Digital games have been shown to significantly enhance the learning capabilities of students, more so than by teachers using non-game approaches (Clark, Tanner-Smith & Killingsworth, 2016). Games-based approaches not only allow for higher germane cognitive load (Chang et al., 2017), but they also allow students to inadvertently develop their own life skills, such as, improved attention and focus, motivated dispositions, emotion regulation and prosocial skills through co-playing (Granic et al., 2014).
However, due to the whimsical novelty of games, teachers need to be aware of the potential issues that can arise when using them as a medium for learning. One of the greatest issues being, that teachers must avoid confusing students’ liking of games, with learning (Bower, 2019). For instance, whilst a game like Donkey Kong may be enjoyable for students to play, it hinders students’ academic learning if elements do not align with learning outcomes (Moore-Russo, 2018).
On the other hand, some games may not initially be as enjoyable for students to play – yet have greater learner benefits. Games such as ‘Osmo Coding Awbie’ (‘Awbie’), become progressively challenging, requiring students to take greater risks to complete the game (Gee, 2005).
A lesson I taught using Osmo Coding technologies. Here, students work with ‘Awbie’, a tactile way to develop Coding skills.
I found this the case during my practicum, where students began to dislike ‘Awbie’ as more obstacles arose and new commands were introduced, making them hesitant to take risks at the chance of failure. However, encouraging them to persist fostered their resilience, sense of agency and willingness to take risks (Gee, 2005; Beavis et al., 2014). ‘Awbie’ also taught students related Coding concepts of defining problems, describing sequences and generating algorithms to create solutions (ST2-3DP-T) (NESA, 2017). As students took on the role as producers of codes, rather than merely consumers, this game nurtured their creativity (Prensky, 2007).
“As the educational paradigm shifts to “students teaching themselves,” the demand for educational games, which allow this to happen in an engaging manner, will increase dramatically.” (Prensky, 2007, p.18). Since the Asia-pacific region is currently home to approximately 1 billion gamers (Brown, 2019), Australian students clearly find gaming fun and are active consumers. So, teachers should foster this, by allowing students to create more educational games for the future, which will continue to disguise their learning (Beavis et al., 2014). Aragon, Poon, Monroy-Hernández & Aragon (2009) recommend Scratch, as a way to promote shared creativity, where students act as collaborative designers of a game and storytellers – known as one of the most honoured methods of nurturing creativity.
Tutorials via Scratch, can guide students to program particular characters to do certain actions. From there, imagination is the limit.
These simple actions were able to be created easily and quickly using Scratch.
References
Feature Image – playing computer clipart f73fc074bc6bbf87999a330e2ce8d21a – Download Free Clip Art. (2018). Retrieved June 8, 2019, from Download-free-clip.art website: https://download-free-clip.art/playing-computer-clipart/playing-computer-clipart-f73fc074bc6bbf87999a330e2ce8d21a/
Aragon, C. R., Poon, S. S., Monroy-Hernández, A., & Aragon, D. (2009). A tale of two online communities: Fostering collaboration and creativity in scientists and children. In Proceedings of the seventh ACM conference on Creativity and cognition (pp. 9-18). ACM.
Beavis, C., Rowan, L., Dezuanni, M., McGillivray, C., O’Mara, J., Prestridge, S., … & Zagami, J. (2014). Teachers’ beliefs about the possibilities and limitations of digital games in classrooms. E-learning and Digital Media, 11(6), 569-581
Bower, M. (2019). EDUC362 Digital Creativity and Learning. lecture 8, week 11: Games and Learning. [Microsoft Word Power Point slides]. Retrieved from https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/course/view.php?id=35223#
Brown, L. (2019). Digital Video Game Trends and Stats for 2019. [online] Wondershare. Available at: https://filmora.wondershare.com/infographic/video-game-trends-and-stats.html [Accessed 8 Jun. 2019].
Chang, C. C., Liang, C., Chou, P. N., & Lin, G. Y. (2017). Is game-based learning better in flow experience and various types of cognitive load than non-game-based learning? Perspective from multimedia and media richness richness. Computers in Human Behavior, 71, 218-227.
Clark, D. B., Tanner-Smith, E. E., & Killingsworth, S. S. (2016). Digital games, design, and learning: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Review of educational research, 86(1), 79-122.
Gee, J. P. (2005). Good video games and good learning. Phi Kappa Phi Forum, 85(2), 33-37.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. American psychologist, 69(1), 66-78.
Moore-Russo, D., Wiss, A., & Grabowski, J. (2018). Integration of gamification into course design: A noble endeavor with potential pitfalls. College Teaching, 66(1), 3-5.
NSW Education Standards Authority [NESA]. (2017). Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus. Sydney, Australia: Author.
Prensky, M. (2007). Students as designers and creators of educational computer games. Retrieved from: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-Students_as_Game_Creators-.pdf
Digital Creativity and Learning 