"How do I get somebody to learn something that is long and difficult and takes a lot of commitment, but get them to learn it well?"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkseema/2042946052
they push at boundaries
they
try
over
and
over
and
over
they
give
it a
try
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/959010447
from the time
we are very young ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/3039389897
Maria H Andersen, PH.D.
@busynessgirl
busynessgirl.com
The brain is
ready to learn
by filling in blanks
Surely, we can
take advantage of
this in adult learning
though it may require us to stretch our minds a little
they seek patterns
How DO
children
learn?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/smiles_for_you/409382195/
Babylonian
"Cheat Codes"
illustrations by
Mat Moore
children
think
learning
is fun
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/numbers/babylon/index.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmduke/3035453343/
61
2
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dinah/239650274/
Question that game designers ask themselves ...
- Dr. James Gee
60
5
and yet, children learn a remarkable amount before
they ever enter
formalized education
See if you can figure out Babylonian without the "cheat codes"
Think like a Babylonian
12
59
Revelation #1:
a simulation or a formal system where choices and rules are important
allows you to practice patterns and permutations of patterns
28
[ !?*!? ]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seandreilinger/2187892869/sizes/o/
75
35
Technology is making "content" irrelevant. It's what you're able to do with the content that's important.
?
what is a
play involves a relaxed pace
freedom to explore
as adults, we perceive that
play is
"frivolous"
and non-
serious
"entrancing absorption"
there are
many
definitions
and
descriptions
what is
GAME
?
PLAY
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wjarrettc/2135222193/sizes/l/
When this happens, we begin to "groove" in the patterns ... to seek them out and to expect them.
Tombstone City
We tend to LIKE something if we are able to "see" the patterns in it
Not only can I still play this one,
I can get to higher levels
than I was able to as a child.
We've been trying all sorts of untested strategies to improve student outcomes for decades, with little or no forward progress.
If we're not careful,
we're going to take
ourselves out of
learning too.
Revelation #2:
But, in education, we
have taken "fun"
out of learning.
revelation #2
First Problem:
http://xkcd.com/657
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobfoldsfive/2596985632/
Sorry bobfoldsfive, I am using this image without permission because I can't seem to log in to Yahoo to ask for permission. Please don't be mad!
sorting and packaging
what if LOTR was a
course or a textbook?
autopilot
Munchman
associative
integrative
intuitive
"common sense"
"Boredom is the brain casting about for new information. It is the feeling you get when there are no new patterns to absorb."
boring
- Raph Koster, A Theory of Fun
I can still play the video games I played when I was a child.
reflexes
running "scripts"
My students, some of whom can't seem to learn algebra, CAN seem to learn complex video games that require logic, memorization, and teamwork, and strategy.
Revelation #4:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/zen/241745451/
Revelation #3:
conscious thought
"Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles that makes games fun. In other words, with games, learning is the drug."
making lists
recalling facts
mathematical
assigning values
- Raph Koster, A Theory of Fun
where
do we want
our students'
brains to be?
the brain
functions
at three levels
of thinking
Unfortunately, most
formal education focuses on
surface-level learning
this is what
we could
(theoretically)
do in math
graph an inequality on a number line
absolute value
e.g. |-8|
finding points that
fit x+y=5
addition & subtraction of integers
Simulations
of the
Real World
graph an inequality on a number line
simplifying like terms
3x+4+2x-7
solving
one-step equations
x+3=6
Second Problem:
multiplication and division of integers
We give away the "cheat codes"
for the game (learning) up front.
You don't have to
"play" using a video game.
Immune Attack
simplifying like terms
3x+4+2x-7
This is what we do in math
(and I suspect your discipline is similar)
absolute value
e.g. |-8|
Non-digital Games
learning
multiplication and division of integers
^
addition & subtraction of integers
a game is a delicate balance between
boredom
and frustration
The Forbidden City
Third Problem:
Handy Tip
On linear learning paths,
students often get stuck
because of
one concept.
Inquiry-based Learning
Grammar Ninja
Darfur is Dying
"the best instruction hovers at the boundary of a student's competence"
Designing and using activities where students learn new concepts by actively doing and reflecting on what they have done. The guiding principle is that instructors try not to talk in depth about a concept until students have had an opportunity to think about it first (Hastings, 2006).
http://www.kwarp.com/portfolio/grammarninja.html
- Andy diSessa, Cognitive Scientist
Discover Babylon
Shift the "exploration"
to the students.
Tone Matrix
Places to Visit:
http://bit.ly/aAG7oX
http://lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix
IBL is great,
in theory, but ...
time-consuming
in reality.
Fourth Problem:
SimCity Societies
Second Life:
The Ultimate Simulator
McVideo Game
what can
we do?
Factortris
So ...
Final thoughts ...
Peacemaker
why did
you go in to teaching?
Let's put play and fun back in education.
- Dr. James Gee, University of Wisconsin
Wired Magazine, 2003
Flower Power
fun
[Video games] tend to encourage players to achieve total mastery of one level, only to challenge and undo that mastery in the next, forcing kids to adapt and evolve.
the act of
mentally
mastering
a problem
was it ...
one solution
AHA moment =
the brain having fun
-Raph Koster, A Theory of Fun
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/Adults-and-Video-Games.aspx
http://www.vocabsushi.com/
some games get it just right
Math Baseball
4 in 5 young adults
half of adults
1/4 of seniors
who plays video games?
some games provide practice
Vocab Sushi
some games just make games lame
Maria H. Andersen, Ph.D.
Twitter: @busynessgirl
busynessgirl@gmail.com
web: busynessgirl.com