The Use of Online Games within the Classroom

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Of recent interest to me is the use of on-line games within the classroom. Specific to my interest is the teaching of first year composition on-line. The following paper is an analysis of two articles, one quantitative and one qualitative, on studies on gamification within a course. The qualitative article looks at a one week exercise where the students did a scavenger hunt like activity was designed to get the students better acclimated with course content and hopefully garner a real world or practical application of it. The quanitative article looks at a game designed to get students a better understanding of a specific economic theory. Despite neither of these studies having anything to do with writing, the design the authors took to each one provides insights for me as I begin my dissertation. The following is a more in-depth look at these possibilities through an analysis of each article. Qualitative Article The article, “How a Mobile Social Media Game Can Enhance the Educational Experience” by Parise and Crosina (2012), provides a case study on the use of gaming in a learning environment. The authors wanted to know if on-line learning elements integrated into a traditional face to face course would allow for enhanced learning outcomes. They created a game using a social media gaming platform called SCVNGR where they essentially created a week long scavenger hunt for the students to do. The activity combined both live physical interactions among students while also having them use on-line (including mobile) technology to acquire clues and communicate with one another. After the game was completed, the instructors met with the students and conducted a focus group asking theme the following seven questions: Do you fe... ... middle of paper ... ... The review emphasizes the importance of learner centeredness and how some students may be un-motivated no matter what the learning environment. They also go over the importance of “training” for the game as the more complicated, the more problems will arise. Works Cited Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative inquiry & research design. Los Angeles: SAGE. Huang, W. H. (2011). Evaluating learners' motivational and cognitive processing in an online game-based learning environment. Computers in Human Behavior, 27, 694-704. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2010.07.021 Maxwell, J. A. (2013). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Los Angeles: SAGE. Parise, S. P., & Eliana, C. (2012). How a mobile social media game can enhance the educational experience. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 8, 209-222. Retrieved from http://jolt.merlot.org/vol8no3/parise_0912.htm

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