I have always considered "gamers" to be loaners and a bit on the socially inept side ( not meaning to offend anyone). But I am beginning to change my mind, and that is a big deal for someone who sits in front of a computer out of need most of the time, not because I want to. I don't really think my idea of a gamer is much different than a lot of people. "Gaming has become much more than a solitary hobby and is, instead, a social activity, involving both old and new friends" (Gibson pg 152).
In reality, when I observe and listen to converstations my students are having, they are very passionate about their gaming. Much more so than they are, say, about Algebra or going to play baseball. "The new generation of students is accustom to fast flashing screens, like those found on MTV, and is comfortable with and exceptionally gifted at multitasking" (Gibson pg 153).
Gaming, it can be argued, gives students "multitasking opportunities and that gaming is often one of numerous activities in which a student is concurrently engaged" (Gibson pg 152).
This evolution of gaming into an interactive experience can potentially assist in motivation students and helping to develop problem solving, creatieve and communication skills" (Gibson pg 152). I tend to agree, at least in principle, with the above ideas. The potential for helping students is there. But looking at possible advantages of gaming, I am left with one glaring problem. How do we assess and measure students multitasking abilties? Their ability to solve complex problems and their communication skills? Lacking are appropriate assesments for these skill that we say can help students.
Are students really developing the skills they need? We all have the student who has mastered a particular game. This kid has poured over all of the manuels and cheat sheets they could find for their particular game. But they can't read a short story in English class and respond appropriately to a list of questions. There is a significant lack of skills transfer in many of our students. It can be aruged that many kids today are good at multitasking and even problem solving, but how is it that we can prove that in our current system of education, from elementary all the way to college?
Finally, I am going to just vent on this issue as it was brought up in Gibson. Communication Skills!! If gaming can help a student develop communication skills, where is it? Again, there is a lack of skill transfer. I am a firm believer in writing for writing sake. If places such as Myspace encourage kids to write, then I am all for it. But somewhere along the way, they need to be taught that they still need to learn academic writing skills. You can't talk about a skate park on the state writing test and use SK8 as an appropriate word. It makes my head hurt to grade any writing assignment I may give.
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Katie, you quoted many of the same lines as I did in Gibson, and you also have similar feelings about gaming/simulations in a classroom as I do. If the writing communication skills are improving so much with this technology, then why is it that my students can't write a simple short paragraph or a 2 page paper, or a journal entry with complete sentences and proper grammar and punctuation...and I teach COLLEGE!!! I am sorry to say that in my 30 years of teaching adults, I have never seen worse writing skills. But in defense of the new generation of learners, Gibson does say "...limited research has been conducted concerning gaming and its educational potential" (p. 151). So, maybe time will tell a different story than what I see right now...I hope.
Well, I AM offended! Just kidding. Good post, thank you. I love your question about whether students are developing the skills they need. Do you think that the modern educator has the skills THEY need to keep up with the students?
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