Reynold Redekopp Ph. D.University of Manitoba,

Canada

Digital Games are not the focus of any courses in Canadian Faculties of Education

Are they ‘integrated’? “Students these days know all that

stuff”

Anderson and Barnett – SuperCharged•Better scores•Didn’t feel they were “learning”•No exploration•Needs class context

Schrader, Zheng and Young•Even gamers do not know pedagogical

value of games•They need this modeled•They need to learn to adapt games to

curriculum

Barbour, Evans and TokerCOTS (Consumer Off The Shelf) games in SS

Students played game for at least 24 hours

Could see curricular connections, but not how to implement games

Van EckGames are no ‘Silver Bullet’ or magic cure

Find games that work for different students, courses and contextsCOTSStudents build games to show learningHave games developed (expensive)

Egenfeldt-Nielson• Rogers’ Theory of Diffusion of Innovation

Advantage over other methods Compatibility Complexity Trialability (try without committing) Observability (seeing results)

Ito and Bittanti Fears of increasing violence But it is social ecology that influences

Teachers need to Choose games carefully Build the social ecology in the classroom Educate parents and administrators

Preservice teachers need to:•Break stereotypes•Understand barriers•Have examples of games that work•Understand the classroom ecology•Explore teacher roles in content and C21

skills

Egenfeldt-Nielson• 2 teachers using Europa Universalis• Many practical barriers• Big payoffs in student-teacher interaction

Magnussen• 2 teachers using Homicide• Teachers:• Case supervisors• Connect content and

context• Advisor and teacher

MacFarlane• Young people need gaming communities as

part of the process• ~ 15% already have support systems• Others have computers, but no support

systems• Teacher need to create, promote, monitor

and encourage a support system or community

Wilson (SIIA) Teachers:

• Understand the game and their role• Get IT support• Mix game play with discussion, writing, etc.• Start small and use groups of 2-4• Get involved – don’t sit back• Promote online and class discussion

New kinds of assessment and reporting

Convince parents and admin Find good ways to assess 21C skills Go beyond regular ‘content tests’

Michael and Chen• Less rote memorization so assessment has

to measure process skills• Fewer ‘correct’ answers in simulations.

Which is ‘more correct’?• Measuring leadership and teamwork?• Redefining cheating in the game context

Hickey and Johnson• Rubrics can move control from the learner

to the rubric

Gender• Very sterotypical images and roles• Promotes anorexia?• “I can’t make my avatar as big as I am, I’m large and I

want my avatar to be large, but the game won’t let me.”

Culture• The Internet is not monocultural• But most games only pretend to be culturally aware,

and maintain a white, western bias about things lije the economy and the environment.

Lopez• Circular thinking (aboriginal) and linear (western) ways

of thinking lead to very different solutions

Games can be effective learning places for students

Teachers play a critical role in the learning process – mediating between the game and the classroom context

Preservice teachers need to have these roles of facilitating and assessing modeled for them

Faculties of Education must get started

Thank-you

rredekopp@gmail.com @rredekopp Slideshare.net/rredekopp Reynold Redekopp on Facebook and

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