Gaming in Education - EDUC 630

 



Farber suggests “for young people to be truly media literate, we, as educators, need to contextualize how and why games function and how they can be transformational to learning” (2020, para. 14).  Gaming in the classroom has become more popular as technology in the hands of students has increased.  Roblyer and Hughes (2019) have noted that benefits of using games in education can increase student motivation, give instant feedback, and reward students for their achievement (p. 179).  Some of the challenges with utilizing educational games in the classroom is having the money to have the necessary equipment for the games and the “school’s emphasis on standardized test results” (Roblyer and Hughes, 2019, p. 181).

In order to make gaming productive in the classroom, the smaller the group sizes, the better individual involvement from kids.  Students should be actively engaged in learning.  In games where taking turns is required, it is best to limit wait time.  Sometimes this can be accomplished with a timer or having teams race against each other.

Gaming has earned its place in the classroom, however, it is important for it to be used as one of many instructional strategies.  By having several different games, the students have less of a chance to become bored and loose engagement.  Games should also meet the academic needs of the students.  If learning is not taking place, then another instructional strategy should be used. 

References

Roblyer, M. D. & Hughes, J. E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching: Transforming learning across disciplines (8th ed.). Pearson.

Farber, M. (2020, January 22). How to find games for classroom learning. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-find-games-classroom-learning


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