 Playstation Game that went Platinum I just read an article about “education should be like video games“ which of course I’m in rampant agreement with so long as the right lessons are learned from the video game industry, not the wrong ones.
First, Clayton Christianson and Michael Horn, welcome to the party. We like the exposure that you bring, you are mostly on track, it would be great if you could stay awhile and go from “passing through” to “deeply committed” to education. I’ve posted about Disrupting Class before.
Since I’ve actually gone platinum as a game producer and now spent most of the last decade in education, I bring some insight to the discussion.
The best insights from the game business to take into educational software is how we build challenges, direct attention, manage pace, encourage risk taking, and reward success. Grades can work as a motivating factor. So can silly music, happy animations, access to higher levels. Frankly, set up a meaningful challenge and provide a reward for achievement, most kids are very self-motivated.
How do we teach in the games business? Experientially! We don’t provide manuals or lectures. We let kids try and learn. Sega use to teach developers that the average game player liked to touch a button three times a second. The computer sets the expectation of interactivity. Break lectures, if necessary into 90 second segments. Brevity is everything. If you transcribe many lectures, you find the substance takes up a fraction, say a third or a quarter, of the content. Conventional pedagogy is to tell them what you are going to say, say it, repeat it, and then tell them what you’ve said. I think todays students respond much better to a different mantra. I’m only going to use ten sentences. Understand them. Period. No repetition. If you don’t get it, replay it.
Better yet, check first to see if they’ve got it and then only if they don’t, let them get access to some info. If they get something wrong, they die and get set back. How far do they get set back? Well, that is the magic and art of video games. Setting them back too far is frustrating. Just give them the same question and it encourages random button clicking.
Oops, this is turning itno a sponteneous magnus opus, bad idea. I’ll just reference a few items I’ve written before. I’ve quoted and written on Todays Kids, Engage or Enrage Me, and about learning games generally. If you want this finished….leave me a comment.
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