08.08.08 Serious games and learning in SA Steve Vosloo

Steve Vosloo

Why games and learning? Serious games South Africa Design thoughts

Why games and learning?

Serious games

South Africa

Design thoughts

“ ... even the harshest critics agree that we learn something from playing video games. The question is: how can we use the power of video games as a constructive force in schools, homes, and at work?” Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, Gee (2005)

“ ... even the harshest critics agree that we learn something from playing video games. The question is: how can we use the power of video games as a constructive force in schools, homes, and at work?”

Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, Gee (2005)

Play Earliest forms of learning (Vygotsky) Try, fail, experiment / “die and do over” Experiential & immersive Motivating Theory of situated learning – “learning to be”

Earliest forms of learning (Vygotsky)

Try, fail, experiment / “die and do over”

Experiential & immersive

Motivating

Theory of situated learning – “learning to be”

Learning through games? Highly engaging Communities of practice: News, FAQs, discussion forums Ecology of games: Strategy, dialogue, mentoring Develop community social practices

Highly engaging

Communities of practice:

News, FAQs, discussion forums

Ecology of games:

Strategy, dialogue, mentoring

Develop community social practices

“ We don’t learn from games, we learn through them.” “ In SA, gaming can be used as a learning tool when it is conceived and designed as the vehicle that provides the opportunity for social dialogue in a learning activity.” Alan Amory (2008)

“ We don’t learn from games, we learn through them.”

“ In SA, gaming can be used as a learning tool when it is conceived and designed as the vehicle that provides the opportunity for social dialogue in a learning activity.”

Alan Amory (2008)

“ Beyond their value as entertainment media, games ... are currently key entry points for many young people into productive literacies, social communities, and digitally rich identities.” Katie Salen (2008)

“ Beyond their value as entertainment media, games ... are currently key entry points for many young people into productive literacies, social communities, and digitally rich identities.”

Katie Salen (2008)

Learning through games? Experiment with identities The harder the better Form of problem solving Gee's 36 learning principles of good games (2004)

Experiment with identities

The harder the better

Form of problem solving

Gee's 36 learning principles of good games (2004)

“ In some sense, a game is nothing but a set of problems. We're actually selling people problems for 40 bucks a pop ... And the more interesting games in my opinion are the ones that have a larger solution space. In other words, there’s not one specific way to solve a puzzle, but, in fact, there’s an infinite range of solutions ...” Will Wright (Jenkins 2005)

“ In some sense, a game is nothing but a set of problems. We're actually selling people problems for 40 bucks a pop ... And the more interesting games in my opinion are the ones that have a larger solution space. In other words, there’s not one specific way to solve a puzzle, but, in fact, there’s an infinite range of solutions ...”

Will Wright (Jenkins 2005)

Serious games “ Developed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment” (Wikipedia 2007) Education, training (military / commercial), health, public policy ... Social change, content or language learning, raising awareness, cross-cultural sensitivity ...

“ Developed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment” (Wikipedia 2007)

Education, training (military / commercial), health, public policy ...

Social change, content or language learning, raising awareness, cross-cultural sensitivity ...

Peace Maker

Re-Mission Participants who played Re-Mission: maintained higher levels of chemotherapy in their blood took their antibiotics more consistently showed faster acquisition of cancer-related knowledge

Participants who played Re-Mission:

maintained higher levels of chemotherapy in their blood

took their antibiotics more consistently

showed faster acquisition of cancer-related knowledge

“ We now know that games can induce positive changes in the way individuals manage their health. The game not only motivates positive health behavior; it also gives players a greater sense of power and control over their disease – in fact, that seems to be its key ingredient.” Cole (2008)

“ We now know that games can induce positive changes in the way individuals manage their health. The game not only motivates positive health behavior; it also gives players a greater sense of power and control over their disease – in fact, that seems to be its key ingredient.”

Cole (2008)

Mobile games Mostly Augmented Reality games, e.g. Sick at South Shore Beach: A Place-Based Augmented Reality Game as a Framework for Building Academic Language in Science Virtual game overlaid onto physical space -- location-aware Players as field researchers Advanced (GPS) Simple (SMS)

Mostly Augmented Reality games, e.g. Sick at South Shore Beach: A Place-Based Augmented Reality Game as a Framework for Building Academic Language in Science

Virtual game overlaid onto physical space -- location-aware

Players as field researchers

Advanced (GPS)

Simple (SMS)

MUVEs Eg: Quest Atlantis: 3D multi-user virtual environment to immerse children, ages 9-15, in educational tasks Improved disposition to information and learning, specifically science topics

Eg: Quest Atlantis: 3D multi-user virtual environment to immerse children, ages 9-15, in educational tasks

Improved disposition to information and learning, specifically science topics

ARGs An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions. (Wikipedia) Puppetmaster, rabbit hole i love bees, the lost ring

An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions. (Wikipedia)

Puppetmaster, rabbit hole

i love bees, the lost ring

South Africa Cellphones: 72% own a cell phone 60% talk on a cell phone almost daily Nearly half text message almost daily MXit: 6 million subscribers Computers and Internet: Only 17% have ever used the Internet 6% use it almost daily 15% have a computer in their home 9% have Internet access at home

Cellphones:

72% own a cell phone

60% talk on a cell phone almost daily

Nearly half text message almost daily

MXit: 6 million subscribers

Computers and Internet:

Only 17% have ever used the Internet

6% use it almost daily

15% have a computer in their home

9% have Internet access at home

M4Girls Project Improve maths in grade 10 rural girls by Mindset Mathstermind and Fashion Empire Nokia 6300

Improve maths in grade 10 rural girls by Mindset

Mathstermind and Fashion Empire

Nokia 6300

Energy saving game Standalone / networked (ProBoPortable)? Platform? Narrative? E.g. “Enemy is darkness, wastage is the evil force ...” Define learning outcomes Learning environment: Formal/informal? Define supplementary learning materials / complimentary learning environment Augmented reality, ARG, people network

Standalone / networked (ProBoPortable)?

Platform?

Narrative?

E.g. “Enemy is darkness, wastage is the evil force ...”

Define learning outcomes

Learning environment: Formal/informal?

Define supplementary learning materials / complimentary learning environment

Augmented reality, ARG, people network

Mobile games Portability - can take the computer to different sites and move around within a location Social interactivity - can exchange data and collaborate with other people face to face Context sensitivity - can gather data unique to the current location, environment, and time, including both real and simulated data Connectivity - can connect handhelds to data collection devices, other handhelds, and to a common network that creates a true shared environment Individuality - can provide unique scaffolding that is customized to the individual's path of investigation. Klopfer (Jenkins 2008)

Portability - can take the computer to different sites and move around within a location

Social interactivity - can exchange data and collaborate with other people face to face

Context sensitivity - can gather data unique to the current location, environment, and time, including both real and simulated data

Connectivity - can connect handhelds to data collection devices, other handhelds, and to a common network that creates a true shared environment

Individuality - can provide unique scaffolding that is customized to the individual's path of investigation.

Klopfer (Jenkins 2008)

Design challenges Beyond “chocolate covered broccoli” (Bruckman 1999) Problem 1: Contradiction between playing the game and learning Problem 2: There can be too much interactivity with a game and not enough reflection Learning happens through social interaction – how to achieve this?

Beyond “chocolate covered broccoli” (Bruckman 1999)

Problem 1: Contradiction between playing the game and learning

Problem 2: There can be too much interactivity with a game and not enough reflection

Learning happens through social interaction – how to achieve this?

Disclaimer No panacea Violent / stereotypical / misogynistic Teachers: Play is not work Gaming is not for everyone (is anything?) “ Competing” against commercial games Still an emergent field New theories of learning Difficult to assess

No panacea

Violent / stereotypical / misogynistic

Teachers: Play is not work

Gaming is not for everyone (is anything?)

“ Competing” against commercial games

Still an emergent field

New theories of learning

Difficult to assess

Opportunities Open and new area in SA (in Africa) Mobile games Interactive fiction game on MXit

Open and new area in SA (in Africa)

Mobile games

Interactive fiction game on MXit

Thank you Steve Vosloo [email_address] innovatingeducation.wordpress.com www.techleader.co.za/stevevosloo References del.icio.us/stevevosloo/research+gaming

Steve Vosloo

[email_address]

innovatingeducation.wordpress.com

www.techleader.co.za/stevevosloo

References

del.icio.us/stevevosloo/research+gaming