Linking the social and cognitive dimensions of language learning seems to be an important concept to some researchers. After reading up on games, virtual environments and learning opportunities this week I still have a lot of questions and am curious as to what some of the rest of us have to say on the subject. Here are some things I am wondering:
What beneficial uses of MMOGs or SIEs have you either possibly experienced as an educator, or might expect for language learning classrooms? What might be the advantages or disadvantages? Do you think that the extra time needed to design and/or implement these tools in a classroom (rather than sticking to the usual ways of doing things) is justified? Why or why not?
What beneficial uses of MMOGs or SIEs have you either possibly experienced as an educator, or might expect for language learning classrooms?
ReplyDeleteMMOGS and SIEs are a wave of our future and should be incorporated into curriculums for ELLs and general education students. I am just beginning exploring these options for learning, but have already come across some interesting details that foster learning. During game play a student can work with many people from around the world to accomplish a task. Good video games teach users to solve problems and reflect on the design of the virtual worlds and the correlate both real and imagined social relationships and identities in the modern world.
What might be the advantages or disadvantages? Advantages: Learners are ENGAGED and doing something they want to do! This will allow for learning to occur naturally. Disadvantages: Technology does not always work. Students may not have access due to budget.
Do you think that the extra time needed to design and/or implement these tools in a classroom (rather than sticking to the usual ways of doing things) is justified? Why or why not? Yes, extra time is essential. The instructor must play the game and test it to the limits to ensure the game is going to benefit the student. As an instructor I would allow the students to engage in the game at first in class, but then let them play it at home, having them reflect their game play in class, blog, or with other students.
That's an interesting question because I think there are two sides to the picture. Although I would argue that technology,time, and cost limitations vastly limit the potential of such programs for language learning (or any learning) context, there is still a real benefit to be harvested from endeavors to utilize virtual context. For one, MMOGs and SIE's tap into ready reserves of student motivation with respect to establishing online or virtual personas. Since the computer generation often interacts within the framework of a virtual context through social media (Facebook, Myspace etc.) and MMO games like Call of Duty or World of Warcraft...or even purely social contexts like Second life, it is easy to imagine that skills aquired through this type of interaction might be used in language learning contexts with greater motivation.
ReplyDeleteBecause a student's affective filter can be a limiting factor in face-to-face interaction, and MMOG might be a more cofmrotable place to engage in language and make mistakes without the fear of social stigmatization. Although I think virtual environements can be just as emotional intense as real environments, there is also the possibility to remove oneself from the context with much greater ease.
Finally, although gaming context is expensive and time consuming, I think there is an oppourtunity to integrate language learning objectives within a purely gaming context...particularly within an MMOG context. I like to cite Prof. Peter Sayer's example of his son who learns complex English vocabulary through his interaction with Pokemon cards. There may be absolutely no motivation to learn better English in and of itself...rather...only a motivation to play the game with greater skill. But if the skills necessary to play the game require greater and greater mastery of more and more complex language skills, it is possible to teach language skills without students even being aware that they are learning...in this sense...gaming skills could translate to real-life skills. I think seeing the benefit of such programs...and possibly even designing games that integrate learning objectives; not in the traditional sense (e.g. asnwer 3 math problems correct and move the rocket one space forward in a race) but in a better integrated modern sense (i.e. Pokemon), the potential for learning is vastly improved and available to a larger population of students.
I think that one of the biggest benefits of any online context is the ability to cloak or disguise one's self, or even create a new persona. For students who are often afraid to interact, this might create motivation to interact with language. Especially in the context as things such as SecondLife where a person can redesign themselves from the ground up.
ReplyDeleteHowever, given that the technology, like SecondLife, requires a lot of work to create the special environment (which is almost tangential to teaching language) it seems that the technology is not-yet completely practical, or cost effective, for the usage of teaching language.
However, when such technology provides an easier way to create teaching-specific environments, such concerns might be alleviated.
I specifically like what Mr. T said with respect to understanding that things such as Pokémon can help a student improve language, specifically complex language. This is only proof of the full potential of technology.
But I would like to point out that there was a lot of research and development that went into things like Pokémon to make it an attractive and lucrative enterprise. The skills to create such an astonishing product is out of the scope of most education professionals.
The potential is there, the applications have just not been developed nor have evolved to rise to the occasion.
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ReplyDeleteHow do we justify the use of games and interactive technology for learning in general?
ReplyDeleteWell, we like anything else, we justify them by the money we invest in the product.
However, just because we spend the money and time on the items, we may or may not find these things as beneficial as we think they are. Students who are highly motivated to play online games sometimes suffer from low tolerance to frustration at other academic tasks. Some students even come to expect everything to be a game and basically refuse to put in the effort to learn something if it involves other forms of work outside a computer.
I believe that Serge also mentioned a very important research study that indicated some memory loss problems as a result of having a certain part of your brain being focused on the game playing aspects. I also know how much motivation to play games can drive students to distration in gerenal since there is now a new medical problem related to video game addiction.
Here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_addiction
So, does it justify the use of technology ...hmmm, I guess that depends on how you raise your children, and how much you can limit them from overdoing it.
As a mom of teenager son I have something to worry about. Mental health. Do you think this is a joke? As an educator and mom I have to fight and win many times. Kids and teens in my part of the world suffer with luck of sport facilities, so they keep killing their time with all sort of computer interaction. Parents are happy. Kid is quet, sitting in his corner of the room and looks happy. Next stage of "family comfort" - problems with kid's eyes. Next stage - problems with his mental health. Anybody can imagine the child, who run into your bedroom in the middle of the night and starts speaking his mind out in foreign language? Very good language, by the way. But I strongly belive we have to go to the world of MMOG, SIE and so ALL TOGETHER. Educators, students and our mental-health doctors. Hand-in-hand. Everybody will have something to discuss and improve.
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