e-wot?

Derek Roberston showed us what can be done with existing game console and handheld technologies in a learning context. He talked about affecting positive change in the classroom through using games.

The most striking thing about what Derek is doing is it’s relevance. He’s using simple technology that kids are already familiar with, but in a learning context. It has currency. He showed lots of video clips. The one that really hit me was of a young lad totally absorbed in a timed game on the Nintendo DS. He was doing sums. Doing them faster than I could. He was clearly engaged, clearly achieving, clearly aware that he was doing well. Apparently up to that point he had been considered a ‘problem child’.

He also showed some impressive statistics, anecdotal accounts and testimonials to show the effectiveness of games on speed and accuracy in test results using brain gym. Learners also felt better about themselves: improved confidence and self esteem.

He described a class where learners started the lesson on time and worked in silence on activities. He also described a high level of peer support.

This approach is also relatively light on resources. Consolarium uses readily available game consoles and handheld game devices with existing consumer games to engage learners. So no need to spend time and money on developing software and buying expertise, and no need to talk to the IT department about integration, compatibility or security. Just plug it into the TV and work out how to integrate the games into class work.

Although games can have an intrinsic learning point, he pointed out that games don’t need to teach something explicitly. He showed a class using Guitar Hero in an activity to stimulate a cross curricular project. The game helped to contextualise the learning and make the learning relevant. So in this case the learning happened away from the game. But the game set the scene, context and helped in the early stages to set roles and goals for the project. Nice. It looked like a lot of fun too.

Games become less of what we offer by the time kids reach middle school, where they were once part of kids’ education.

Here are a few other notes from his talk that I haven’t tidied up yet:

Tetris. Clever in that context, why not or how could they be clever in other contexts.

• tetris = spacial control, visual awareness and mental manual dexterity.
• zoombinis = strategy problem solving without even know that they were doing it.
• dance mats = help teach phonics
• pro evolution soccer and championship manager = teach strategy

www.ltscotland.org.uk/consolarium

He mentioned Tim Ryland’s work. Myst. Using the game in class to seed and stimulate a writing activity.

And tools to make games:

• Mission Maker
• Game maker
• scratch
• neverwinter nights is dialogue based . ss must create a story
• thinking worlds
• crazy talk – application that creates lip movemens on pictures. Allows ss to make their stories come to life.