1. Digital Educational Games: Just
For Fun or Cognitive Learning
Tools?
G E RALDINE S H I KORA
C I T Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F N E W YO R K
AT
QUEENS COLLEGE
PROFESSOR MURFIN
S E YS 7 7 7
DECEMBER 11, 2012
G S HIKORA@GMAIL.COM
2. The research in this project will serve a
twofold purpose:
• It will provide a literature review of the significance of
incorporating digital games and digital simulation games, as
educational teaching tools into the science classroom.
• It will provide the theoretical framework for an action
research study to investigate the use of a specific web based
game, The Blood Typing Game, as a teaching tool.
3. Questions for Investigation
.
• Can educational digital games and digital simulations be incorporated
into a lesson, as useful teaching tools, when teaching science content?
• Can these tools be useful for teaching 21st Century skills in the
science classroom?
• Does playing such educational digital games and digital simulations
foster the cognitive skills students need in an inquiry based science
classroom?
7. Digital Natives
&
21st Century Learning Skills
T O C A P T I VAT E T H E AT T E N T I O N , M O T I VAT E A N D
E D U C AT E T H E S E D I G I TA L N AT I V E S W E M U S T
C O M M U N I C AT E W I T H T H E M I N T H E I R O W N
L A N G U A G E . ( P R E N S K Y, 2 0 0 5 ; S P I R E S , 2 0 0 8 )
PEOPLE ACQUIRE NEW KNOWLEDGE AN D THE
C O M P L E X S K I L L S R E Q U I R E D O F G A M E P L AY W H I C H
S U G G E S T S T H AT G A M I N G C O U L D H E L P
S T R E N G T H E N O U R S Y S T E M O F E D U C AT I O N A N D
P R E PA R E W O R K E R S F O R 2 1 S T C E N T U R Y J O B S .
N O R T O N , & H AT H A W AY ( 2 0 1 2 ) ,
8. Digital Games
GAME
“ A G A M E I S A N A R T I F I C I A L LY C O N S T R U C T E D ,
COMPETITIVE ACTIVITY WITH A SPECIFIC GOAL, A SET
O F R U L E S A N D C O N S T R A I N T S T H AT I S L O C AT E D I N A
S P E C I F I C C O N T E X T. ”
H AY S ( 2 0 0 5 , P 1 5 )
D I G I TA L G A M E
“ R E F E R S T O A N Y T Y P E O F G A M E P L AY E D O N L I N E , O N A
COMPUTER, CONSOLE, OR VIA A HANDHELD DEVICE”
(SARDONE & DEVLIN-SCHERER,2009,P48)
9. Digital Simulations
T H E D E F I N I T I O N O F S C I E N C E - S I M U L AT I O N S O F T W A R E C A N B E
D I V I D E D I N T O T W O C AT E G O R I E S :
V I R T U A L L A B O R AT O R I E S
&
S I M U L AT I O N S O F S C I E N T I F I C P H E N O M E N A .
SCALISE, TIMMS, MOORJANI, CLARK, HOLTERMANN, & IRVIN (2011)
10. Science Literacy and the Science Classroom
• It is essential to engage and enable students to act as
real –world scientists do, by giving them the
opportunity to learn technological skills.
• It is the ultimate mission of the educator to provide a
learning environment which allows students to feel like
scientists and to learn by doing(Gabric et al., 2005)
• In designing and managing the
learning, environment, teachers must make available
science tools, materials media and technological
resources to their students. (Olson & Loucks-
Horsley, 2000)
11. What should teachers look for
when selecting a digital game as a
teaching tool?
• CONTENT WHICH ALIGNS WITH THE
CURRICULUM
• COGNITIVE SKILL BUILDING THEORIES
WHICH SUPPORT THE UTILIZATION OF
SUCH DIGITAL GAMES AND DIGITAL
SIMULATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM.
• GAME DESIGN
12. Game Design
Formal methods are employed by game
designers when planning the content and
features of a game. The ultimate objective
of game design is to produce an immersive
and entertaining game (Gunter, Kenny, &
Vick, 2008).
13. Game Design Models
Game Design Model Author(Year)
Relevance Embedding Translation Adaptation Immersion & Gunter, Kenny, & Vick, ( 2008)
Naturalization (RETAIN) model
An Action Plan: Design Principles Framework for Simulations and Scalise, Timms, Moorjani, Clark,
Virtual Laboratories Holtermann, & Irvin (2011)
Computer Games and Literacy Integrated with Content Norton & Hathaway (2012)
Knowledge, (CLICK) is a model which emphasizes game play,
complex text and game design to promote student learning
Ak, (2012) develops an educational game design model which Ak (2012)
consists of learning inputs, game cycles and learning outcomes to
determine what aspects of games make them effective learning
tools. Ak synthesizes his model by combining the Input- Process-
Outcome structure designed by Garris, Ahlers, and Driskell,
(2012) with the elements of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle
(Kolb, Boyatzis, & Mainemelis, 1999)
Paras and Bizzocchi (2005) explain how games can act as effective Paras and Bizzocchi (2005)
learning environments by creating a model which integrates
game, motivation and effective learning into the educational game
design.
15. Conclusion
Educators of the 21st Century
can now ease their concerns
because students are having fun
while receiving a quality
educational experience.
16. Handouts
The following slides will serve as
supplemental handouts to the
presentation.
They are not intended to be part of the
PowerPoint presentation.
17. This first part of this literature review will define and discuss
the implementation of such digital games in the science
classroom:
• Provide definitions of digital games and digital simulation games.
• Discuss science literacy in the science classroom.
• 21st century learning skills.
• Cognitive skill building theories which support the utilization of such
digital games and digital simulations in the classroom.
• The design of such games.
• Limitations of their implementation.
18. The second part of this study will be an action research
study which will investigate the use of The Blood Typing
Game, a Web-Based Educational simulation game found on
the Nobelprize.org website, in a high school Living
Environment educational setting.
• The Blood Typing Game-Literature Search
• Nobelprize.org
• The Blood Typing Game-Historical background.
• The Blood Typing Game –Playing the Game.
19. Methods used for The Blood Typing Game-Literature Search
The following databases from the Queens College Library were utilized; ERIC, Google
Scholar, PsychInfo and Teacher Reference Center.
SEARCH LITERATURE GOAL DESCRIPTORS RESULTS
1 Any games from nobel.org Virtual and simulations and Nobel Prize, Lennon, 2010/
& Virtual and games and Nobel Prize. Article on
The Blood Typing Game Nobleprize.Org Immune System
EXPANDED TO INCLUDE 3RD
game.
DESCRIPTOR
Nobelprize.org, high school education,
science education, and virtual technology
The Blood Typing Game Digital games and blood typing Sardone, 2009 &
2 Sardone, 2010
MODIFIED SEARCH
The descriptor blood typing was replaced
Both articles include The Blood
with the descriptors blood, blood groups,
Typing Game as part of reference list
and blood transfusions.
with minimal discussion.
The Blood Typing Game Nobel Prize and educational games and No Results
3 & blood typing.
Teaching Blood Groups MODIFIED SEARCH
Repeated using the descriptors games and
blood groups, games and blood
transfusions, games and blood, games and
the circulatory system. and education.
4 The Blood Typing Game Producers of the game, Lina Goransson, No Results
& Mirek Labedzki and Karin Svaholm were
searched.
The Designer of the Game
MODIFIED SEARCH
Lina Goransson and the Blood Typing Game
and Nobel Prize
MODIFIED SEARCH
2012 best game category by Swedish
learning Awards and Blood typing
20. Methods used for Literature Search
on Digital Games & Digital Simulations
The following databases from the Queens College Library were
utilized; ERIC, Google Scholar, PsychInfo and Teacher Reference
Center.
SEARCH LITERATURE GOAL DESCRIPTORS
1 Virtual Games and Science Education
Digital Games & Digital Simulations Virtual simulation Games and Science
Education
Modified to include third Descriptor
High School
2 Technology and 21st Century Skills
21ST Century Skills
Partnership for 21st Century
Skills
3 Virtual Games and Science Education
and Cognitive Skills
Cognitive Skills
Virtual simulation and Science
Education and Cognitive Skills
Modified to include third Descriptor
High School or Learning or Learning
Theories or Instructional Games
21. Instruction should include four elements:
(1) Instruction must be designed to support specific instructional
objectives, which are determined by job requirements.
(2) Instruction must include the opportunity for a learner to interact
with the instructional content in a meaningful way.
(3) The student's performance must be assessed to determine if he
or she has learned what was intended.
(4) Finally, the results of the assessment must be presented to the
student in a relevant and timely manner to either reinforce correct
actions or to provide remediation for incorrect actions.
If these four elements are not present, we are not dealing with
instruction (Hays, 2005).
22. Games from Nobelprize.org
Name of Game Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine
1930 Nobel Prize for the discovery of human blood groups.
Blood Typing
The 2001 Nobel Prize for discoveries concerning the control
Control of the Cell cycle of the cell cycle.
The 1923 Nobel Prize for the discovery of the hormone
Diabetes and Insulin insulin. The discovery made it possible to treat people
suffering from diabetes.
Information not provided.
DNA-RNA-Protein
The 1962 Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of the
DNA The Double Helix molecular structure of DNA – the double helix.
The 1961 Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of how
Ear Pages sound is analyzed and communicated in the cochlea in the
inner ear.
The 1924 Nobel Prize was awarded for the discovery of the
ECG/Electrocardiogram electrocardiogram, ECG.
The 1908 Nobel Prize awarded for identifying certain body
Immune System cells engulfing bacteria and for work on trying to explain
how antibodies are formed in the body.
23. The Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have
Immune Responses rewarded several achievements that helped to reveal
the mysterious complexities of the immune system.
The 1902 Nobel Prize awarded for the discovery of the 1907
Malaria causing malaria and the 1907 Nobel Prize for finding the parasite
in human blood.
The 2003 Nobel Prize awarded for discoveries concerning MRI -
MRI magnetic resonance imaging.
The Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have rewarded
Nerve Signaling several achievements that helped to reveal the mysterious
complexities of the nervous system.
The 1904 Nobel Prize explores the scientific achievements of
Pavlov’s Dog Ivan Pavlov, awarded with for his pioneering studies of how the
digestive system works.
The 1981 Nobel Prize awarded for discoveries in the 1960s
Split Brain Experiments concerning differences in the right and left brain hemispheres.
The 1974 Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine developed
The Cell and its Organelles methods that made it possible to see and identify organelles, the
specialized compartments inside all our cells.
The 1968 Nobel Prize for work on the genetic code and its role in
The Genetic Code protein production.
The 1905 Nobel Prize awarded for investigations and discoveries
Tuberculosis concerning the disease tuberculosis, or "TB".
The 1929 Nobel Prize awarded for pointing out a substance in
VitaminB1 rice skin, which was later discovered to be vitamin B1.
