“In any case, the fact that computer games have
become a major industry means that in many people’s lives computer gameplay
features as a very pleasurable and entertaining, but also at times frustrating
and challenging, activity” (Arnseth, 2006).
“The important point to make is that the order of
words says something about focus and emphasis. Regarding playing to learn, the
emphasis is on learning, which is to say that some content or skill should be
the end result of game playing. As such, knowledge and skills are treated as
effects or outcomes. In regard to learning to play, on the other hand, the
emphasis is on the activity of playing. As such, learning might be regarded as
an integrated part of mastering an activity, in this case, gameplay” (Arnseth,
2006).
“According to such a view, the object of study is
how people in and through their participation in gaming activities construct
social identities, relationships, competencies and languages” (Arnseth, 2006).
I had difficulty choosing three quotes from this
article. I enjoyed reading it and it
made a lot of since. I have always
wondered about the distinction between playing to learn and learning to
play. I believe they can go hand-in-hand
especially with the right guidance. I remember
learning to spell my middle name by playing a game with my grandfather. This is a prime example of both playing to learn
and learning to play and why I chose the second and third quotes.
The increasing importance of technology has been
discussed several times by everyone in the class. This is why I chose the first quote.
For my resource, I chose the following an article
from The Journal of Applied Educational Technology. Simulations: Bringing the benefits ofsituated learning to the traditional classroom is an article written by Les
Lunce. I felt this article is straight
from this week’s topic. It discusses
simulations which are useful games for teaching. I had a science ethics class and one of the
assignments was to play an ethics game simulation. It was a great way to get us, the students, involved
and actually in the shoes of someone else.
Arnseth, H. (Dec. 2006). Learning to Play or Playing
to Learn – A Critical Account of the Models of Communication Informing
Educational Research on Computer Gameplay. Game
Studies, 76:1. Retrieved on April 5, 2013 from http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/arnseth.
Great article! I really like the idea of the river ecosystems simulation. I taught a unit on ecosystems while I was student teaching, and we covered topics such as organisms and food chains. This resource would be great to add to my unit in the future. I think the kids would really enjoy how interactive it is.
ReplyDeleteGreat article about situated learning and making classroom learning more real world! This would be a great topic for your final literature review!
ReplyDeleteA good question for your review could be:
How can video games create authentic learning opportunities in school?
I agree with your assessment of your quotes. Both types of learning in games are important in finding games that contribute to the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading through your article as well because it is on the same subjects that we are studying.
I like that your article discusses the importance of real-world learning and application. We have been talking about that a lot (at least I have) in this class. Kids are always asking, "why do I have to learn this?" or they say, "I'm never going to use this", which is why relevant, real-world problems are vital in school.
ReplyDelete