Confrontation Between Two Perspectives on Learning from Games Confrontation Between Two Perspectives ?! On Learning from Games.

Confrontation Between Two Perspectives

on Learning from GamesConfrontation

Between Two Perspectives

?!On Learning from Games


on Learning from GamesToday’s Articles

Clark, R. E. (2007). Point of View: Learning from serious

games? Arguments, Evidence, and Research

Suggestions. Educational Technology, May-June 2007.

Mayo, M. J. (2007). Games for science and engineering

education. Communication of ACM, 50(7), 31-35.


on Learning from GamesMerrilea J. Mayo

The Crisis of Engineering and Science Education

The Potential Role of Video Games Massive reach Effective learning paradigms Enhanced brain chemistry Time on task Learning outcomes data

Video Games as a “Bronze Bullet”


on Learning from Games

17%

33%

35%

38%

41%

52%

67%

US

Russia

Iran

Taiwan

Korea

China

Singapore

73

1

Rank91 The rate of choosing science and engineering major

as their bachelor's degree (NSF, 2002)

73

Merrilea J. Mayo

The CrisisThe Crisis



90By 2010, 90% of the world’s Ph.D.

scientists and engineers will be

Asians living in Asia.

– Rick Smalley, Nobel Laureate (Chemistry)

The CrisisThe CrisisMerrilea J. Mayo



In the world in math:

4th Graders: 12th 8th Graders: 14th 12th Graders: 24th

The 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study and Program

for International Students Assessment tests

In the world in Science:

12th Graders: 22nd

Only a portion of US k-12 students are well-prepared for a college career in math, science, or engineering.

The CrisisThe CrisisMerrilea J. Mayo


on Learning from GamesThe CrisisThe Crisis

50% of self-declared engineering majors in a national sample of four-year institutions drop out.

The first year instructional experience, tending to discourage individuals from pursuing science and engineering.

Almost all of them (98%) cite “poor teaching (the lecture format) by faculty” as a major concern.

Force Concept Inventory (FCI):

What is surprising about the result is not that mass lectures are an intrinsically poor learning vehicle but that the quality of the lecturer matters not at all.

WHY?

Merrilea J. Mayo


on Learning from GamesThe PotentialThe Potential1. Massive Reach

Over 250,000 subscribers 5,000,000 subscribers Downloaded 800,000 times

38% of computer

and console

game players

21% of graduating

bachelor’s degree holder engineers

400,000 bachelor’s

of science and engineering students

Merrilea J. Mayo



2. Effective Learning ParadigmsThe PotentialThe Potential

Merrilea J. Mayo

Experimental learning(If you do it, you learn it)

Inquiry-based learning(What happens when I do this?)

Self-efficacy(If you believe you can do it, you’ll try longer/harder, and you’ll succeed more

often than you would otherwise)

Goal setting(You learn more if you are working toward a well-defined goal)

Cooperation(Team leaning)

Continuous feedback, tailored instruction, cognitive modeling



3. Enhanced brain chemistry- The Potential- The Potential

Merrilea J. Mayo

A 1998 Study found that playing video games stimulates subtantial dopamine release

Dopamine is a chemical precursor to the memory storage event



4. Time on task- The Potential- The Potential

• Compelling video games that could also deliver educational content would double the time spent learning at home.

• A numerical methods course taught using a race-car game as the “homework” resulted in students spending roughly twice the time working on the course outside of class compared to other mechanical engineering courses.

Merrilea J. Mayo



5. Learning Outcome Data (1)- The Potential- The Potential

Merrilea J. Mayo

Squire, K, et al. (2004)

• The 32 students in the control group improved their understanding by 15% over their pretest scores; the 58 students who played the game improved their understanding by 28%.

• Among girls, the control group improved on their pretest scores by only 5% and the game group by 23%.

- Learning electrostatics



5. Learning Outcome Data (2)- The Potential- The Potential

Merrilea J. Mayo

- Learning geology and cell biology

McClean, P. et al. (2001)

Lectures produced the lowest learning outcomes

Web-presented information:

not statistically significant (geology)

13%–30% (cell biology).

Games:

15%–40% (Geography Explorer - geology)

30%–63% (Virtual Cell – cell biology)


on Learning from Games- Conclusion- ConclusionMerrilea J. Mayo

Video games have the potential to directly provide massive

parallel education in science and engineering.

Scale. Anytime. Compelling. Brain chemistry. Better than a lecture.

While they will never be a silver bullet for science and

engineering education, video games have the potential to

be, perhaps, a bronze bullet.


on Learning from GamesRichard E. Clark

A brief view

A few problems

Some suggestions

Possible application of games



Richard E. Clark

- A Brief View- A Brief View

Games are enormously popular among adolescents and young adults.

Advocates for games suggest that they are highly motivating vehicles that could support learning, problem solving, and collaborative skills.

HOWEVER…



Richard E. Clark


Use of games for education is apparently not widespread at this point.

Educational decision-makers may, out of bias and/or a lack of understanding, discount or discourage an investment in serious games and so ignore an innovative way to motivate, teach, and train.

The development cost of serious video games is considerable

BECAUSE…

QUESTIONS…



Richard E. Clark


Do people who play serious games learn enough from them to justify the investment when games are tested against viable and less expensive alternative ways to teach the same knowledge and skills?

Do games motivate players to learn more than other, less expensive alternatives?

Are some skills or knowledge most effectively and/or efficiently taught via serious games?



Richard E. Clark

- A Few Problems- A Few Problems

Common conclusion of empirical researches on learning and motivation from serious games

People who play serious games often learn how to play the game and some factual knowledge related to the game.

BUTThere is NO evidence in the existing studies that games teach anyone anything that could not be learned some other, less

expensive, and more effective way.



Richard E. Clark


3981

19

Chen and O’Neil (2005) and O’Neil, Wainess, and Baker (2005)

Reviews of serious games



Richard E. Clark


They provide a detailed analysis of the learning and transfer

measures used in all 19 studies and concluded that “…

positive findings regarding the educational benefits of

games…can be attributed to instructional design and not to

games per se. Also…many studies claiming positive

outcomes appear to be making unsupported claims for the

media” (O’Neil et al., pp. 461–462).



Richard E. Clark


All of the methods used in games could (and have) been

used effectively in non-game instructional programs and

are not unique to games.

None of the peer reviewed studies reported compelling evid

ence that games produced significantly more learning or m

otivation than other instructional platforms

(Gredler, 1996).

.



Richard E. Clark


“…the research shows no instructional advantages of game

s over the other instructional approaches (such as lectures)

…. The research does not allow us to conclude that games

are more effective than other well designed instructional act

ivities”

Only poorly designed studies find learning benefits from ga

mes.

Hayes (2005)



Richard E. Clark

- A Few Problems- A Few ProblemsExisting Serious Games Researches

tend to IGNORE most of the issues

• Prior Knowledge Differences Are Important

• Comparing Games with Nothing Is Useless

• Serious Games Are Often Confused with Simulations

• Opinions About Learning and Motivation Are not Reliable

• Pedagogy Decisions Are Critical



Richard E. Clark

- Suggestions- Suggestions

Suggestions for the Design of Serious Game Studies

• Measurement

• Game Pedagogy

• Comparison Treatments

• Cost-Benefit Ratios



The evidence is solidly against the proposition that games

will replace direct instruction. If we can accept that

evidence, we might be able to consider other potentially

valuable applications.

- Conclusion- ConclusionRichard E. Clark

Games designed to support transfer are IDEAL vehicles to

motivate people to practice and accept corrective feedback.


on Learning from GamesDiscussionWhere are you? Do you agree with Mayo or Clark? Why?

What is the unique features that only video games have for

education?

Is there any other considerable ways to solve the current

crisis of science and engineering education?

If we accept the point of view of Clark, why do people (or

should we) research video games instead of seeking other

alternative methods that are cheaper or more effective?

Any other questions?

Confrontation Between Two Perspectives on Learning from Games Confrontation Between Two Perspectives ?! On Learning from Games.

Documents

games confrontation

games merrilea

mayo slide

mayo experimental learning

serious games

poor learning vehicle

inquirybased learning

crisis merrilea