I have been an avid gamer for over a dozen years, which is a little shorter than half my lifetime. Through many nights at the computer screen blasting people online to smithereens I have always wondered, why can't school ever be a game? After all playing a game is soooooo easy, and fun, while learning new things can be boring, tiring, and amotivational, at times. So my question to you and my blog is about video and computer games and education, specifically language acquisition.
The questions that I would like to ask you are, Do you think commercial(for entertainment)computer and video games can help with language acquisition?
Do you use educational computer games in your classroom? and if yes which sites, or games do you, or have you used?(feel free to post links in your blogs)
I have read a little information, as well, as listened to the callcast #4 to inform myself about this issue. What I personally found was that this is a pretty new area of research,(for all you future ph.ds. out there), especially SLA within commercial games, and the potential benefits of those games on SLA. So far I found that there is some evidence to support that commercial games can be beneficial, but the problem is that material learned often has limited use outside of the game world, as vocabulary can be very game specific(This is especially the case for MMOGs Massively Multiplayer Online Games). MMOGs do provide a safe haven for learners(especially advance learners) to practice with potential target language native speakers, in an neutral arena, where their identity is masked by an avatar, and they have just as much political, and face value as the other guy. Also, learners are usually highly motivated by these games to continue playing and thus hopefully interact and learn. If you would like to read more about it this is a dissertation research on everquest by Rankin(2008), you can also read these shorter articles if you are interested Sykes (2008) and Thorne(2008).
Another interesting aspect is creating games like SIE(simulated immersive environments ), or Serious games, the articles above also talk about those. Basically they are educational games, yet are designed much like MMOGs to attract learners, and harness their motivation, but have strictly educational purposes.
Finally, and Rankin rights about it, there are people who try to combine commercial and education in one, by augmenting the commercial game and making it more educational in the process. An amazing example of this can be read about in Purushotma (2005) where she creates a learning version of the Sims, by combining a German with the English version. In this way she creates a version of the Sims that is potentially very good for language learners.
Finally here is a website that I have used in my class, which has very simple games for LLs that are free, and although repetitive, can be fun. www.eslgamesworld.com just go to games, you have to scroll through advertisements but its free, and my learners enjoyed the activity, although I must say they are beginners. Anyways thats all from me.
by the way MMOGs are provide great platforms for SCMC communication, totally forgot to mention that.
ReplyDeleteAs technology integrates into our lives the education system changes and more technology is available for instructional purposes. Children are naturally drawn to playing games on the computer or using game consoles. Games can be used as compliments to instruction and provide opportunities for teaching students strategy and gives experiences that are not offered in a classroom without technology. As an advocator for technology I feel that it would be a good idea for teachers to start researching different games to be used in their classrooms and encourage children to play at home too. Instead of parents keeping their children off the games, they can encourage them to play!
ReplyDeleteMMOGs not only provide an entertaining story line but allow many users to collaborate as a team in order to accomplish tasks. Many MMOGs are not centered around instruction, but QuestAtlantis "QA" is specifically designed for students ages 9-13. QA offers educational activities that allow for student reflection on the activities. QA offers a protected synchronous chat, which promotes reading, writing, and communicating with other students. QA provides records of each chat session and what the avatar does and where they do it so the teacher can assess the students understanding of the principles of the game. More information on MMOGs and QuestAtlantis can be found here, http://www.innovateonline.info/pdf/vol2_issue4/MMOGs_as_Learning_Environments-__An_Ecological_Journey_into__Quest_Atlantis__and__The_Sims_Online_.pdf .
Gaming and education can work and programs are being made for educational purposes everyday. As teachers we must use the resources we are given that are the most engaging for the learner. If the student would rather write using a pen over a pencil are we tell them that is not allowed or are we going to let them write? The same mentality must be pulled over to gaming, if the student really likes to play QuestAtlantis where they can learn about different habitats and cultures from students that actually live there instead of reading it from a book then will we allow it? Currently I only have one computer and a reading curriculum that I am told to follow so I do not have that many opportunities to have my students use the computer, but any chance I get I give mini lessons on the basic computer skills needed for navigation. During learning stations I allow students to use the Internet and I have icons for designated places to go and play learning games that align with what I have taught for the week. Now, that I have heard more and read more about gaming and education, I am going to look into how I can start promoting it for my students.
Just after doing a search for educational computer games, I found hits from multiple places. It seems that games are becoming an ever increasing way to make learning happen. But this is seen even in classroom games that do not utilize the computer.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first games I ever used on the computer were by the Learning Company and involved games called Read, Write, and Type, or Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? There were of course the traditional ones like Oregon Trail, but up until studying different languages, I never heard of ones that were used for language learning.
While reading about the Multi-media games and RP games online, it seems like we should definitely tap into using them for a linguistic environment for both English and other languages.
As mentioned above, the various story lines and environments challenge students to participate in language and can be utilized in both asynchronous and synchronous CMC.
Gaming seems very ingenious as a way to motivate students to learn. I was thinking the other day whilst relaxing and playing the Wii, that it seems that if we have exercise and math and music capabilities on gaming consoles, why not language learning abilities as well? It would be more interactive than popular dvd sets where you learn a language.
I am not certain if this exists, but it seems like it could catch on.
Also, we need to take online gaming for language learning and gaming in general for language learning with consideration of other factors.
An article from Cuihua Shen (University of Dallas) and Dmitri Williams (University of Southern Californina, LA) conducted research of MMO (massively mulit-player online) games and the pyscho-social effects on users (whether for fun or for educational purposes). There are different effects on the users (both positive and negative) in their social environments. These issues along with other issues of how to effectively utilize games for education should be considered. (Article can be found in the Communication Research Journal February 2011 via Sage journals online database).
Your questions were do I think this will help with language acquisition? And the answer is - yes and no. It depends on the people involved and the limitations of technology. I would be less likely to use games on computers or other media without first knowing how to do it myself and having training. Also, as someone who does not really have a style of learning through this type of media it might at first prove more difficult, but I am willing to try.
The games I mentioned early or the software I used in the old computer days I found a bit dull and the only thing I really learned was how to type from the typing software. If we have more creators of games considering SLA, then perhaps they can be more beneficial for the learners. But as of right now, we still have a gap between those that create the software and games and those that use it for learning and teaching.
In a summation of sorts, games just as other technology is useful to a certain extent. We still need to consider outside factors.
I once took a course here at UTSA called Virtual Environments. I had the opportunity to study many different simulation computer games in education, but the majority of our time was spent immersing ourselves in the world of Second Life (SL).
ReplyDeleteSecond Life can described as a multi-user virtual environment, or MUVE. MUVEs are "3-D environments that support exploration, simulation, role-play, interaction, and experimentation via avatars, or 3-D self-representations (Clarke, Ded, Ketelhut, & Nelson, 2006).
In an educational context, specifically language learning, Second Life has a variety of language islands. At http://www.avatarlanguages.com, you can learn English or Spanish within the virtual environment. At
http://www.languagelab.com, you can learn English by going to an island in SL called English City. There, you can speak with your instructors and other students in chat or voice at a cafe, nightclub, museum, etc. With my experience in SL and being able to visit different countries and speak with people from all over the world, I honestly feel that SL has serious potential in terms of language learning.
Teen Second Life is similar to Second Life, but it was designed to be used by teenagers and is approved by adult educators. I'm extremely interested in learning more about language programs within Teen SL. At http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/second-life, teens can learn English in a variety of ways. I'm interested in learning more about Teen Second Life and if it's being used at all in today's schools. Anyone out there have any experience with it???
UPDATE--I just learned that Teen Second Life was closed as of January 2011 due to $$$ issues. There are still some islands that allows teens with special permission.
ReplyDeleteDo computer games help with SLA?
ReplyDeleteWell, that might depend on how the pedagogical factors are focused in the program....or it might depend on the transition from cyberworld to "real" world.
Clearly the experts interviewed in the CallSpot agree that besides having good tech skills, pedagogical awareness is more critical to the learners involved. I'm defintely pro-computer learning or I wouldn't even be in this class, but I'm sure that we all see the need for making the technology support the learning. I'm convinced that games will help learning, but I'm not sure if all tech learning is going to immediately lead to acquisition.
It's amazing to see how SIMS and Second Life games are doing so much to help learners who might otherwise be very quiet in the classroom, but does that really connect to real life interactions? I'm happy with the fact that I've seen many children learn reading skills on the computer, but it sounds like we need research to find out how successful speaking skills will demonstrate confidence after learners step away from the computer.
Life outside the virtual world can be more confusing if you are easily distracted and not used to focusing on the language in a real-world event. Have you ever met some people who do very well in the cyber-world, but fall flat with F2F situations in general? How does this factor in to demonstrate language acquisition?
Maybe there's a way to demonstrate how well the game will show accountablilty in SLA based on real-world events. But, what if there are issues relative to those with cyber-focused personality types who are otherwise very awkward socially?
...hmmm...
I guess this does sound like a great idea for some future doctoral researchers!
OK Serge, I’m going to have to give you a nod for this one. Growing up I was never a fan of video/computer games (for entertainment or for learning). It was just not my individual preference for learning. But now, being married to my husband who is also an avid gamer - I have seen the benefits of video/computer games and simulations positively affect both his personal and professional motivation and development. In other words, this is a medium of learning that really works for him.
ReplyDeleteThis is also a medium of learning that I have seen work for some of my older adult ELL students when I used to tutor at a library ESL program in California. I don’t remember the actual computer program name, but the language learning games (e.g. matching, fill in the blank, spelling, etc.) provided my older ELLs a way to learn the language without the difficulty and burden of wordy textbooks yet still be fun and academic. The program was also free and open for their use as long as the library was open and thus available to them outside of our class time. Another plus was that the computer games allowed a lot of my students to learn the language in a more simplified yet dignified way. Does that make sense? For example, for my very beginning adult ELLs, children’s books were really the best alternative I could find to start teaching them how to read but I could see how it made some of them feel “not smart” when we used them. However, once we started using the computer to learn - the mere fact my students were using the computer to play these games immediately motivated them and boosted their confidence.
I definitely agree that video/computer games can help with language learning. I have used them sparingly and when I did (through the library ESL program) it was only as an end of class activity or to help my students prepare to use it on their own time. For any future classes and as a newbie I would take your suggestion and use what I could find online or what is already available. I tried out some of the games from www.eslgamesworld.com and even I (a native speaker) had a lot of fun fooling around with them. A lot of the ones I tried were simple to follow and most of them provided the user the ability for hints or restarts. I’m a little hesitant to join any of the virtual environments only because of my lack of experience. But, the class and previous posts all make very good points for their potential for language learning; especially in English as a Foreign Language settings (or other similar language contexts) where students would not readily be exposed to the target language outside of the classroom or learning environment.
I also did a search for english games online, and there are a plethora of games available. I think this topic just goes along with the saying that "we need to move with the times." Both children and adults are using technology and playing games online more and more.
ReplyDeleteSo, why not use them in the classroom too. I think kids would love to play games in and outside of the classroom. I think the idea of the sim game in German and English was a great idea. But, I don't think you can use just any video game to help with learning. Again, I go back to the point that the game needs to be useful and the teachers need to be equipped with the technology and the training to utilize the games in the best way possible. But once trained, I think it would be very possible to use the games as a learning tool. Children and even adults learn and even memorize so much better when it is something fun and something that they want to do. You could use the game to help the learner learn vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. There are many ways I can think of that would allow the students to learn language concepts through games.
I think that all these things we are researching and posting is helping us realize that we can use just about anything in and outside of technology (but specifically technology in our CALL class) to teach SLA and supplement our teaching. If presented with the right training, you can even make video games into a teaching tool.
It would be awesome that if second language learners can learn the target language through games, especially interesting video games. Unfortunately, there are not many games that are designed for pedagogical purposes. When I taught children English in the public school in Taiwan, I found that the publisher provided CDs with games or practice for teachers. I installed the software in the computers in the classroom and encouraged students to practice exercises through those games after class. I found out that just few students play those games to review what they learned in class. Students told me that there are limited games which are related to learning language although they are interested in it. Most of students prefer playing video or commercial games instead of ones with educational purpose. I think that’s because most students get used to exciting video games since they were young. They don’t think pedagogical games will be as interesting as commercial ones. However, games like bingo and online jeopardy games can interest adult language learners. They might care much about the background or actors that show in games but focus more on content itself. Also, adult learners will be aware that they are learning language and notice the gaps in the second language. If I have adult class in the future, I would like to use games in my teaching activities.
ReplyDeleteI think that video games are a good tool for learning. In order to fully play a video game you have to learn it. Not just he buttons, but real strategy. Some games require more complex strategy than others. It's crazy that people can come up with obscure solutions and strategies to the problems and task developed in video games, but can't come up with similar strategies for more real-life things.
ReplyDeleteWith as far as video game technology has advanced there is certainly the possibility for good language learning games to come out, and there may be commercial games available, but they are not popular/mainstream.
People usually don't by video games to learn. Any learning that occurs is just a side-effect. MMORPGs allow for the opportunity to communicate, but it isn't always completely necessary for completion of a task (although clearly helpful).I guess a language learning video game (targeted at K-12) would have to designed as a action game!
Serge - I'm glad you picked up this topic and did a little research on your own. Gaming (and a lot of other everyday technologies) are still rather under-researched with respect to the amount and type of language learning they facilitate, but they do seem to hold a lot of promise, particularly for certain populations of language learners. Jean's example of her husband is a particularly telling case. He may represent a student who may not find foreign language learning in a traditional sense relevant for his life, but if he finds that his online gaming brings him in contact with weapons, opponents, and other challenges that require the use of another language, learning a language through this format may be ideal for him. This will also reflect his target language needs.
ReplyDeleteFor other learners, however, games may truly be outside the realm of their language goals and needs or even the constraints of a curriculum or tech availability. Kara's K-12 second language classroom context provides one such example.
What I think I would really like to see is a foreign language course designed around gaming - perhaps using a task-based curriculum. Each week, students would need to use the target language to achieve specific tasks or quests in an actual MMOG and would therefore need to study up on the language necessary to complete such tasks.
Reinhardt and Sykes are both at the leading edge of research on MMOGs for language learning, and I think we'll be seeing a lot of great research in these environments from them in the future. If you're seriously interested in a Ph.D. in this direction, they would be the ones to work under. I believe Sykes does work in Spanish and Reinhardt in German.
That is an awesome topic and with the complexity of the games in the industry now, I think there is a lot to be spoken for with respect to games.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I ABSOLUTELY think that games are excellent tools for language aquisition...probabaly better than any other tool. Prof. Peter Sayer always uses the example of his son's language proficiency throug Pokemon cards. I never noticed before, but Pokemon cards are language rich and use an interesting mix of complex vocabulary that young Pokemon players grasp on to quickly. You know, I learned a lot of history playing Ghenghis Khan II. Probably at the core of all learning is motivation, and nothing is more motivating to some younger students than video games. I think newer applications should be incporporated into actual games...rather than the old fashioned....answer a math question and your rocket will shoot up a little higher.
I’m not a person who spends time playing computer/video games. If I didn’t have the experience of working in a school environment, I probably would disregard them for learning purposes. Since I have seen students benefit from using the learning programs used at school, I do think they have potential in assisting language acquisition or learning.
ReplyDeleteThere is this program we use at school which is used for phonetics and reading, “starfall.com.” It is used for our beginner students. It’s a very basic, but great program which goes from identifying the alphabet letters to reading poetry, tales, etc. It is an interactive program with great visuals and music. Children enjoy this program because it has a variety of themes and activities to choose from. It does not provide a record or keep track of scores, but it serves the purpose of learning to read. I personally have seen children start from point zero to becoming fluent readers. There are also other games used including “River Deep,” for math as well. This program is also animated and interactive. At first glance, it appears to be a video game, but it is combined with learning basic math.
I would like to see more learning games available for different ages that perhaps would cover other subjects. Students look forward to getting on the computer when finishing assignments and this is a plus because they are still learning while reinforcing other academic areas! Students have different learning styles and this method might only reach to certain students, but it still a great tool to have available as academic support.
Technology will continue to improve and attract more teachers and students, but we cannot rely on it to do the teacher’s job. As great as technology might be, it should only be used to reinforce what has been taught in class. I look forward to discovering more learning games.
I keep reading this post and comments below and couldn't encourage myself to drop couple lines. I think I am too jealous toward somebody, who has got almost half a life to play computer games. I didn't have such a half of life to play. Better to say - my life used to play with me, but those scenarions were far away from comfort of sitting by the screen all night long. I like the fact, that technology brings stability and independence in one's life. Many people from other parts of the world have learnt English through technology. I like to renew my memories with watching my old movies and you know that? There were some dialogues that I couldn't understand all those years, but later on. The routine of real life and culture, duties,social and communicative skills - are the best way to clean up the ears! Same with computer games in English. So all technology can be used for learning English as a Second Language, but assistance of reality and interaction with native speakers are the most important. But I would leave the decition for good teacher to think about the balance of distance and face-to-face learning for each ESL student. Some brainy and sharp can handle it easy and learn really fast.
ReplyDelete