Well first of all, being the Classicist- and I use that term rather loosely- that I am, I loved the references to Heroditus and Plato's Phaedrus. However, before I got to those references, I was less than enthusiastic and thoroughly skeptical about the topic of this week's readings. Video games as a learning tool? Really? Needless to say to anyone who has been following this blog, skepticism has become my go-to frame of mind in this class, which I'm not entirely sure is a bad thing.
Elsewhere in Phaedrus, Socrates notes:
So anyway, I reluctantly started reading Gee's article on video games, and the first couple pages didn't do much to alleviate my cynicism about the topic. I kept thinking saying to myself, "Okay, so this guy knows the names of a lot of video game avatars. So what?" Needless to say, I was relieved when he finally got to the meat of the article and started discussing the learning principles that "good games incorporate", and indeed found his discussion about how we should fashion education to be more like the virtual game world to be rather interesting. I particularly liked his notion that the tasks we assign to students should be "pleasantly frustrating". Tasks should challenge students and force critical thinking, but not be so hard that the student can't ever hope to accomplish them.
Indeed, I was "pleasantly frustrated" by the TED talk. As I watched it I realized that I was beginning to understand and possibly even agree that 'gamers' might be able to change and save the world--IF their energy and enthusiasm can be brought out of virtual reality and applied to real-world circumstances. And it sounds like there are researchers out there performing studies aimed at doing just this.
To be honest, it's probably going to take a long time for me to throw all caution to the wind and fully jump on the technology train. But like I said, I'm not entirely sure that's a bad thing. Anyway, I think Socrates would agree.
Hi Mary~
ReplyDelete"skepticism has become my go-to frame of mind in this class, which I'm not entirely sure is a bad thing."
Not at all, on the contrary, Mary! You are the voice of reason and resistance that challenges the technological push toward integration in the classroom. Obviously, I am an enthusiastic supporter of experimenting with technology, and convinced of its potentials, it has its drawbacks. The skeptical voices among us keep us grounded against passive acquiescence to all things technical,just for technology's sake.
~Mindy
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you use the term “Really.” As in, “You guys want to come in before 11 am when we don’t have to just so you can attend a Fulbright scholarship meeting? Reaaally?” Or, “Video games as a learning tool? Really?” I also love the fact that you are the first in our cohort who I’ve actually beaten to a reaction posting. Now, really, you have to ask yourself, what’s youth culture really coming to these days when a hundred-and-four year-old man can be a beat a twenty-something to a blog posting? Really?
But really, I am in agreement with your thinking and feeling about gaming and with what you ultimately took away from the Gee article and McGonigal video. They were both impressive and persuasive and gave me a whole new perspective and sense of hope for a social phenomenon that is normally such a vociferous dumping ground of the critics. Great observation also about students needing to be challenged – and challenged rigorously I say – but not to the point of being unable to ever get any significant learning accomplished. “Pleasantly frustrating,” yeah, that’s well said, thanks for highlighting that one for us all.
But hey, who’s this Socrates guy, really??
I like how you used the term "pleasantly frustrated" when talking about the TED video. I also kind of had that "so what?" feeling while watching the video, and I like some video games. I agree with you that the skills gamers get from video games are pretty useless if they can't be transferred to the real world - but I really do think they are transferrable and that someone is going to come up with an awesome way to get gamers motivated to break out of their virtual worlds and use their skills in the real world.
ReplyDeleteReading your comments, Mary, and the responses of your colleagues makes me think that it would be worth taking a shot at getting someone from the Quest2Learn school to visit class this fall. I don't know how well it would hold up to the intellectual scrutiny of the group, but they certainly have an argument that responds to the McGonigal question regarding just what those video gamers are getting good at, and can whatever that is transfer productively to social and educational contexts. In the meantime, let me suggest that you check out the segment on the Quest2Learn school in the "digital media" video inside the More resources about games and gaming folder on CTools.
ReplyDeleteHold on to that skepticism, Mary...I think it will serve you well.