Learning Journey - Part 2

Reading and writing about pedagogical theory has always been fascinating to me, but at the end of the day I’m an application person. No other readings throughout this course have left a bigger impact than those from “Teacher Pioneers.” The stories of real educators implementing more than just cheesy game mechanics into their classrooms was more than inspiring - it left me with wonderings, new ideas, and a new understanding for how all of what I’ve been learning fits into the everyday realm of the classroom. Up until this point, I had a clear vision for how to incorporate the traits of good gaming/learning into school through project-based learning ideas - after all it is my job as an expeditionary learning school teacher. It was also clear to me that using gamification for the sake of using “gaming” in class was not the best use of these traits. What wasn’t clear to me was how to bring classroom learning through gaming into fruition. Semi-solid examples such as The Ward Game and Kingdom of Adarya helped me to see that there needs to be a clear purpose for the game with multiple connections to content as well as a connection to a variety of student interests. It goes back to one of Gee’s important traits for learning which is customization. All of the other traits follow after that and good learning intertwines with it. Through these realization I find myself wondering how I can tailor these stories and pedagogical theories to transform aspects of my classroom through gaming. In the coming days I will continue to look for more concrete examples of classroom and gaming integration in order to craft a similar experience within my own teachings.

Prior to this month’s exploration, gaming felt like an equitable opportunity for any type of learner. There’s a game designed to fit any person’s interests and/or needs and more and more access is being provided to enable all types of learners to engage with these games. What hadn’t occurred to me before were existing social prejudices that could bleed into the social aspects of gaming to create inequality. Readings on gamergate opened my eyes to the darker aspects of gaming and gaming communities. Spaces designed for collaboration could be used to create a divide among divisions of gamers. Social learning not only contributes to innovation, but it can lead to groups perpetuating morally wrong teachings when the environmental norms are ill-established. So then how do we promote equity in gaming when these deep-rooted prejudices exist?

To me, the answer to this question lies in teaching empathy. How better to do this than through gaming. Virtual reality and immersive games can be used to harness the human heart by putting the player in the shoes of another and experiencing the world from another’s point-of-view. Empathetic gaming has the power to shift one’s thinking in ways that discussion board arguing probably never will.