Curriculum hurdles to computer games
Here are some of my notes from a computer games research report passed onto me by Kerrie Smith from EDNA. The research findings indicate that computer games have the potential to stimulate learning and increase the levels of motivation and engagement. This link also points to the results of a survey of teacher and student attitudes to games and learning.
Like our ASISTM cluster, this group made extensive use of wikis and e-mail forums to support collaboration between teachers. I was disappointed that the research scope did not include working with students to program their own computer game.
The report listed a number of technical, pedagogic and organisational issues must first be addressed to ensure maximum benefit including the organisation of time and space in the school, cultures of collaboration/knowledge sharing, traditions of 'best practice' in lesson planning, and classroom rituals. The curriculum itself was identified as the primary barrier to the use of games in school and the research suggested that the successful use of games in schools is, unsurprisingly, a reflection of the quality of teaching.
"Teaching with Games: Using commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education"
report by Richard Sandford, Mary Ulicsak, Keri Facer and Tim Rudd
Like our ASISTM cluster, this group made extensive use of wikis and e-mail forums to support collaboration between teachers. I was disappointed that the research scope did not include working with students to program their own computer game.
The report listed a number of technical, pedagogic and organisational issues must first be addressed to ensure maximum benefit including the organisation of time and space in the school, cultures of collaboration/knowledge sharing, traditions of 'best practice' in lesson planning, and classroom rituals. The curriculum itself was identified as the primary barrier to the use of games in school and the research suggested that the successful use of games in schools is, unsurprisingly, a reflection of the quality of teaching.
"Teaching with Games: Using commercial off-the-shelf computer games in formal education"
report by Richard Sandford, Mary Ulicsak, Keri Facer and Tim Rudd