Having spent the weekend with a friend who's son plays games (PC and XBOX) and chatting with Capsian Learning I've been thinking more about this topic. There is no getting away from the fact that kids like games and increasingly games where they can play with or against others - be that on the Wii or XBOX Live.
This isn't a new concept of course as the US military in particular has explored this arena for a while (worrying I know given recent news coverage) but I think learning could take a real leap forward in a few areas. Last week when I was at Fifteen we talked about distance learning using social media like YouTube but imagine something more engaging where you use a Wii extension to teach you how to use kitchen tools or provide top quality table service. Simple stuff but given Jamie or the kids from Fifteen can only be in one place at one time, the use of this technology integrated with XBOX Live could be amazing.
Gartner has reported on this recently:
Charles Abrams, research director at Gartner Intelligence, points out, young people who regularly use MySpace and YouTube come to the workplace expecting to use similar kinds of web-based technologies there.
As the article from Computing explains, healthcare is already exploring this revolution. Slowly but surely we're doing more on this at Microsoft as people see that blogs and podcasts are not just the ego fuelled mumblings of the geeks but a real way to engage with an audience that has more choices than ever about where and how they learn. I presented to a room of Microsoft CPLS partners recently and I could see some got this but others didn't. They're staring down the tracks at the train that is speeding up in my opinion.
Graeme from Caspian pointd me to ELSPA (the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) who with the UK DfES has launched a free report: "Unlimited Learning: The role of computer and video games in the learning landscape." It explores the benefits of using video games in learning, and offers resources, case studies and lists of educationalists, games developers and publishers. That sounds like nice marketing stuff doesn't it? Fortunately the report is way more interesting and very well researched. I had no idea there was so much going on in this area. It's astonishing.
I'll leave you with a Tom Peter's quote to mull over:
They Say No Children Left BehindI Say Education is leaving ALL our children behind, as it is totally misaligned to deal with tomorrow's (this afternoon's) uncertain, ambiguous, creativity-driven economy
Thankfully my school got a BBC Micro when I was about 8 and I was hooked on something that became my career. Should you be concerned about your kids playing so many games? Maybe, but maybe it's a route to new ways of learning that we're not giving credit for?
Link to Key Reasons Why You Should Consider a 'Learning by Gaming' Strategy
Hi Steve,
This kind of thing is a big investment for a school though. As a little "side project" I've thrown together a pattern for schools to try it out in a sort of "dip your toe in the water" kind of way.
My theory goes something like this; highly motivated kids will pick up revision materiel and study it, no matter what form it comes in. However, less motivated kids may need a little help getting into the materiel, so why not present it in a fashion they are already comfortable with? Things like, podcasts, video (on mobile phones, home PC, media players etc), text messages etc.
More importantly this stuff can be put together at almost no cost. Do a video, edit it with Windows Movie Maker, host it on YouTube, use a free media converter to turn it into 3gp for phones; record revision materiel and turn it into a podcast (using Audacity or similar which is free).
You can read about it at
http://www.garyshort.org/?p=447
and
http://www.garyshort.org/?p=531
Once schools have tried this out, and can see the benefits, then they maybe happier to make a larger investment in learning software. If not, I believe providing revision materiel in this manner will become the norm in the not to distant future.
i hear what you're saying Gary and I had the same convo with someone else this week. the guys at Caspian are also involved in more philanthropic work so if you want me to hook you up with them I'd be happy to!
Steve,
Thanks for making the post! As a member of the educational video game industry, it is obvious to me the benefits of learning through gaming and the resource video games can be! However, it is going to take time to shift the perception of educators and convince them of their efficacy and power.
Working with Big Brainz (www.bigbrainz.com) has helped me see how the education game world is being revolutionized and has never reached such heights before! Timez Attack is a high-end game that truly teaches multiplication mastery without the painful experience of flashcards and headache! I suspect it will eventually be a vaccine for learning times tables.
It is puzzling why we all know how to reach children effectively, yet there is so much reservation to do so.