learning engagement through fun & games: a research perspective dawn mercer and margot...
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Learning Engagement
through Fun & Games:
A Research Perspective
Dawn Mercerand
Margot Wassenaar-Faber
Inukshuk
A project sponsored in part by:
Learning Engagement through Fun and GamesGames and learning:
Motivate – fun and challenging
Learner-centered
Immediate feedback
Problem-solving
Active learning
Experiential learning
Problem-based learning
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Approaches to Game Design - Reiber (1996)
Exogenous Approach* Play is an overlay on predetermined content.* Enticement to engage in learning tasks that would otherwise be unpleasant (de Castell & Jensen, 2005)
Endogenous Approach* Content is intrinsic to the game play* Learning is incidental to play – “stealth learning” (Prensky, 2001)
Learning Engagement through Fun and GamesExamples in Biosciences
Chemania * Matching chemical names with sounds and formulae* Exogenous – play based drill & practice
Bacteria Blitz* Locate fictional bacteria and identify tools and agents to eliminate them.* Endogenous - timed exploration
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Bacteria Blitz
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Learnings – 100% of users
*Bacteria can be eliminated using different methods
*Different bacteria are eliminated better by some chemicals that others
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Further Research:
Time comparison for knowledge acquisition
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Topic: Inorganic nomenclatureInstructional component: lecture
series Importance: Consistency in the correct recognition
in lab environment for the purposes of conducting lab exercises
Immediacy of nomenclature recognition
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Reinforcement provided by immediate feedback (i.e. correctness of response)
Option(s) for supporting cues (i.e. hint)
Integration of performance expectations (i.e. recommendation that a ‘task’ achieve a specific score within a specified time limit before proceeding to next level)
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Game 1 – auditory promptMadame Curie states the name of an ion;the player must identify the correct formula from symbols on the screen.
Game modes:Bunsen mode (10 questions)Pasteur mode (15 questions) Curie mode (20 questions)
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Game 2The chemical formula is provided; the ‘player’ must identify the correct name.
Game modes:Bunsen mode (10 questions)Pasteur mode (15 questions)Curie mode (20 questions)
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Demo
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Research:Survey conducted in the Spring of 2006 Chm173 (Intro College Chemistry) students:
Gender: 64 female 61 male
Ages: under 20 years 48 21 – 25 years 59 26 – 30 years 7 30+ years 10
Semester affiliation: 88 semester 1 34 semester 2 (repeating)
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
0%20%40%60%80%
100%
disagree agree
New skills and concepts
Learn materials in a new way
Reduced time spent studying text or notes
Better visualization of concept
Results: Learning value
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Results: Value Added
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
disagree agree
Practice inorganic nomenclature
Practice/lecture attendance/reading textbook
Practice/studying from textbook
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Further Research:
Correlation between the use of Chemania & test/exam performance
Fall 2006 (210 – 240 students)
Spring 2007
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Further Development:
Expand the game to include naming of compounds by combination of cations & anions
Explore modes in which students will be able to practice writing formulas (i.e. test requirement)
Make Chemania available to other courses in which chemical nomenclature is needed for review (i.e., second semester general chemistry, organic chemistry, general biology)
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Technology Enhanced Learning Institute: York University & Seneca College
Partially funded by CLOE–Inukshuk Content Development Project
Content and Development:Seneca College School of Communication ArtsSeneca College School of Computer ScienceSeneca College School of Biological Sciences & Applied Chemistry
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games References
Castell, S. and Jenson, J. (2005). Serious Play: Challenges of Educational Game Design. Journal of Curriculum Studies.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital game-based learning. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Prensky, M. (2002). The Motovation of Gameplay. On the Horozon, Vol. 10 No. 1.
Rieber, L. P. (1996). Seriously considering play: Designing interactive learning environments based on the blending of microworlds. Educational Technology Research and Development, Vol. 44 N o. 2.
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Game access
Through CLOE http://cloe.on.ca/
Bacteria Blitz (Temporary)https://uwice.uwaterloo.ca/AngelUploads/Content/None-UW-LT3-CLOE-001/_team/Surface_Cleaning_Game/Cleaning%20Game/CleaningProject_v8.html
Chemania (Temporary)http://contagion.edu.yorku.ca/Dima/Chem/
Learning Engagement through Fun and Games
Contact Information:Dawn Mercer [email protected]
Margot Wassenaar-Faber [email protected]
Nick [email protected]