RSA #4 Game Based
Learning
Online Articles
The first article I read, entitiled , Game Based Learning, focused on what Game Based learning
is. “GBL uses competitive exercises, either pitting the students against each
other or getting them to challenge themselves in order to motivate them to
learn better. (Teed 2014)” This article focused more on the why and how it
works. This states that having games based learning in the classroom will help
the students become more engaged and motivated to learn. It also mentions that
there should be some kind of rewards for the person /people who win.
The second article I looked at, entitiled Free Tools to Incorporate Game Based Learning, simply focused on implementing
Game Based Learning. The article focused on the free tools that are out there
for teachers to use in the classroom. Some of the tools that the article
mentioned were iCivics, MagmaHigh, BrainPop, and Teaching with Portals. Not
only did the article provide us with tools; it also gave us a brief explanation
of what each tool was, and how it worked. There are many tools out there this article
focused on just a few.
Additional Resources
The third article that I read, entitiled Digitial Game Based Learning, focused on a wide range of
things. It focused on what game based learning is, the impact on game based
learning, and the implications of game based learning. One thing that I did
find interesting about this article is that it focused more on video games for
GBL than any other games. The article mentions that there is evidence to prove
that GBL improves student’s engagement and motivation, but we should not rely
on games for attainment. This article also provides key points for teachers to
remember about game based learning.
The fourth and final article that I read, entiltiled Game Based Learning: the Latest Evidence and Future Directions, also focused on a
wide range of things. This article focused on the history, the components, the
benefits, and the limitations of digital game based learning. One of the key
things that stuck out to me was the article stated, “Although digital
game-based learning appears to have some benefits and can be engaging to
students, those opposed to this type of supplementary curriculum suggest that
the games may be more distracting than a typical learning tool and that the
goals of the games do not necessarily always align with the learning goals of
the classroom. (Perrotta, C., Featherstone, G., Aston, H. and Houghton, E. 2013).”
It also touches on what the teachers need to know when implementing GBL in
their classrooms.
Compare and Contrast
All four of the articles that I read were great articles.
The first two articles focused more on what GBL is, how it works, and tools to
implement it in the classroom. The last two articles focused on a wide range of
things. Some of the key points that I pulled out this article were the GBL does
not show us the students attained the information. The other key point that I
pulled out was that that the games could be distracting to the typical learner.
The first two articles were “all for GBL.” While, the last articles reminded us
of the challenges/ key points for us to remember about GBL.
Applications in the classroom
I am all for Game Based Learning. I believe that GBL
actually works when it is implemented correctly. I don’t believe teachers
should use games to teach a new concept, I believe that games should be there
for review purposes only. My student love playing games. Some of my favorite
games that I have them play in my classroom are on ABCya and Raz-kids. ABCya
has tons of games, you choose the grade level and have them focus on any
language arts, math, etc. Component you that
you like. Whereas, with Raz-kids the focus is more on reading and
comprehension. The students love both ABCya and Raz-Kids and so do I.
Coffey, H. (2010) Digital
Game Based Learning. UNC School of Education. Retrieved from: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4970
Miller A. (2014, Feb 20). Free Tools to
Incorporate Game-Based Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/free-tools-to-incorporate-gbl-andrew-miller
Perrotta, C., Featherstone, G., Aston, H. and Houghton, E.
(2013). Game-based Learning: Latest
Evidence and Future Directions (NFER
Research Programme: Innovation in Education). Slough;NFER. Retrieved from: http://ocw.metu.edu.tr/pluginfile.php/10919/mod_resource/content/1/GAME01.pdf
Teed, R. (2014) Game
Based Learning. Starting Point: Teaching Entry Level Geoscience Retrieved
from: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/games/index.html
No comments:
Post a Comment