A Summary of "Digital Game-Based Learning Once Removed: Teaching Teachers" by Katrin Becker

Introduction:

Discussion of the use of digital games for learning is becoming a popular trend in educational technology. According to a recent study, (Becker & Jacbosen, 2005) approximately half of the teachers surveyed would be interested in trying games and simulations in class. However, it was found that most teachers are not using games in their classrooms for anything other than rewards given after the ‘real’ work is done. The interest is there but lack of resources such as time and equipment and a lack of understanding of how to use games, prevents teachers from using digital games.

It was found that those teachers who are truly interested have few places to turn to find out about which existing games can be used effectively, even fewer resources for finding out how to use these games once they have them, and fewer resources if they want to build their own games. Teachers do not have the time to locate, review and synthesis findings from scholarly publications and then create lesson plans from scratch using unfamiliar technology. Teachers need resources that are readily available, they need to be taught how to use the games and the games must be easy to find.

Related Work:

Several studies have indicated that teachers still use computers primarily for administrative tasks rather than teaching. Changes and advances in technology have significant implications for how technology can be used in the classroom. Processors have not gotten significantly faster for many years, while storage capacities continue to grow, and portable storage device capacity advance while costs continue to recede. Video can easily be stored locally, games can be isolated from the Web, which gives more control to the school. Students may eventually be required to have their own USB flash drives while school computers become docking stations. Advances like these, change what teachers can do with computers and they need to know how to take advantage of them.

There is a growing body of research on the educational use of games. They have the potential to offer an inquiry-based, constructivist approach that allows students to utilize the material in an authentic, safe environment. Attention has been given to developing games for military training and corporate games. However, games for learning is still an area that is being researched. There have been some findings that very young learners are capable of managing complexity in games, that failure really is an option and does not diminish learning and that gamers value exploration and collaboration as well as competition and winning (Squire, 2005)

Teachers and Games:

Teachers often lack the skills and knowledge to integrate technology effectively into their classrooms. Digital games are often considered more of a nuisance than an asset. Teachers need to be kept informed of the positive potential of games in the classroom. It is important that teachers address the inevitable concerns of parents and administrators when playing games. There are commercial games that are not appropriate for classrooms just as there are films and books that are considered to be inappropriate for classroom use. Keep in mind that some books banned in one district may be studied as important literature in other districts. Teachers need to be aware of all the issues surrounding the value of games so they can make informed decisions about which games are appropriate for their situation. Teachers must also be able to locate games by being aware of trusted online sources and where to find reliable reviews of games and other software.

Course Design:

Becker discusses the course that she designed for teachers who want to embrace the use of video games in their classrooms. A background in technology is considered an asset, but definitely not a requirement for the course. It is designed in a seminar or discussion format, very similar to this and other on-line courses. Experience, questions, pros, cons and research are all discussed as a group and ideas are passed around. They look at various aspects of using games such as cost, design consideration, appropriateness, and physical or hardware constraints.

There were themes for each class and a variety of issues were discussed. The students were also required to try and play different games and offer their own thoughts for the use of them for student learning.

At the end of the course students were required to complete a final project or report. Students could choose to design a game to be used in a classroom or design a lesson or “learning situation” that a game could be used for instruction.

Becker also addresses the problems that many teachers face within their schools and divisions: cost, access, control and commercial aspects. Some games and equipment are very expensive and not always possible in today’s fiscally driven schools. Some games are accessed online and can be a problem for teachers to monitor and could be blocked or banned in some schools.

Post Mortem:

At the beginning of Becker’s course many of the students had a preconceived idea about how video games could be used in a classroom: they thought of it as an independent study aid or as an educational “toy”. They had not considered the possibilities that games had to teach. One example Becker gives is to use a video game called “September 12” that deals with the events of September 11th, 2001 in New York City to open up a dialogue and a way to engage the students in thoughtful discussion.

Some of the students who were die-hard gamers began to see games for their full educational potential such as using the games as a tool for teaching a second or additional language. By the end of the class, even the students who only viewed video games as “toys” were convinced of their educational value.

Becker compares video games (as a medium for communication) to videos and television when they were new to the educational scene. She does make one large distinction between the use of video and the use of video games: the learning is not a passive process. Students have to interact with the games and not just sit and allow information to be given to them. They participate in their own learning without really thinking about it.

At the end of the course, the students had a much better understanding of the technology and the thinking behind using video games as tools for the classroom. They also began to appreciate the “gaming” world and felt they had a new way to instruct and connect with their students. They had become “cool” in the eyes of their students!

Conclusion:

Even though this pilot course was very successful, it was only a small percentage of teachers. There were 18 teachers out of 10, 000- not enough to get the word out. There is a need for a much larger training programme for pre-service teachers and a huge opportunity for professional development. There is pressure on school administrators and divisions to open their minds and see the possibilities of using video games for instruction. They also need to be educated and informed so they will not refuse teachers the opportunity of using a tool like this.

It is essential that teachers are given the opportunity to play- not to become gamers, but to feel comfortable playing video games and using the technology. Teachers cannot (or should not) teach a novel they have never read!

The success of digital games depends on the abilities and willingness of new and experienced teachers to take the opportunities to use them. Advances in technology will change the way students learn and digital games could be just one aspect of their elementary and secondary learning.

Becker, K. (2007).Digital game-based learning once removed: Teaching teachers. British Journal of Educational Technology. 38 (3), 478-488.