Educational technology is the effective use of technological tools in learning. As a concept, it concerns an array of tools, such as media, machines and networking hardware, as well as considering theoretical perspectives for their effective application.
The thought of having games in the classroom at any level is no different. There are persons who love the concept and are all in for restructuring an entire class, curriculum, and even whole schools that are focused on game-based learning (GBL). That said here is a look at the possible ways in which games detract from students’ educational experiences, and a consideration of the value added through gaming
With that said, however, there are real weaknesses that can be associated with the introduction of games into education:
Distraction from other objectives – The idea that playing games pulls learners from other more valuable skills must also be addressed. The underlying premise here is that games are fairly limited in their content and the context that they present for learning. This is true. Currently there is a shortage of really engaging, educationally focused games that integrate with existing curriculums and teach directly useable skills. This does not mean that such games are not possible from game designers dedicated to education, or that engaging in the flip side of GBL, game design/production by students, does not teach real skills. It does.
Shortened attention span – This is the criticism of all modern media, and probably was a criticism of books when Guttenberg first started mass producing them. New technologies necessitate new ways of viewing the world and the nature of knowledge. Computer games are no different. The often rapid pace of action and the immediate feedback can make people expect the same kinds of fast-paced, instantaneous response of all things. While that may not translate to every context, it certainly is a direction in which our hyper-connected, global society is headed. However, with average completion times of 40 hours of intense concentration and problem solving, games do promote sustained focus, just in non-traditional ways.
While the limitations above are daunting and require significant shifting of educational and societal priorities in order to be overcome, they are worth addressing, particularly if weighed against the strength effects of gamification like technological literacy – Game play promotes literacy at many different levels, from technological to socio-emotional. At the very minimum, game play supports the development of skills necessary to run a computer, but it really goes far beyond that, as the installation, upkeep, and networking required for much game play also promotes high-level literacy skills in students.
Multitasking mentality – The reality of our world is that we all multitask to a certain extent, splitting our attention between multiple screen, devices, and stimuli constantly. Games enhance this ability by forcing players to balance multiple kinds of inputs simultaneously in order to be successful. Try the fun multitasking game at the end of this post to see how well you can focus on multiple inputs.
Teamwork – While the isolationist tendencies of gamers have long been a popular stereotype, many current games are built on a social networking paradigm that not only allows for teamwork and collaborative play, but often requires it to be successful. This is one of the key skills required for working in a hyper-connected global economy.
Many successful educators try to appeal to their students’ interest in order to engage them. With so many children and adults currently playing video games, games represent a natural way for teachers to reach a larger audience and have fun at the same time.
Much of what has been laid out here is still open for debate as the use of games in education is a field still in its infancy. There is research to do, implementations to try, and new and exciting games to develop. For GBL to every truly become an important part of education, the system is going to have to change so that technology is valued more highly and all levels of education are funded to the extent needed to make rich technology integration a reality. In the meantime why not explore the potential of games for learning.
Blended Learning is a term used to describe the way e Learning is being combined with traditional classroom methods and independent study.
A blended learning approach ensures that the learner is engaged and driving someone’s individual learning experience. In addition, since difference students have unique learning styles, a blended approach is more likely to cater to those needs. Strengths include;
Collaborative learning experiences. Collaboration between the students and instructor can increase substantially via an online training platform. With many collaborative tools (online discussions, blogs, instant messages, etc.) the students are able to connect with each other in or out of the classroom.
Increased accessibility. Improves access as well as student attitudes towards learning. The students are given the tools to access the course materials anytime, anywhere.
Better communication. Communication is improved between lecturers and students. An online training platform can provide many communication tools such as news announcements, e-mail, instant messaging, online discussions, online grading tool, and more.
Successful evaluations. Better student evaluations via the use of online testing and assessments with reporting features. Often times, the students can evaluate themselves better as well with immediate grading or feedback.
Weaknesses of Blended Learning;
Strong technological dependence. The tech resources and tools need to be reliable, easy to use, and up to date in order for the use of the Internet to have a meaningful impact on the learning experience.
Lack of IT knowledge. IT literacy can serve as a significant barrier for students attempting to get access to the course materials. The availability of technical support is a must.
Students can fall behind. The use of lecture recording technologies can result in students falling behind on the material. Nearly half of all students will wait and watch several weeks’ worth of videos in one sitting, rather than on a regular basis.
Computers are used to perform various tasks in the classroom and they tend to simplify the way students learn. Students use computers to learn how to write because they have word processing applications which enable students take notes or write article for academic purposes in the classroom. A word processing application comes with auto correct functions which can help a student improve on their vocabulary.
But on the other hand, computers have reduced the creativity of students because students have become over dependent on them, a simple mathematics equation cannot be solved without the aid of a calculator, also some students who come with computers in class tend to misuse them by using them for non-academic purposes during class hours. Most of them spend most of their time watching funny videos on internet, chatting with friends on social networks, play non educational games during class time. This has resulted into poor performance in the class and failure of final year exams.
Strengths of Using Computers in Classrooms;
Encourages peer to peer learning: Teachers can tell students to create study groups using computers and share or ask academic information. It is very easy to connect students using computers. Naturally, their some students who are too shy to connect with others in the real world, such students keep to themselves, so they even find it difficult to join real classroom group discussions. So the teachers can spot such students and decide to create a peer to peer computer discussion platform which students can use while in the classroom or outside the classroom. Improve students writing skills: Many students have issues in their grammar and using a computer in the class will partly help in correcting their grammar. Though this will not make them the best writers, but it will help them write easily and learn faster. Teachers will still have to take an extra step to guide their students on how to write well composed sentences, because a computer can only do the basics like; spell checks which can be corrected by auto-corrects. But a computer cannot teach a student, when to punctuate or start a new paragraph.
Verbs and nouns are used in a different manner and a computer will not know that, past tense and present tense are completely different, but computers cannot know that. All this is supposed to be taught to a student by their teachers and the student can use their computers just to aid in the speed of typing notes and research work. Visual illustrations on computers make learning easier: If the classroom is computerized and every student has their own monitor on their desks, the teacher can illustrate lessons in a visual format and each student will get the lesson on their monitors. Since computers have graphics software, students can also draw illustrations which can help them during peer to peer interactions. Students can also use the internet to learn through videos or use puzzles and academic games to solve specific challenges while in the classroom. They also reduce on the amount of text books students carry to school: It is true students can store most of their notes and text books on their computer devices. Now days many online book stores like Amazon.com , sell soft copies of most academic books, these books are inform of PDF, so a student can easily download them and save them on their computers. A soft copy of a text book is always cheaper than a hard copy, because soft copies require no shipping. However, the only obstacle is that most publishers have not created soft copies for most of their books which I think will be sorted out in the near future.
Weaknesses of Using Computers in Classrooms;
Create distraction in the classroom: The use of computers in the classroom can create distraction especially when students use them for personal reasons while the teaching is teaching. The only way teachers can control this bad behavior, is by setting rules on when and what to use computers for while in the classroom, failure to comply with the terms, students will stand a great risk of losing their computers. Poor writing skills: Just like I mentioned in the topics above, the computer cannot teach students how to write a correct essay or sentence. Computers do not teach punctuation, paragraphs, and verbs or nouns. A computer can auto correct a wrong word and it can also do some essential basics in writing, but the best job must be done with the paper and pen. Teachers can easily read through students notes and correct them. Expensive: Computers are expensive, so not every school or student will get a chance to have a computer of their own in the classroom. In most schools, students will have to share one computer per a group 5-8 people. Unless when governments change their policies towards education and use tax payer’s money to buy equipment’s needed in the classroom, our students will still share these tools. It is only children from wealthy families who can go to private schools which can provide these facilities to each student.
The education system of Trinidad and Tobago must keep step with international advancements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The knowledge-based, technology-driven global environment demands that our education system produce citizens with the ICT skills and competencies to successfully deal with the imperatives of globalization. With these types of technology within our classrooms, we could easily bracket ourselves with top ranking educational system around the world.
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