Video Games as Constructivist Learning Environments-Mark Wagner

Mark's blog is edtechlife.comwww.dimenxian.com a video game for learning algerbraWhat is Hard Fun?This kid called the work fun because it was hard rather than in spite of being hard." (Seymour Papert)How do we make writing become hard fun? (Papert)Work is fun because it is hardJohn DeweyExperience and EducationDemocracy and EducationExperimental SchoolsPiagetAssimilation and AccommodationLev VygotskyExperience is SocialDevelopment is SocialThe Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)Seymour PapertMindstorms, 1980The Children's Machine, 1993The Connected Family, 1996David JonassonLearning to Solve Problems with TechnologyIntentionalzlityMind ToolsMarc PrenskyDigital Game Based Learning, 2001Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, 2001Don't Bother Me Mom-I'm learning! 2006James Paul GeeWhat Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003)Situated Language and Learning (2004)Why video Games are Good For YOur Soul (2005)Clark AldrichSimulations and the Future of Learning (2004)Learning by Doing (2005)Paradoxes, Sim Words, and Big Skills...www.simulearn.netwww.simschool.org a game for teachers to learn to be better teachers. "teach your simStudents & watch them respond!David Williamson ShafferEpistemic GamesSimulation PrototypesUbiquitous Gameing or Augmented RealityKurt SquireCivilization III at Indiana UniversityPrototypes at MITGames, Learing, and Socialty at University of Wisconsin-MadisonConstance SteinkuehlerMassively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs)EthnographiesGames, Learning, and Society conferenceConstructivist Learning EnvironmentsEngagement (How do we engage students today?)Context (In what context do we teach skills?)Inquirey (How do we teach and how do students learn to question results?)Collaboraton (In the new social world in which we live, are we teaching students to be collabrative learners?)Reflection (How do we teach studnets to reflect on their learning...reflection=learning)Web-Based GamesPlay in your browserMostly FreeEngaging and content relatedGreat for younger studnetswww.funbrain.comCommercial Off the Shelf Games (COTS)Teachers may not be able to develop a cutting edge game, but many games can be repurposed."Instead of embedding a game into learning, it is possible to embed learning into a game." (Downes, 2005)www.thesims2.ea.comCivilizatontion IIIKurt Squire25% complained the game was too hard, complicated and uninteresting25% loved playing the game, thought it was a "Perfect way to learn history", and a highlight of their year.Students played the game in different ways, leading to highly different understandings.Making HistoryCreated to teach WWII in high school history classesNeverwinter NightsSerious GamesFood ForcePeacemakerCreating Gameswww.globalkids.orgwww.globalitacademy.orgwww.garagegames.comwww.thinkingworlds.com

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