Video games becoming required coursework in schools – Technology & Science – CBC News.
Unfortunately, they got my institution wrong. I’ve got a request in to fix it, but I’ve had no response yet. Below is an edited excerpt (with the correct institution named).
I have to say I am disappointed at how many people are *still* dead set against the use of games in the classroom. In most cases they are classic examples of what Harlan Ellison calls “idiot hearsay” – forming opinions based on second hand information at best, and uninformed knee-jerk reactions at worst.
Experience without consequences
Screenshot from Animal Crossing New Leaf
“If the outcome is learning in the end, then why not?” says Katrin Becker, an adjunct professor at Mount Royal University who researches and designs educational video games.
She added that games can provide students with learning experiences that could be “painful or dangerous or expensive” in real life — such as running their first business or performing surgery on an animal.
“In a game, they can find out what happens if you do it wrong without any negative consequences to the real world,” Becker said. “And that’s really very valuable.”
Nevertheless, game-based learning modules are still are far less popular in the classroom than traditional methods.
“The shift that needs to happen … is the reawakening of the idea that learning can and should be fun and entertaining,” she said.
Challenges for teachers
That may all be encouraging to teachers, but incorporating games into coursework can be more challenging than it looks.
Wershler said he is mindful of the fact that many games take longer to complete than a book, can be expensive and sometimes must be played on expensive technology. Because of that, he chooses older, cheaper games that can be downloaded and played on a computer or mobile device.
Becker said commercial games can also be challenging for teachers, because they don’t come with lesson plans.
“Teachers don’t have time to develop their own courseware,” she said.
Despite the difficulties, Becker said she is a huge proponent of games in education, as they provide new options for learning.
“It’s yet another tool to use,” she said. “And I think the richer the environment, the better off we are.”
