Week 14 - Rough Draft

Google Doc link to Rough Draft
This is not a complete Rough Draft. Mostly, it is my title page and abstract. Work in progress.

Where did last week go?! (Week 13)

I'm not sure if it is computer or brain issues. But I keep posting things that mysteriously disappear. Let me try this again.

The question I chose to write my literature review on is:
"How can classrooms be transformed to motivate students they way games do?"
I chose this question because my experience with several students is that they lack motivation. Teens seem to be motivated by digital literacies and it is important to figure out how to transfer that motivation to the classroom.

Possible Resources.
Computer Games Functioning as Motivation Stimulants
Video Games in the Middle School Classroom

What evidence is there that digital games can contribute to increasing students'

motivation to learn?
Using the technology of today, in the classrooms of today
Baek, Y. (2010). Gaming for Classroom-based Learning : Digital Role Playing As a Motivator of Study. [N.p.]: Information Science Reference.

 

Burleson, W. (2005). Developing creativity, motivation, and self-actualization with learning systems.International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 63,436-451.

Lepper, M. R. & Malone, T. W. (1987). Intrinsic motivation and instructional effective in computer-based education. In R. E. Snow & M. J. Farr (Eds.). Aptitude, learning and instruction: III. Cognitive and effective process analysis (pp. 255-186). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Smith, K. A., Sheppard, S. D., Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2005). Pedagogies of engagement: Classroom-based practices. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), 87-101. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.fairmontstate.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/217964349?accountid=10797

I have been pleasantly surprised in the amount of information online about gaming as a motivator.

More Revisions...Almost Final!

My game is becoming extremely long. I would like to put a list in that makes the cars a different price with different terms and interest rates each time. Still working on how to do that.

Double Journal Entry #10

"Enthusiasts argue that children learn many important skills through gameplay, and, hence that computer games will make formal learning more pleasurable, motivating and effective (Mitchell & Savill-Smith, 2004). Sceptics tend to argue that computer games might have negative effects on people’s attitudes and behaviour (Anderson & Dill, 2000; Walsh, Gentile, Gieske, Walsh & Chasko, 2004). What is more, they suggest computer games will shift people’s focus away from more worthy activities such as reading and writing, doing math and science or playing outdoors."

As with any new idea that comes along, learning through gameplay is going to have the enthusiasts as well as sceptics. Therefore, it is the job of the enthusiasts to show that there is more to their enthusiasm than "the kids will enjoy it". It must be about learning and enthusiasts must be equipped with research and facts that show how this learning takes place.

"For example, Ceci and Roazzi (1994) compared children’s problem solving in two different contexts and discovered that context might be crucial because different contexts elicit different strategies and activate different knowledge structures in the mind, something which might allow for more efficient information processing. They found that students did significantly better when a task was presented in the context of a game rather than in the context of a test."

I found this quote really interesting because I could totally relate. I have always been one of those people that don't test well. Just the thought of a test, makes me a nervous wreck - the timed part, the bubbles to fill in...it stresses me out. However, I usually have no problem showing that I have learned a concept in other ways. Using gameplay as a way for students to show understanding of a concept really interests me. I think it could help those students with 'test stress'.

"To summarise, changing institutional practices involves complex transformations, which might be facilitated by incorporating game-like features. But, gaming cannot or should not be conceived as something which in and by itself will make learning more meaningful, fun or pleasurable."

This quote relates to the first quote that I chose. Incorporating game-like features into classroom practices is not enough in itself. While gameplay may make learning more meaningful and fun, it is important to remember that the games must reinforce core learning concepts. Simply having a game in class isn't enough. You must give students the background and review that they are learning the concepts. The games may provide motivation, but educators must make sure that the concepts are being understood.

I found this article by Marc Pensky about The Motivation of Gameplay.

Week 11 - Revisions

Taking suggestions from my commenters, I increased the time the text shows on the screen, fixed "minimum wage" to $7.25/hour, fixed all the math that was associated with that, added that if the student chooses "no" on the first screen it tells them to click the green flag to start over. Currently, I'm working on giving the choices of 3 cars and getting the math to work on that. I thought that students would have the choice of 3 cars with 3 different prices, APRs and length of payments. I'm trying to figure out how I can show students how they need to do the math to figure it out.