Discussion 7

Discussion 7 is due July 19. We had the option of choosing to discuss Chapter 12 or 14, and I chose Chapter 14.

Chapter 14 Summary

More and more individuals are seeking higher educational skills, and it is recognized that Americans need more education to compete in a global marketplace. This chapter discussed the need for digital-based gaming educational tools in relation to various theories.

With the constructivist theory, students construct their own learning and take an active role in their education. Incorporating technology into education is complementary to this approach. It also allows for flexible and interdisciplinary learning in the online environment.

The online communities in which students participate must have an authentic content, and, while online game-based learning can be beneficial, teachers must recognize that students may have difficulty at first as they understand the skills. However, the benefits outweigh the negatives as students will have the ability to learn and adapt in real world techniques as well as other similar online classroom environments.

Before 3-D virtual world, educators looked at MUDs – Multi-User Dungeons. In MUDs, students were responsible for people other than their classmates, which made them more willing to work out difficulties with other players. Also, MUDs used text for communication, which enhanced writing skills. However, MUDs did not last long, and now educators seek graphical virtual environments for educational success.

The digital game-based theory states that students who are more experiential in learning provide finding answers through interaction with others, which digital games offer. Digital gaming is more informal, and the roles of students and teachers vary. The lines that separate massively multiplayer online games – MMOGs – and virtual worlds are blurred. Individuals who participate in virtual worlds discover that playing is not isolated; the picture of young boys playing in their parents’ basement no longer applies. Virtual worlds are now vibrant simulated environments where users communicate with each other, as with Second Life. Some of the differences between MMOGs and Second Life are as follows: There is competition in MMOGs but a lack of creativity, but the opposite is in Second Life. In Second Life, participants can text chat, instant message, or verbally converse with other people. Second Life, like other virtual worlds, also allows individuals to be anyone they want to be.

However, not everyone enjoys learning through virtual worlds, as it takes some time to adjust to. Also, sometimes students violate Terms of Service agreements. Other problems with educational functions of virtual worlds include encounters with cyber-bullies and “drive by” shoutings during class. The proliferation of sexual content is also an issue educators must address.

Second Life and other virtual worlds cannot alone foster a healthy and beneficial learning environment. The SECOND LIFE model can assist, which includes: support experimentation, encourage play, construct scaffolded spaces, opt out of lecture and passive approaches, nurture player choices and decision making, design “realistic” environments, lead students toward a sense of space, increase student learning, foster the formation of a learning culture, and enhance technology-focused skills.

Of course, future research is needed, and virtual worlds may not completely replace traditional educational activities. However, incorporating virtual gaming into an educational environment can be beneficial for students’ learning.

How could teachers/educators use the material/information addressed in the chapter to help improve their instruction or professional development?

I think virtual gaming could be very beneficial for online learning. Online classes would be so much more fun and creative if virtual worlds were used. I know I’m already learning a lot with Second Life, and I think having class in our USM symposium site would be so intriguing. Also, I think students can learn a lot about each other through their avatars, which assists with community group-building skills. It also helps that you can actually talk to other people instead of just IM. While IM does help with written skills, I feel that at the master’s/doctoral level, we should be decent writers already.

This is the wave of future education, especially with distance learning – and I’m greatly looking forward to it!

What future trends do you see coming from the topics dealt with in the chapter? In other words, do you think the material/information discussed in the chapter has any relevancy to the future or is it just a passing fad?

I think I’ve mentioned in previous posts as to how the bad economy is contributing to education. We have no funds for conferences; rising tuition is making students tighten their belts, to use a colloquial phrase. I love the idea of having international conferences via virtual worlds and think it’s a brilliant idea. While I thoroughly enjoy traveling to conferences, I see the benefits, especially when budgets are so tight, in having online conferences. I can’t wait until our Second Life presentation next week to get a better handle on how this would take place.

Reference
Stoerger, S. (2010). In Yan g, H. H., & Yuen, S. C. (Eds.), Collective Intelligence and E-Learning 2.0: Implications of Web-Based Communities and Networking (pp. 248-267). Hershey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Reference.