This week we learnt about how and
what games teach teach us and this topic immediately reminded me of my favourite game as a
child growing up. It was the Magic school bus CD Rom, a game based on the Magic
school bus books and TV show. The television show was a big hit and I know many kids watched it
at home, but it was the Magic School Bus interactive game that was the real deal! Putting
in the Cd ROM on a windows 95 computer, and having to wait for loading time etc
is showing my age but it is also showing how games have improved since then. Nethertheless, its still a hit with the kids now (a quick Google search confirmed
this) and it was my absolute favourite
computer game growing up and I used to wake up extra early just so I could get
to the computer first and play this game.
I think we can absorb information
from anything easily, that’s why its a big deal when anything in media show any aspect of prejudice and privilege. I feel that games can teach us a lot
about absolutely anything in so many ways. Games are
so captivating and according to Researchers, they “have said that the appeal of
games is that they provide two central elements: 1. achievable challenges, and
2. progressive rewards.”
The Magic School bus game had different locations that you
could explore and there is always a goal for the player. My favourite was The Magic School
Bus Explores the Ocean (1995)-(1998) The class takes a field trip
to the beach and you get to explore the ocean and follows clues that lead you
to the treasure. A Nintendo DS version was released in 2011 which is cool to hear. It was a great game because I really did
feel like I was part of this magical field trip to the ocean. You were learning as you went along, but this didn’t occur to me
because I was having so much fun. The best part was the interactivity and
choosing where to go and what to do. You really did absorb the information because that was the
only way to get into the next level so you had to remember everything that you
learnt. I
also loved how the characters were the same from the TV shows. This was an
important feature that made me feel apart of this cast of characters that I
really loved and adored, as their strong personalities translated well to the
game version.
It
is nice to hear that Magic School Bus titles have been released on Nintendo DS and the
Leapfrog educational system. Understandably, technology has expanded and there
are many more options of games to play but the magic school bus really was
something new and different when I was young, hopefully younger kids can also
experience the magic.
Go
to this website and check it out if you would like to relive your childhood (kind
of).
I think
learning and games can expand to mainstream games too. Lets take for example,
world of war craft, which is one of the most popular games in mainstream game
playing. It is a known for its multiplayer role type of gaming and involves the
completion of quests which are
missions that the player must compete in order to get to the next level (most games involve this). These quests often have a level of difficulty,
which only true gamers can pursue. So many people think that gaming is about
pushing buttons, but in order to succeed, gamers need to really study and devise
strategies to overcome challenges in WoW. A casual game player like me for example,
would struggle with Wow because I lack the skill and understanding of a game
that requires such. It is a game suitable for the hardcore gamer. Also, as the games go on, the characters become more developed and they gain various
talents and skills. Characters can learn skills essential in real life such as archeology, cooking,
fishing, and first-aid.
The most
popular games require players to join as teams to defeat the enemy. This has become a popular form of gaming, and what World of war craft is renown for. The gamer
learns about communication and cooperation, a skill that is vital in school, the work place, and even sport. A lot of the communication involves
backing up teammates, directing them where to go, and more. At uni, a lot of
degrees involve group assignments where everyone must work together to make the
project successful. Without knowing how to utilise teamwork, co-operation, and communication you really will
struggle in the real world yet most gamers learn this through games such as WoW. Also, gaming encourages a
high level of intellectual engagement, especially a game like World of war
craft.
Here is
an article about how war craft can teach you about improving ROI.
When it comes
to video games and learning, I think young kids are the most suited to this. We learnt about digital
natives, who are “native speakers” of the digital language so they are
a lot more immersed in technology then any of us older kids. They grow up on
technology like the Ipad; therefore the games on there can be really
beneficial. Kids are used to
being entertained in ways where they are actively involved in that activity. Kids
have so much more options now with learning by playing games on the ipad. The apple store is filled with
thousands of games, most which would have some educational benefit.
I have toddler niece who plays on the ipad. Not just reading, but
playing games and learning at the same time. It intrigues me that she can use
this piece of equipment so easily, yet she can’t even talk yet. The games that
she plays are Monkey preschool lunchbox, which is a snazzy little game that you
play memory, find the different fruit, play with puzzles and get
awarded with stickers. She also plays
Preschool memory, which is like electronic
memory. There are also a number of games that she plays which
have some benefits.
My 10-year-old niece is a big fan of Sudoku and scrabble.
Two games that require intense thinking and outing words together. Other
favorites include Jetpack, Angry Birds, Swampy, Cut the Rope Fruit Ninja and
Temple Run. Games that are your average game but require a level of thinking,
skill and concentration. Something she has learnt from playing these games. There are also a swarm of other games
suitable for kids. They might not be your average video game but they are
educational.
There
is a book titled What Video Games Have
to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy by James Paul Gee, which I had a quick
read of and found interesting.
The synopsis from Google is this:
"I want to
talk about video games--yes, even violent video games--and say some positive
things about them." With this simple but explosive statement, one of
America's most well respected educator’s looks seriously at the good that can
come from playing video games. In this revised edition, new games like World of War Craft and Half Life 2 are evaluated and theories of cognitive
development are expanded. Gee looks at major cognitive activities including how
individuals develop a sense of identity, how we grasp meaning, how we
evaluate and follow a command, pick a role model, and perceive the world.”
Also,
I found this site to be quite interesting too.
http://www.npr.org/2010/12/20/132077565/video-games-boost-brain-power-multitasking-skills
And there is the reading the other week written by Patricia Hernandez about how video games have taught her about
gender, representation, nationalism and identity: something I would never
associate with video games. Fall out 2 is the game, which enabled Patricia to
learn about aspects of her because the game in a sense reflected her own life. Her
starting character in the game Christa could be modified in a way where she
wasn’t sexualized and she had high intelligence. When her elder in
Fallout 2 told her that the fate of the entire village rested on her shoulders, it represented
her life as a whole. A young Indian, who was expected to get a degree for the
good of her family.
Fall out 2 was also filled with choices, something Patricia didn’t have
in real life.
She was able to seduce woman on the game, something that was considered
taboo in real life, as well as argue with men. She also stayed married in
Fallout 2, despite the obstacles and choices she had to divorce- a lesson that
can easily be adapted in real life.
So
in general there are many ways to find games that benefit us. I do believe that playing games can
benefit young people the most, by teaching them skills that they can adapt to
in the real world. It is not just about leaning a sense of cooperation teamwork
or skills and concentration, there is a whole range of spectrum that we absorbed
from video games, but it depends on the individual and their own lives in a sense. I learnt alot growing up playing Magic school bus, but other kids may have not. the games I play nowaday Temple run probably isnt as educational but it does require alot of concentration- something that I should and can adapt to in real life.
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