Online Gaming in Distance Education

1. Online Gaming in Distance Education Mary Cosby 7102

2. First scene: Opening Remarks Narration: How do you feel about internet gaming? It has been around for quite some time and it is fast becoming a huge asset to the field of education. Why should we use internet gaming in education? Students learn best when they have fun. They already utilize online gaming in many areas such as Facebook, Twitter and many virtual websites. We should take advantage of these interests and capitalize on the benefits.

3. Online Gaming Creates New Learning Opportunities by Jill Rooney, Ph.D. • Gaming has long been a contentious issue in higher education. It has been of particular interest to instructors in online college courses, because it can provide a different method of introducing students to course material and, in some instances, can be a non-intimidating way of breaking down some of the hesitance and confusion students new to online education may have about their online work. The benefits of online gaming extend beyond newer options for content delivery. Gaming can also help students transition from traditional learning to online learning because they are already familiar with the technology, from their participation in social media and other online activities.

4. Report Touts Educational Benefits of Computer GamesBy Kathleen Kennedy Manzo Computer games may be perceived more as promoters of mayhem than serious subject matter, but they have the potential to teach children rich content, critical academic skills for literacy and math learning, and the kinds of creative thinking and processes needed for later success, according to a new report. But the report says that research on digital learning has found that well-designed interactive games motivate children to learn; can improve coordination, thinking, and problem-solving; and infuse knowledge and skills. They also allow children to play and perform, develop judgment, and search for and synthesize complex information. There can also be health benefits when digital games are used to promote healthy behaviors, the report says.

5. The Educational Benefits of Video GamesBy Rebecca Haag Guyne • The average household with a child has two televisions, three tape players, three radios, two VCRs, two CD players, one video game player, and at least one computer. Research has provided preliminary information on the implications of the computer's effects on young children's social, psychological, cognitive development, and academic learning. Din and Calao completed a literature review of current research and concluded "computer-related technology use plays a positive role in young children's social, psychological, cognitive and academic development" (Din and Calao, 2001, p.98).

6. Evolution in the Classroom:What Teachers Need to Know about the Video Game GenerationBy Elizabeth S. Simpson • Video games cross all cultural and ethnic boundaries. Not recognizing that these shared experiences exist, public education has to provide for the impact of that experience on students’ learning. 92% of children ages 2-17 play video and computer games (National Institute on Media and the Family, 2001). Video games are most prevalent among children who are of elementary school age and older (Woodward & Gridina, 2000).

7. Best Practices • I am here to tell you how much benefit could be gained from online educational gaming. • Education is all about best practices. These are all represented in the endeavor of online educational gaming: • Clear and Common Focus • High Standards and Expectations • Supportive, Personalized, and Relevant Learning • Monitoring, Accountability, and Assessment • Curriculum and Instruction • Professional Development • Time and Structure

8. Best Practices • Clear and Common Focus • Giving students and teachers the opportunity to utilize these techniques would address the common focus of teachers and students; make learning fun and retainable. These games are already available in many educational stages, but need to increase according to advances in technology.

9. Best Practices • High Standards and Expectations • High-performing schools show evidence that each teacher believes “all students can learn and I can teach them.” • This can be accomplished using technology that students are already using except know it can be educational.

10. Best Practices • Supportive, Personalized, and Relevant Learning • Online games can be personalized in order to meet each individual learner’s needs and support their needs in rigorous and relevant learning.

11. Best Practices • Teaching and learning are continually adjusted on the basis of data collected through a variety of valid and reliable methods that indicate student progress and needs. The assessment results are interpreted and applied appropriately to improve individual student performance and the instructional program. • Online gaming could be customized in order to collect the data needed for customizing the games to fit every individual student’s needs.

12. Best Practices • Curriculum and Instruction • Online gaming can also be customized to fit each school’s curriculum and set up to each teacher’s idea of how to teach the curriculum.

13. Best Practices • Professional Development • This might be a little hard for long time teachers because some are not technology savvy. But what a way to learn, teaching it to the students. It would also provide more professional development in the area technology.

14. Best Practices • Time and Structure • High-performing schools are flexibly structured to maximize the use of time and accommodate the varied lives of their students, staff, and community in order to improve the performance of all students. The structure of programs extends beyond the traditional school day and year as well as beyond the school building. The program draws on the entire community’s resources to foster student achievement. Online educational gaming can meet all of these criteria.

15. Cooperative Learning Techniques for the Web • Partner Activities Group Activities • Think/pair/share Electronic café • Share/check Round robin/round table • Work/review/discuss Jigsaw • Peer review/edit Discussion group • Partner conference Structured controversy • Peer interview Panel discussion • Tell and retell Debate • Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)

16. Online Educational Games Limited • Narration: Sara de Freitas and Mark Griffiths stated The numbers of online games used for training and education purposes are currently limited. However, there are increasing numbers of small-scale research-based experimental projects. Although online gaming is a relatively new area of activity, its success at engaging large groups of remotely located users has meant that early research projects and military training organizations have already begun to use multiplayer online role-play gaming approaches as a means for engaging and retaining large remotely located learner groups, and for supporting collaborative learning objectives and ‘communities of practice’.

17. http://www.studiopmg.com/blog/?Tag=educational%20gaming • Blog containing many educational internet games  • Narration: Internet games can range from the very complex topics to the simplest tasks.

18. Examples • Here are some examples of existing internet games for educational purposes.

19. Narration: Games like these are important to teenagers as well as people who come to the U.S. from other countries. This could also be a training tool for certain professions and could serve as a component of defensive driving programs to improve driving skills.

20. Narration: These games would be great for studying and even competing in classes. Teams could be formed and games could be played in game show format. This would be fun and foster studying. With the competitive nature that lies within most of us, one would study harder to win. • http://www.theonlinelearningcenter.com/free-online-medical-games.aspx

21. Narration: Flying avatars, virtual fan clubs, and computer-drawn lakes seem, at first glance, to be of little educational value. But ever since Linden Lab, a San Francisco-based company, unveiled Second Life in 2003, professors and college students have flocked to it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3gHCupXSMs&feature=player_detailpage

22. Narration:Martin Oliver and Diane Carr conducted a study on MMORPG. By framing learning as a social process and studying couples who played games together, it was possible to develop a better understanding of both what was learned and how it was learned. • Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG)

23. Advantages of Gaming • Game provides some degree for enjoyment. • Game has playing mode corresponding with game type. • Game has an obvious and significant goal. • Game has an interactive mode. • Game provides the gaming feedback and the related result. • Game designing could be suitable for player. • Game has winning reward. • Game has conflict, competition, challenge and opposition factors. • Game has a pilot with problem solving. • Game has a character of narrative. • Learners are not forced to play game. • Learners could have fun in the gaming phase. • Games have clear and definite goal and playing rules. • Games have competition and challenge essential factors.

24. Narration: Besides the blurring of age, gender, and sources of knowledge, it appears the distinctions that may have previously existed between formal and informal learning have become more unclear. Today’s students view the Internet as both a source of entertainment and an educational tool.

25. References • Childress, M., & Braswell, R. (2006). Using Massively Multiplayer Online Role‐Playing Games for Online Learning. Distance Education, 27(2), 187-196. doi:10.1080/01587910600789522 • de Freitas, S., & Griffiths, M. (2007). Online gaming as an educational tool in learning and training. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 38(3), 535-537. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2007.00720.x • Din, F.S. & Calao, J. (2001). The effects of playing educational video games on kindergarten achievement. Child Study Journal, 31(2), 95-102. • Foster, A. L. (2008). Professor Avatar. Education Digest, 73(5), 12-17. • Jui-Hung, C., Te-Hua, W., Wen-Chih, C., Louis R., C., & Shih, T. K. (2009). Developing an Interactive Video Game Based Learning Environment. Journal Of Software (1796217X), 4(2), 132-139. • Kenny, R. F., & Gunter, G. A. (2007). Endogenous Fantasy -- Based Serious Games: Intrinsic Motivation and Learning. International Journal Of Social Sciences, 2(1), 8-13.

26. References • National Institute on Media and the Family. (2001). Fact sheet. Retrieved October 21, 2004, from http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/factsmediause-print.shtml • Oliver, M. , & Carr, D. (2009). Learning in virtual worlds: Using communities of practice to explain how people learn from play. British Journal Of Educational Technology, 40(3), 444-457. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00948.x • Simpson, E.S. (2005). What teachers need to know about the video game generation. TechTrends, 49 (5), 17-22. • Woodward, E. H., & Gridina, N. (2000). Media in the home: The fifth annual survey of parents and children. Retrieved January 12, 2005, from http://www.annenbergpublicpolicycenter.org/05-mediadeveloping_child/mediasurvey/survey7.pdf.

27. Links • http://ctserc.org/s/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=8&Itemid=28 • http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2011/09/27/online-gaming-creates-new-learning-opportunities/ • http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2009/06/23/04games.02.html • http://www.techlearning.com/article/44673