Transcript Using Screencasting Technology to Learn Application Software

Educational Computer Games:
What are the Students’ Expectations?
Yong Su Ting
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Outline of
Presentation
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Introduction
Purpose of research
What is educational game?
Effective game design
Methods
Student feedback
Discussion
Conclusion
Future research
Introduction
Edutainment started since 1970s (Prensky, 2003).
Educational game research:
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Wishart (1990)
Amory, Naicker,Vincent and
Adams (1999)
Holzinger, Pichler and Almer
(2001)
Rosas, Nussbaum, Cumsille,
Marianov, Correa, Flores, Grau,
Lagos, Lopez, Lopez, Rodriguez
and Salina (2002)
Mokka, Vaatanen, Heinila and
Valkkynen (2003)
Natvig and Line (2004)
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Chua (2004)
Cai, Lu, Fan, Indhumathi, Lim,
Chan and Jiang (2006)
Ke and Grabowski (2007)
Ebner and Holzinger (2007)
Warren, Dondlinger, Stein and
Barab (2009)
Eagle and Barnes (2009)
Chaffin, Doran, Hicks and Barnes
(2009)
Papastergiou (2009)
McInerney (2010).
The use of computer games in education is a fast
becoming popular trend (Becker, 2007).
Purpose of research
Identify important elements of effective
educational games.
Determine students’ perceived
importance of these elements.
What is educational game?
Educational computer games can be classified
into 3 generations (Egenfeldt-Nielsen (2007).
1st generation: Edutainment - combination
of educational and entertainment.
2nd generation: Built on cognitivism and
constructivism.
3rd generation: Educational computer
games use.
Educational Game Research
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Educational simulation game to teach children what to do in case of a
domestic fire (Wishart, 1990).
Educational computer game with a learning companion to teach
mathematics (Holzinger, Pichler & Almer, 2001).
Gameboy design - educational games to teach basic language
acquisition skills, reading comprehension, spelling and basic
mathematics operations(Rosas et al., 2002).
A fitness computer game: 3D virtual environment & exercise bicycle
(Mokka,Vaatanen, Heinila and Valkkynen, 2003).
A game to learn history (Natvig and Line, 2004).
A knowledge management (KM) simulation game (Chua, 2004).
Sport-genre game to learn protein structures (Cai, et al., 2006).
An online game : Structural Concrete Civil Engineering (Ebner and
Holzinger, 2007).
Educational game to learn computer memory concepts
(Papastergiou, 2009).
Educational games have been proven to be motivational (Mokka,
Vaatanen, Heinila & Valkkynen, 2003; Natvig & Line, 2004;
Papastergiou, 2009; McInerney, 2010).
Educational
games
Motivational
Effective educational
game development
Understanding of
Motivational Construct
Effective game design
Game
Design
Game design process must consider motivation
constructs and effective employment of
motivation (Bixler, 2006).
Motivation is the most important component in
effective learning (Gee, 2003; Presky, 2003;
Motivation Denis & Jouvelot, 2005).
Effective
Learning
If no motivation then it will be no game playing
and no learning (Gee, 2003).
Students motivation to play educational games:
• Usefulness & support learning (Ebner & Holzinger, 2007).
• Fun (Baker, Navarro & Hoek, 2005).
• Multimedia & various problem solving skills (Amory, Naicker,
Vincent & Adams, 1999).
• Game character manipulation & character decision (Gee, 2003).
• Challenges (Kiili, 2005).
• Interest, flexibility & progression (Smith, 2004).
• Curiosity (Malone, 1980).
• Surprises (Malone, 1980).
• Level of difficulty gradually increase & progressive construction of
complex strategies (Bottino, Ferlino, Ott & Tavella, 2007).
• Easy to learn, efficient to use (Lu & Yeung, as cited in Hazari &
Johnson, 2007).
• Role play (Gee, 2003).
• New resources in each cycle & feedback (Chua, 2004).
Methods
Introduction to IT
Topics covered:
Computer, hardware, software, system unit, input devices, output devices, system software & IT application.
Lecture 1 (2 hours)
Lecture 2 (2 hours)
Lecture 3 (2 hours)
Lecture 4 (2 hours)
• Game (1 hour)
• Game (1 hour)
• Game (1 hour)
• Game (1 hour)
Students’
feedback
Thomson Course Technology
at http://login.course.com
Online Resources for Discovering Computer 2008
Wheel of Terms: Starting the Game
Wheel of Terms: Guessing the Words
Track and Field: Javelin events with multiple choices questions
Track and Field: long jump events with true/false questions
Track and Field: Hurdles events with short answer questions
Track and Field: End of the game
Data collection
Questionnaire (20 questions) – Expectation:
Good & effective educational game.
Respondents – 64 university students
Students’ feedback
- 64 university students in 2009
Elements
Interesting.
Support learning.
Useful.
Fun.
Efficient to use.
Involve various problem solving skills.
Challenging.
Give new information at each level.
Give feedback after each level.
Allow progression to advance level.
Stimulate curiosity.
Include multimedia.
Flexible.
Involve role play.
Give surprises.
Increase level of difficulty gradually.
Easy to learn.
Allow decision making.
Require progressive construction
complex strategies.
Allow character manipulation.
Mean
of
4.73
4.59
4.57
4.57
4.57
4.52
4.39
4.39
4.27
4.25
4.25
4.23
4.23
4.23
4.21
4.14
4.05
3.82
3.73
3.55
Edutainment :
Combination of
education (support
learning & useful) and
entertainment
(interesting & fun)
(Prensky, 2003;
Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2007;
Yong, 2009).
Less expectation: Control
& complexity.
Variables
Mean
Usefulness
Useful
Support learning
4.58
Challenge
Challenging
Interesting
Flexible
Allow progression to advance level
4.40
Usability
Easy to learn
Efficient to use
4.31
Control
Allow character manipulation
Allow decision making
3.69
Educational
game must
be useful.
Control is
the least
important
factor.
Discussion
Students’ perceptions & expectations:
1st generation of educational game Edutainment:
Education (useful) + Entertainment (fun)
Control – least important :
3rd generation of educational game participation and control
Conclusion
Most important: Usefulness
• Main reason for incorporating computer
game into education is to learn through
game play.
Least important: Control
• Does not require much control &
manipulation over the game character &
decision making.
Future research
Students exposure
to educational
games: 2nd & 3rd
generation.
Further redefine the
elements based on the
literatures.
References
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