Applying Research to Internet-Based Teaching & Learning

When considering the assignment, Applying Research to Internet-Based Teaching & Learning in week eleven, I chose the topic, Gaming, Simulation, & VR. This is a topic that I am very interested in learning more about for quite a few reasons. I was extremely moved by the video No Gamer Left Behind: Virtual Learning Goes to the Next Level on Edutopia. Before week five of education in this class, I feel I really did not get the scope of Gaming, Simulation and VR and how it has transformed to a whole new level. I was also pleased to learn of all the benefits it has to offer with its enticing delivery.

It seems like embracing these technologies for promoting and supporting educating for this tech-savvy generation makes extreme and crucial sense. Extreme for the reason to engage learners; it grabs them and puts them into a perspective that is tangible. And crucial because it can be relatable to more of the types of employment that is going to be available for this generation. Even medical procedure training can be taught in simulation, getting life-like training without having costly medical mistakes is just one of the positives.

Article one: Games and Simulations by Nathan Balasubramanian and Brent G. Wilson. Promise is the word that they use to describe games and simulations in education. Promise to rise to the challenges of the improvement of school for the next generations. Gaming supplies challenging, hands-on and thought-provoking environments that see to be more in line with types of employment of the future. Gaming, simulations and VR can provide a learner with creativity and problems solving opportunities, collaboration and dialogue interactions and shared interests among players/learners. They also mention guidelines that are essential for these products to be incorporated in the classrooms.

The history of gaming in education can be traced back almost to the beginnings of the computer. In the early seventies, curriculum guidelines built upon the behavioral-learning systems theory. Since then the technologies and theories built in behind the gaming and simulations have resurged and can provided full cycles of learning with goal, plan, experiment, feedback, update, and understanding. With the updates in technology and graphics these products are exploding with educational strengths. Starting with greater appeal than textbooks, these successful products can help with retention in math and physics, teach domain knowledge, increase social development, creative thinking, sense of completion, and initiative and cognitive objectives.

They cover some challenges including costs, delivery, time constraints, evaluation and guidance. They also point out that finding truly educational games can be a problem. Other issues they bring up are low teacher computer experience compared to student expertise, matching games with subjects and abilities and blending the technology successfully with traditional learning and values.

Four critical questions are explored and answered. What should a classroom teacher look for in games and simulations? Content, quality, usability and age appropriateness of the game are the main answers. Students need to be exposed to the big concepts or ideas early on in a program with the focus have the learner work though to understanding. Where should a classroom teacher look to find useful games and simulations? The quality products are increasing and the authors give a few ideas. How should a classroom teacher use games and simulations? The authors give the examples of SimCity and Civilization to enrich a social studies class. And How should a classroom teacher evaluate the use of games and simulations? The authors give an example of a pre and posttest given and provide the results. These results showed significant improvement in all genders and ethnic groups.

The article ends in affirming the ever-important role of a “real” teacher even in use of virtual reality realms. Nothing can replace a meaningful learning environment with a teachers subject expertise and guidance.

Article two: Using Virtual Reality with and without Gaming Attributes for Academic Achievement by Jennifer Vogel, Adams Greenwood-Ericksen, Jan Cannon-Bowers and Clint Bowers. CAI or computer-assisted instruction is defined as any program that augments, teaches, or simulates the learning environment used in traditional classrooms (Quyang, 1993), including Web-based instruction, self-running simulations, drill-and-practice programs, and multimedia classrooms (Murphy et al., 2002).

Increasing motivation to learn is driving most of use of CAI in academics. Providing a different setting than the traditional, somewhat boring classroom, it also affords a type of “play” feel that helps to increase motivation and retention. Increasing the depth of “interactivity” is also contributing to the level of involvement and interest. Easily customized to an appropriate level of “challenge” for an individual learner is also a huge plus in CAI. These three components can really personalize and draw in a learner to achieve motivation and self-efficacy.

Simulations are better tools for learning tasks, training skills and allows for practice in “safe environment” before real world use. Gaming may allow more students to use this “practice” simulation environment to transfer learning skills to types of skills and contents. The use of games may better fit into schools instead of simulators. Educator training time is lower with games than with simulators and integrating into the curriculum is easier.

The authors’ study is based on VR technology and the success use in deaf children and regular education children. The study included eleven deaf and 31 normally hearing children who completed a pretest, which included language arts and mathematics. The topics covered involved analyzing patterns, relationships, identifying main ideas and other skills. The control group used a CAI program and the experimental group used a program with gaming attributes. During the two-week sessions, children were tested for knowledge gain and transfer with posttests in traditional paper form. After tabulating all the data, there was a difference in the math section favoring on the control group. Within the deaf group, no significance was seen in the language arts section, but again in the math section an increase was seen in the CAI group vs. the VR group.

Even though this particular study did not show huge gains in retention, I still feel strongly about increased motivation with use of CAI and VR. This was such a short study and only tested third graders in math and English. I feel with more in-depth testing they would have come up with different results. I found it very interesting that they included deaf students in this study and wish different results. The authors also add the very important design of such learning games and site that as a possible contributing factor to their flat results.

Article three: Using a Simulation-Based Learning Environment to Enhance Learning and Instruction in a Middle School Science Classroom by Sebastian Foti and Gail Ring.

This article addresses the realities of despite the projected advantages, why simulations and the like have not been fully utilized and integrated to their thought potentials. There is a reality that simulations are the products of technology and education successfully combined and best outcomes are when students are engaged in the products. Few teachers have engaged the technology themselves and/or taught to a student-centered environment.

Using Personal Study Instruments (PSI) Sims Modules in the STEM content areas, the goal of the project was to aid science teachers to move towards a more inquiry-based instructional style. The Sims Modules are web-based software that provides a simulated laboratory experience that is aligned with national science education standards. This exercise was to help students to develop a deeper and personal way to think about science and engage in interactive, inquiry-based methods when obtaining a greater understanding of science content.

Students that participated were 250 seven and eighth graders in science under two teachers from a rural community. Data were gathered from teachers, observations and test scores.

One of the major set backs that was found, was trying to find time in the computer labs. The school had two for this year, but next year it would only have one lab and an increase of teachers wanting to use it. This is astounding when thinking about the proposed trend of gaming, simulations and VR in aiding education. So right out of the gate, equipment issues.

The finding was that teachers, given the right tools, after an adjustment period, are believed to be able to adjust to inquiry-based methods to promote engagement and increase learning.

Summary: I think all of these articles have illustrated that we really are a long way from fully utilizing all the benefits of gaming, simulations and VR in traditional education or as seen in the video No Gamer Left Behind: Virtual Learning Goes to the Next Level on Edutopia. Each article presents its own hurdles but also reiterates the positives to keep striving for. Teacher participation, education on using the products effectively and open mindedness are key and critical to the success of these programs. It also seems like some schools have huge disadvantages in equipment. Technology is a funny thing; it takes certain aspects of society so far ahead so fast, that it leaves the most important parts back in the chalk dust.

I think instructors could apply the theory of the inquiry-based methods to promote student centeredness and engagement. They can also take the four critical questions in the article Games and Simulations, on selecting web based games and simulations, and I think all the articles surface the issues of instructor willingness to get on board in any capacity and serve as a guide or “teacher” of the new technologies.