While attending the March 2014 NJ
EDge Faculty Showcase of Best Practices, a session on Gaming
and Curriculum Integration (Zieger
& Farber) provided a framework for exploring the
role of games as pedagogical instruments.
Implementing game theory to improve learning outcomes has become more
popular in the literature so the session was met with anticipation. When the presenters introduced themselves as
"gamers"
with a passion for "LARPing"
I naturally rolled my eyes. However,
being a dedicated lifelong
learner requires an open-mind!
Clearly, understanding game
theory will increase one’s awareness of how game theory
can improve learning outcomes. It is
important to differentiate between utilizing game theory to improve learning compared
to advocating for the playing of video games during school. While the former has the potential to expand pedagogical
thinking, planning, and intrinsic motivation, the latter too often utilizes time-consuming
games in relation to extrinsic-based
behavior management.
It is important to clarify the difference
between game-based learning and gamification.
Gamification
seeks to make a non-game into a game. By
contrast, game-based
learning uses either actual digital video games or
traditional non-electronic role-playing and board games as a classroom
tool.
Too often game-based learning offers
video games, digital apps, and adaptive software platforms. Veteran educators
would recall that by 1999 the graphic artists took over many of the quality
digital learning tools. The market
wanted designers to wow students and attract parents and teachers alike. For the most part, the result was a loss in
the endeavor of programmers to develop software that promoted anything more
than lower
order thinking skills (LOTS).
For the sake of more explosions, speed, colors, and noise, much of the
learning potential become rote exercises.
Too often, at best, the learning component focused upon automaticity of
basic math facts, phonemic awareness, or phonological skills. Amidst the graphics were basic worksheets.
Effective utilization of game theory
encourages the reframing of traditional assignments into inquiry-based
individual or group projects. This
requires the implementation of more mastery-based
assessment strategy.
This increases project-based learning and
planning for motivational benefits based on game structures.
All successful games have four basic
elements. They must be fun. They must have structure. They must have a goal. They must have at least one player. What might happen if every lesson was developed
upon these four elements?
Increasing the complexity of the
basic elements, there are ten structural elements for games. These ten structural elements provide a
foundation for teachers willing to integrate game theory into educational
practice. The ten structural elements include:
- Purpose or intent of the game.
- Results or pay-off.
- Number of required players.
- Roles of participants.
- Rules governing action.
- Abilities and Skills required for action.
- Physical setting and environmental requirements.
- Required equipment.
- Procedures for action.
- Interaction patterns.
Neurophysiology grounds the
principles for why consideration of game theory can effectively improve learning
outcomes. In
Reality
is Broken, McGonigal (2011) cites
the work done by Stanford University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Brain
Science Research, where researchers identified “Fiero”
as an emotion that inspires the craving for challenges to be overcome, battles
to be won, and dangers to be vanquished.
Fiero
produces a neurochemical high involving diverse
brain structures such as the mesocorticolimbic
center, which typically associates the circuitry between
reward and addiction.
In relation to game theory, fiero
promotes the feeling of liberation from restrictions and constraints, thereby
enabling the student to feel uninhibited, to play (learn) intrinsically. In the classroom environment, fiero empowers
students to be players in their own education.
Given the intrinsically motivating power of fiero,
teachers planning for learning opportunities that implements game theory
releases students into exciting learning adventures.
When structured learning is based on
game theory, Shapiro
(2014) suggests students intuitively understand the
cumulative nature of learning. As a
result, intrinsic
motivation increases the desire to master a sequence of
skills. Teachers interested in utilizing
gamification
can begin by planning a project-based
learning project whereby completion of learning units or
the demonstration of mastery allows the student to move on to the next step,
progression, or level of learning. Start
with development of a basic project that utilizes game-theory and increase the
complexity based on subsequent results.
References:
Hoeft, F. (2008) Gender
differences in the mesocorticolimbic system during computer game-play.
Journal of Psychiatric Research 42 (4)
253-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2007.11.010
Huang, W. H. Y.; Soman, D.
(2013). Gamification of education.
Research Report Series: Behavioural
Economics in Action.
McGonigal, J. (2011) Reality is broken: Why games make us better
and how they can change the world.
NYC:
Penguin Press
van
de Pavoordt, P. (2006) Gamification of
education. Retrieved from:
To
Cite:
Anderson,
C.J. (July 7, 2014) A little knowledge of
game-theory and neurophysiology
can
improve learning outcomes [Web
log post]Retrieved from
