmihalyi, Rathunde & Whalen, 1997, p52-53)

1 per 1 hour lecture (randomly administered)

Experience Indicators Did you feel any pain or discomfort as you were beeped? Challenges of the activity Your skills in the activity Was the activity important to you? Was the activity important to others? Were you succeeding at what you were doing? Do you wish you had been doing something else? Were you satisfied with how you were doing? How important was this activity in relation to your overall goals? Alert – drowsy Happy – sad Irritable – cheerful Strong – weak Active – passive Lonely – sociable Ashamed – proud Involved – detached Excited – bored Closed – open Clear – confused Tense – relaxed Competitive – co-op How well were you concentrating? Was it hard to concentrate? How self conscious were you? Did you feel good about yourself? Were you in control of the situation? Were you living up to your own expectations? Were you living up to others expectations? Physical Indicator Feelings about the Activity Mood Scales Feelings About the Situation

Results When delivery is digital compared to traditional delivery: Students’ report that their: concentration is higher mood is less sociable Students’ report that they are: more involved more confused more competitive more challenged having less success more self conscious more alert happier less irritable more active more excited

When delivery is digital compared to traditional delivery:

Students’ report that their:

concentration is higher

mood is less sociable

Students’ report that they are:

more involved

more confused

more competitive

more challenged

having less success

more self conscious

more alert

happier

less irritable

more active

more excited

Results According to Csikszentmihalyi we can characterise 4 states of experience in a particular activity as: high challenge & high skill = flow low challenge & low skill = boredom low challenge & high skill = relaxation high challenge & low skill = anxiety This study showed that : boredom was the most prevalent state for traditional lectures anxiety or flow were the most prevalent states for the game experience.

According to Csikszentmihalyi we can characterise

4 states of experience in a particular activity as:

high challenge & high skill = flow

low challenge & low skill = boredom

low challenge & high skill = relaxation

high challenge & low skill = anxiety

This study showed that :

boredom was the most prevalent state for traditional lectures

anxiety or flow were the most prevalent states for the game experience.

Discussion-Over to you! mood is less sociable more confused having less success more self conscious Game mode flow state=anxiety concentration is higher more involved more competitive more challenged more alert happier less irritable more active more excited Trad lecture flow state=bored Game mode flow state=flow Unexpected Results? Expected results?

mood is less sociable

more confused

having less success

more self conscious

Game mode flow

state=anxiety

concentration is higher

more involved

more competitive

more challenged

more alert

happier

less irritable

more active

more excited

Trad lecture flow state=bored

Game mode flow state=flow