What is Game-Based Learning and Gamification and How to Use It Game-based learning and gamification are two different approaches to learning. Both aim to leverage elements of gaming for deep engagement and thinking. Game-based learning requires the use of actual digital video games, applications or software or non-electronic board games (which may be less efficient) while the gamification of learning is the application of typical elements of game playing such as levels, point scoring, competition with others, as well as project-based units which require students to demonstrate mastery in order to move on in lieu of the traditional lecture and testing. Key Takeaways from Gabe Zichermann, Katie Salen, and Jane McGonigal Three speakers: Gabe Zichermann, Katie Salen, and Jane McGonigal all make a compelling argument for the use of gaming in the classroom. Sharing some key takeaways, in his TED Talk, Gabe Zichermann offered his audience advice: don’t fight the game trend but rather be one with the game and try to understand the dynamic of how your children play games from the context of the game outward not from the outside in. This resonated with me because I interpreted what he said to mean that we need to understand the socio-cultural context and background of our students to really be able to create meaningful relevant instruction and support their learning. Katie Salen touched on how design thinking helped students become aware of where they are at, how far they have come, and what they need to work on. My reaction to this was, “how can I do that?” Last, Jane McGonigal offered a positive light on gamers as super-empowered hopeful individuals. In her TED Talk, she touched on something really important. The idea of the “epic win” which is an outcome that is so extraordinarily positive, you had no idea was possible until you achieved it. It is almost beyond the threshold of imagination and when you get there you are shocked to discover what you are truly capable of. Students need more “epic wins” in their life, especially in the content area of mathematics. They need those moments that build up their confidence and show them how hard work can pay off, in other words—a growth mindset. My Steps for Implementing Game-Based Learning and Gamification The first step is to leverage the gamer brain to support learning by having my students self-assess their gamer brain type. People like different types of games, some more collaborative, more social, and others more competitive. In understanding my students’ gamer brain type, I can then create lessons with different types of activities for students to pick from that they find most engaging. Or perhaps I can have students learn more about the elements of game design and have them create their own games. This would be a great lesson to develop design thinking in my students and would lend itself to gamification as a PBL/PrBL unit. As students learn to design a game, they can learn about goal setting and progress monitoring. As they complete different steps in their design, they can receive rewards. Students will get plenty of feedback during the design process. At the end, the students can then play the game-based learning games they have created collaboratively. My Use of Game-Based Learning and Gamification Tools Some of the tools I would consider using would be Class Dojo and Class Craft because I think Class Dojo would be a helpful as a reward or point system for fostering positive behaviors. It would give me a platform to provide students feedback as well as connect with parents. Students can also add work to their portfolio and I can then provide feedback to them instantly. I think a lot of our PrBL units could be documented this way. After learning about Class Craft, I fell in love with it. I can actually add in assignments into the “interactive classroom content” tab for students to complete and award them points for completing assignments. You can also take away points for negative behaviors. Students also grouped into teams so they are accountable for one another. There is a “class tool” that measures the classroom volume using a microphone and encourages students to quiet down. You can set the level wherever you want. This is a cool feature because I have been wanting to get one of those red light green light volume monitors but this would be free and easier. The students can gain points for keeping the volume down. Boss battles is a formative assessment feature that would work really well with my prototype because it gives the students xp points as they work on their quests. Students can earn points for various reasons and use them for cool classroom privileges like the ability to eat a snack in class or get a hint on a test. This is exactly what I was looking and am aiming at. I would also like to incorporate a tool for the mastery of concepts in which students aren't allowed to progress if they don't master a concept first. Socrative and the more upgraded version, Mastery Connect are awesome ways for teachers to create formative assessments, receive immediate results, return feedback, and analyze the data. I think this has a lot of useful features but lacks in the engagement department. My Students' Use of Game-Based Learning and Gamification Tools Some of the tools my students would be using would be similar to mine which is Class Dojo and Class Craft in order to monitor behavior and complete assignments and assessments. They well also utilize various game-based learning tools like Desmos, Khan Academy, and a few new games I found. I think Prodigy, DragonBox Algebra 5+, and Twelve a Dozen would be good tools for learning math content as a supplementary resource. I like the idea of having students use game-based learning tools while the teacher is able to work one-on-one with individual students or small groups. Desmos is a great tool because it has a lot of math activities and games that are individual and collaborative. There is one game that is similar to the board game called “Guess Who?” in which students are looking at graphs and they have to describe theirs to their partner and eliminate the right ones. There is a marbles game and a train track game in which students explore linear equations and manipulate them in order to move the marbles in the trajectory they want. This means students will need to learn about the y-intercept as well as how slope plays a role in making a line steeper or more gradual and moving them up and down. Examples of Gamification That We Encounter Examples of gamification that we encounter regularly include reward point systems for behavior management and gamifying activities in a way that mimics quests and boss battles. One article talked about PBL/PrBL itself as gamifying an activity. Game-based learning and gamification are two buzz words I hear a lot but know little about. So far, these are the only two ways I have seen or heard them being used. I have probably been exposed to a lot of other game-based learning and gamification tools but it escapes my brain at the moment.
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Helpful Tech Tools for Creating Visual Displays and Videos The two tools I chose to explore were Snagit from techsmith.com and Screencastify which is a Google Chrome extension. I chose these two tools because they offer a feature that would simplify capturing images and marking them up for making slides and tutorial videos. These two tools also offer video cropping and editing that eliminate having to use other editing software. They allow recording of computer audio such as music as well as narration all for free. Many other free screencasting software allow for voice recording, but not free computer audio with their free version. Not to mention, they are user-friendly and there are video tutorials if you ever get stuck. Snagit offers a lot of customization features. You get two in one with Snagit because you can create images as well as videos (mp4 or gif format). You can create images that are highly customizable like that of apps like Canva. With Snagit, you can probably eliminate creating a screenshot and having to transfer it to Canva to further edit because Snagit offers a lot of similar features as Canva. Overall, Snagit and Screencastify are both great tools because they help save time by simplifying the editing process and they generate professional high quality products Free is an Important Word Free is an important feature of a tool. As educators, our budgets are already pretty tight so being able to access tools that can be used for better instruction and learning for our students for free is a high priority for me. Moreover, most of the students at my school are low-income and cannot afford to pay for these features. If we expect our students to become tech savvy and knowledgeable, they need hands on experience and practice of these skills. If these tools were not free, it would be difficult to teach and support technology integration in the classroom because students would not be able to access important features to gain skills needed in the professional world. Newer More Sophisticated Tools Save Time and Generate Higher Quality Products In making slides and tutorials, I often have to screenshot images using a snipping tool or with “print screen” which can be a time consuming task. With the snipping tool, I have noticed that the image captured is of a lower quality than what I see on the original screen. The image looks fuzzy or blurry and furthermore, I have to save each image individually and pull them back up for editing and customization in MS Paint which is a pain. Getting screen shots using the print screen button is just as time-consuming as the snipping tool. You have to open MS Paint, paste the print screen image, and then crop the image manually. This method actually produces a better quality image than the snipping tool but there are too many clicks involved especially when you are trying to capture many images. Next, in order to mark up the images or add stamps to it, you have to spend time searching for images that have transparent backgrounds. The arrows and shapes provided on MS Paint are nice but are somewhat limited. Lastly, entering text on paint can be a pain because it does not allow for text alignment such as centering. Also, once you have moved the textbox to the location you wanted and click somewhere else on the image, the text becomes part of the original image and you cannot move the text anymore unless you click the “undo” button or CTRL+Z. By clicking “undo,” the textbox disappears which means you have to start the process all over again. I really like features where you can move the textbox around, preview what it would look like, then move it somewhere else if it does not look right. However, MS paint does not offer that feature. Tool Application Having tinkered with Snagit and Screencastify for a few hours, I was able to figure out several uses for them in my own instructional practices. I would like to use it to create visual displays and math help videos to support my students learning, make video tutorials for how to use these tools (student and teacher use), and as a learning tool that allows students to create products. One of my goals within my research study, capstone project, and professional goals is to create a digital assessment tool that provides math video tutorials and feedback for struggling students. Thus, I will definitely need to utilize screencast software to create these math tutorial videos. I would also like to create “how to” and review video tutorials for different digital tools that can be accessed by students and other educators. Sometimes it is fun to explore a tool but most of the time I like to see the tool in action while someone is giving an overview of the tool, its features, pros, and cons. The exploring comes later for me when I actually have an authentic use for it. I think other educators would appreciate such a resource because it would save them time in reading through various tutorials and searching for several video tutorials that are usually not comprehensive. Sometimes the website that offers these tools provide information in an easy to understand way and simple video tutorials all in one place but that is not always the case. For example, I came across graph/chart making tools that are very useful for learning in math but there are hardly any video tutorials for them. This then requires educators to spend hours tinkering with the tool, figuring out what our audience would struggle with then creating some kind of guide for them. I am always looking for effective tools that can help me save time on whatever I am doing or creating and I am sure many educators feel the same way. I think this tool can also be utilized by students for making their own social media and images/videos for their projects. I would like to have students create their own math tutorial videos or even “how to” video tutorials for others who might be struggling with a tech tool. Lastly, I saw various websites utilizing video responses in which students recorded their answers to questions in video form detailing their thought process. I think video responses are a great way for students to practice their public speaking, presentation skills for future careers, and as a way to reflect their thinking in a different format. I do not think that reflective thinking should only come in the form of written communication. Video as an Assessment Tool I think videos can be easily used as an assessment tool. As mentioned above, assessments can be collected in the form of video responses. Students can record themselves solving a problem, explaining their steps, and providing justifications for those steps in the math content area. Videos can even be used to assess oral communication, presentation skills, and creativity. Barriers Barriers exist even with very clear tutorials. I tried using the window scrolling feature in Snagit and it would not work for me. The window scrolling feature is like taking a screenshot of a panoramic picture which is just a really long up and down image. I followed the simple three steps outlined but the “arrows” that I was supposed to drag did not show up for me. So compatibility of computers and other devices is a big deal. We forget that not every device is created equal. Similarly, when I tried to use Screencastify, the settings button would not appear for me so I could not mark up my image and found that the free version would only allow 50 videos to be created per month. I tinkered around and made about 4 or 5 different videos which means I only have 45 tries left. I assume that although I was using the Google Chrome browser, but because I was not on an actual Chromebook, the settings bar did not pop up for me. With free versions of anything, there are often limitations so it is important that we keep that in mind when we are considering various tools. Although I think videos can be used as an assessment tool, I think it is very important that we must first make sure students are proficient at using these video making tools and learning what goes into an effective video before setting them off. It would be unfair to assume that our students are proficient at using these tools, asking them to create a product in which expectations are unclear, and grading their product based on unfair expectations. This is one barrier of student use. Another barrier for example is that I have students who are very shy and I can foresee some issues cropping up because of it. How do we work around camera shyness or shyness alone? How do we grade our students who refuse to participate? What are the alternatives? Then the last but almost one of the most important issues is having equitable access for all students. I think there are some simple solutions to accessing issues such as having students record in class and working out their video response, scripts and/or storylines out at home. This would actually lend itself really well to a flipped lesson. First and foremost, I would like to say that I have very little experience with social media and have honestly tried to actively stay away from it. There are a few reasons for why I have tried to stay away from social media and these are the same reasons why social media is such a powerful tool for developing, collaborating, and communicating in a professional or personal capacity. Social media can be used for good or evil. That being said, it is not just our youth that need to be educated so that they can become proper digital citizens, I would say that many adults out there also desperately need to be taught how to use technology appropriately and responsibly. There is a great need for people all over the worldwide to understand that what one says and does can have a greater impact on themselves and others than they could have imagined. Stupid and inappropriate posts are not limited to our youth so although we need to prepare our students to be responsible digital citizens, we also need to make them aware that they will also definitely encounter people who will abuse technology (peers and adults) and that it does not allow them to follow suit just because others are doing it. Be Aware of Dangers and Protect Yourself First, the internet is neither good nor bad. It is in the way a user chooses to utilize it that determines whether the internet can have a positive or negative impact in the world. The internet is a place that offers up many benefits. It allows us to reach, share with, and connect to exponentially more people than ever before—globally. It offers up anonymity that allows users and creators to be freer, more expressive and more honest in their interactions and activities online as opposed to other settings that can make people feel more oppressed or judged. The internet allows for access to new knowledge, exploration, and tools that help better lives as well as entertain us. However, there are two sides to a coin. The internet can also be used to hurt others. Just like how the internet affords us the luxury of anonymity, freedom of expression, and the ability to connect to many others, it can also allow for things such as cyber bullying precisely because people can say what they would like to whomever they choose. Cyber bullying has become a common occurrence across the world resulting in many tragedies. I myself have personally experienced this phenomenon (bullying and negativity) and precisely the reason why I do not participate in social media. I know myself well. I know that I am a sensitive person and that I dislike critique. I also know that strangers can be judgmental and harsh and although people can be blocked, sometimes it is already too late to stop the effects of that ONE negative comment. So is it the responsibility of educators and parents to teach our kids to be cautious in this digital world and to help them develop thicker skin to the harsh world around us? I personally have no clue. My Personal Experience with Social Media My experience with social media has mainly been with Facebook because it was a platform in which I could use to connect and network with friends, family, classmates, and colleagues. As one of the first universities to participate in Facebook back in 2004 and as a freshman in college, it was imperative to have an account. This was the main mode for finding a classmate, scheduling study groups, discussing about class and homework, joining social circles and events, and connecting with friends and colleagues. With the expansion of Facebook, this came to include family and even employers. As a student, that was what I was using social media for. So what about as a professional—how should social media be used to develop, collaborate, and communicate with others? Ways in Which Social Media Should be Used by Professionals As a professional, social media should be used to develop, collaborate, and communicate products and information that help us better ourselves, others, and the world at large (blogs, e-portfolios, digital resumes, video tutorials, presentations, movies, training videos, artwork, and so on). I found that the top 15 most popular social networking sites include Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, LinkedIn, ClassMates, Tumblr, and Google+ just to list a few. These social networking sites provide opportunities to create and share with people all around the world which can range from any of the products and information listed above and then some. Social media is a powerful and effective tool for starting a two-way conversation (both reaching out and receiving feedback from others such as to students, parents, colleagues, customers, etc.). It would be a failure on our parts if we did not utilize such a tool to our advantage. We often hear, “two heads are better than one.” Professionals should use social media to collaborate with brilliant minds (experts) all over the world who share the same passion as them for which they would normally not have the luxury of working with. For example, Facebook, Skype, and other social media allow us the opportunity to communicate with people from all over the world (video chat, texts, file sharing, etc.) which help us obtain more insight and learn new cultures and even new languages. Through social media, we are able to communicate, get feedback (assessments in an academic setting and surveys in a corporate setting), share ideas, improve ideas, and so much more. Social media allows for real-time immediate information and feedback. Furthermore, professionals could even use social media to advertise products, build their reputation, get customer feedback, and connect with clients. Social media can even be used as a tool for learning--synchronous and asynchronous online courses--that require students (both young and adult) to complete assignments such as writing a blog or creating a video. It offers students access to information using various types of media besides pen and paper. Professional development is also possible through social media with access to videos and assessment tools. These tools should not go to waste. Critical Issues to Consider When Using Social Media As mentioned above, with social media and using the web in general, there are always pitfalls to watch out for. Some critical issues to consider are the health and safety of each user. We need to be responsible digital citizens who are aware of the dangers of technology. That means being aware of all nine components of a digital citizen: access, commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights & responsibilities, health & wellness, and security (self-protection). In order to use social media, one needs to become literate—understanding how the technology should be used. One also needs to understand that each community has its own etiquette or rules of conduct as well as how to communicate and be respectful. One also needs to understand the laws, rights, responsibilities, and security surrounding social media so that the individual knows what information is appropriate to share for the safety of themselves and others. For example, someone might post an artwork that they created without watermarking it and it gets stolen and claimed by someone else. Someone might unknowingly share sensitive information from work online and get them into trouble. In conclusion, professional or not, we all need to be knowledgeable digital citizens who are able to safely and responsibly navigate the internet. How to Deal with Inappropriate Social Media Posts If I were to come across an inappropriate post made by one of my students outside of the school, I would first screenshot it or get hard evidence of it before it can be deleted or otherwise. Second, depending on the content and severity of the post, I would inform the parents, the school administrators, and relevant parties (parents of other students involved, police, etc.) so they can have a conversation or “teachable moment” with the student or take other proper action, especially if it involves the safety of other people. For example, someone posting a picture of themself with a weapon and threatening to shoot up a school or a specific group of people would not just warrant a stern talking to in private. I would probably involve parents and administrator who would determine if the police needed to be involved. Posting a risqué picture (i.e. very skimpy outfit with exposure of cleavage and too much visible buttocks) or a culturally insensitive post might warrant a private discussion with the student and then a class discussion to review the rules of digital citizenship. If it is a case of cyber bullying or sexting, I would inform the parents of all parties and administration and defer to them on what steps should be taken. Considerations for deciding what to do ultimately should be reliant on school policies, codes, and laws. If worse comes to worse and there is uncertainty, always turn to administration. How can educational technology support competency-based learning (and personalized learning)?
Competency-based education is definitely what many teachers are striving for, a learner centered classroom that is student driven. Goals are co-determined between teacher and student and students are able to self-regulate and gain ownership of their learning. As mentioned in the article, there is no way a teacher can create a personalized lesson for each and every student 30+ for each period of every day. Although I was unaware of the terminology, for the past three years, this is what I have been working towards in my 8th grade math classes. Every year I tell myself I need to come up with operating procedures for collaborative group work and other routines in order to create a positive classroom culture and more autonomous learners. It has been a struggle trying to have small groups and workshops to personalize learning because standard procedures have not been mastered so that is my first goal. As all educators are quite aware of, with 30+ students each class, it is impossible for educators to give each and every individual student the attention they need and deserve daily. So, what else can teachers do to support competency-based learning if they cannot create a personalized lesson for each individual and cannot spend an extended amount of time working with them? One way is by introducing educational technology. As evidenced in different case studies dealing with technology in the classroom, we have learned that technology can be used to differentiate learning for the individual—providing intervention for the struggling or aid in deepening content understanding for advanced learners. Educational technology allows students to work at their current level and work towards content mastery. Students can use tools like ALEKS, Khan Academy to build their skills or even watch teacher-made tutorial videos to practice their skills while other students explore desmos.com or use other tech tools to deepen their understanding of a concept. Tech tools or programs like ALEKS and Khan Academy can help a student track their own progress to see where they are and where they need to grow. Teachers can also look at the data with the student and co-determine goals. In summary, educational technology can aid all students so that they can achieve a higher performance level no matter what current level the students are at. Moreover, for the generation that responds better to technology, using technology can stimulate student interest and engagement. We need to teach students in the way that they learn best, and if that means utilizing technology in the classroom, that is what teachers should work towards. Some issues for me is the fact that the technology needs to be strategically utilized in the classroom. Learning the same traditional mathematics, whether on paper or online, will not produce different results just because all of a sudden the students are doing it on a digital screen. I think the tech tools need to have certain elements that grab students' interest. The learning needs to feel like a game. It needs to satisfy student curiosity and be interesting as well as challenging within reason. Watching video tutorials on Khan Academy over and over will probably not motivate students and cannot always provide the necessary feedback students need. I think students need to develop self-regulation techniques as well as positive dispositions towards mathematics (or any other content area) in order for personal learning to be realistic. For many students, math is their least favorite subject and often times, teachers are so focused on getting through standards and objectives, it is hard to incorporate time to develop necessary skills like self-regulation and collaborative group work. Every day or every other day, new concepts are being taught so time can be a huge barrier. If students are somehow able to get access to technology at school and at home and they are utilizing effective tech tools, personalized learning is definitely possible. |
Nai Saelee
Middle school math teacher preparing the leaders of the future. Inspiring curiosity, creativity, collaboration Archives
December 2017
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