Serious Gaming

I have heard several educators lament "kids these days" and their video games.  While I understand that there are a handful of kids who stay up way too late losing precious sleep to video games, and video games keep some kids inside instead of getting them out to play and exercise; I also believe that these are the exceptions not the rules.  Instead of complaining about video games, teachers need to learn to harness their power.  The games are here, they aren't going away anytime soon, so why not use them to our benefit?  We need to be using games that are fun but have educational value to bolster, or "punch-up" our lessons.  These serious games not only teach valuable critical thinking skills and engage students at a higher level, they also can be used to reinforce concepts and standards we are already teaching.

Now, I'm certainly not advocating using only games to teach.  I am also not advocating their use daily.  However, when used effectively, it is my belief these games will increase student engagement and learning.  What does it mean to sue them effectively?  I think that question was best answered by Mary Ulicsak in her June 2010 Futurelab literature review, Games in Education: Serious Games.  While discussing serious games, Ulicsak states on page 5, "the learning outcome is dependent upon an appropriate pedagogy and the underlying game mechanics and how the content is integrated into the game so the learning is intrinsic to play."  In other words, the game is not effective unless it incorporates the content in a way that students must apply their learning in order to be successful at the game.

In my classroom, I have used games in a variety of ways.  I have used them as a way to practice skills, especially with keyboarding and basic math.  In our technology time, we use a site called Sumdog to practice math skills.  Our computer lab technician has imported our students into the site, which allows her to put them in classes.  The kids' favorite aspect of this site is that they can play against anyone in the world or against their classmates who are online.  They can also participate in contests and play at school or log in from home and play.   We spend the first quarter learning how to keyboard for half an hour per week at a site called Dancemat Typing.  The students love this site, which is user-friendly and features animated songs when the students are successful.

I have also used games to bolster critical thinking and problem solving skills.  My favorite site for this is Cool Math 4 Kids.  This site features all sorts of games that involve higher-level thinking to win or advance to the next level.  Also included on this site are several simulation games, such as Coffee Shop and Lemonade Stand.  These two games allow students to participate in real world situations that involve marketing and supply and demand.

It is always exciting to students learn when they think they are really just playing a game.  One of the reasons I decided to become an educator was to help students who are like I was in school.  I disliked school most of the time.  I thought it was boring and didn't understand why I had to go.  Serious gaming is just one tool I use to make students excited about learning and show them real-world applications of their knowledge.  Hopefully, this reaches one of those kids who feels the way I felt as a kid and changes their views on learning!