Well here goes attempt two for my paper proposal. I think what I need to focus on is two simple questions: why have video games become portrayed as merely adolescent toys? And what is engaging about this emerging medium? The simple goal of this paper is to show the growth and importance that video games could have in our education system, and address the sterotypical assumptions that the majority of people have about them.
In my paper I will argue for the importance that video games have on there players. In this I will discuss that we need to look past the visual aspects of the game and break it down to its simple learning curve. Often times it’s the visual aspects of the game that make parents and teachers feel there is nothing more than a violent looking game. However, using information from James Gee’s book, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, I will argue that no matter what the game styled a child is confronted with some sort learning situation. I Will also pull from some scholarly sources of examples where video games have been utilized in the class room One example is from the article, Investigating the impact of video games on high school students’ engagement and learning about genetics by Leonard A. Annetta . In this article we here how a teacher created video game on genetics had a significant learning impact on the students in the experiment. This will lead me into, why our culture has a growing community of video game followers? I’m going to argue that video games shouldn’t be viewed as merely a kid’s toy anymore. With our advancements throughout the digital age video games have only grown in popularity. Why? Because, video games have effectively molded learning with engagementand, and in most casese the engament being the achivements. Games help children learn not just what to do, but also work out why they should do it and whether they should do it. Its our Hollywood attituded that have shown video games in a bad light and I want to look past the stereotypes in this paper, getting back to the simple idea of a games
Prenski, Marc. Don't Bother Me Mom--I'm Learning! . Ney York: Paragon House, 2005. 254. Print.
In this book Prenski takes on the task erasing parents’ fears about video games by describing how kids see gaming and what they learn. Prenski moves forward in his book by presenting that games can teach a multitude of skills, including problem solving, language and cognitive skills, strategic thinking, multitasking, and parallel processing
Gee, James. What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave MacMillan, 2007. Print.
In his book, Gee offers up 36 steps on how video games impact kids. He puts a new spin on how society feels about gaming, convincing parents, teachers and journalist to look at gaming in an educational way. Further more, Gee explains that children learn something from just holding a controller, harnessing their focus and confronting them with a learning situation.
Annetta, Leonard. "Investigating the impact of video games on high school students' engagement and learning about genetics." Computers and Education 53.1 (2009): 74. Print
A scholarly source found on Griffin, this article tells the story of a biology teacher that need a different teaching method. The teacher used a video game that coincided with homework, which not only increased learning levels but excelled in student competence of the course work. Using parts of this article in my paper i will use this as one example to argue video games in the class room.
Collins, Allan, and Richard Halverson. Rethinking education in the age of technology. Teachers College Pr, 2009. Print.
In this article, Collins explains the change in our social structure, educational structure and technological advantage over other country. She brings up issues of the digital divide and its effects on western society and ho teachers should be prepared to utilize the technology that is given to us. In this she finds video games are an excellent resource and should not be over looked.
Gee, James. Good video games + good learning. Peter Lang Pub Inc, 2007. Print.
Just like the other book Gee expands on his education and learning practices explaining what puts the learning in a game.
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You have some issues with your two simple questions. First, why is the portrayal of games as toys important to the rest of what you are saying here? Second, which "emerging medium" -- gaming in general? very old. Video games? also pretty old. Specific types of games? there you might get closer to something that is actually "emerging". Next, if your goal is to show that game use has increased in education, that's a report. Hypothesis and then analyze WHY, and you're on to something. Next next, what does "addressing stereotypical assumptions" have to do with things? It seems to me you have two divergent trains of thought going on. If you settle on one (and it doesn't have to be one of those), you will find a clearer path toward a concise argument rather than a recapitulation of Gee. Because really, that's what the rest of this is -- restating Gee. Gee should necessarily be the foundational support of the research into what you're going to argue, but I don't see a unique, non-reporty argument yet.
ReplyDeleteYou say you "will argue that no matter what the game styled a child is confronted with some sort learning situation" -- yes, Gee did that. What are YOU going to talk about, that's from YOU? Is it an analysis of a particular type of game not addressed by Gee? You must narrow, narrow, narrow.
* Contact me via e-mail if you want to work out any aspects of your argument or organization along the way, or to evaluate scholarly sources (provide citation and annotation in the e-mail), or to bounce presentation ideas off me.