Courtney Nicholl

Annotated Bibliography

Technology in Education

Group Project

“Gaming in the Classroom”

Andrade, D. (July 2013). Shred It. Vol. 33 Issue 11, p. 42.

Technology in the classroom can be a positive experience for everyone. The world is becoming more and more reliant on technology and its advances instead of the old-fashioned way of doing things. Paperless teaching is becoming prevalent in the classroom. This concept of paperless teaching assists the concept of gaming in the classroom. Our society has ample access to tablets and hand-held devices that can be used to teach students core concepts in the classroom. Why not use applications on tablets that are games to make vague concepts concrete ones in the student’s eyes. Along with using devices to help students learn, this also helps the environment. The idea of teaching in a paperless classroom is becoming a realistic dream in our schools. The research of using technology supports the idea of games helping students learn. This article strongly supports the use of gaming in the classroom. It also supports the idea of gaming without the use of paper in the classroom. In my district, we are piloting programs that are paperless classrooms. Digital gaming is used everyday in those classrooms. This is a hot topic that people in the educational world are researching more and more.

Campbell, T., Dowdle, G., Shelton, B., Olsen, J.; Longhurst, M., Beckett, H. (2013). Gaming as a Platform for Developing Science Practices. Vol. 50 Issue 3, p. 90-98.

Teaching students new concepts in science is always a struggle in the classroom. New studies show that using technology, specifically gaming, proves that students learn better and faster when implemented in lesson plans. Using gaming in the classroom, helps specifically students who have difficulty in learning core concepts. Because games are fun and innovative, it is more than important to incorporate them in the classroom. Studies show that technology games in the classroom help to make cognitive advances in science because it encourages creative teaching. When educators focus on making learning interesting, fun and innovative, students learn and will want to learn. Creative teaching (gaming) is vital to successful learning in the classroom. In a society that is always racing to the top in science and math, it is a no wonder why using digital gaming in the classroom is being observed and researched. This article fully supports digital gaming in the classroom. The research proves that using digital gaming helps students to learn core concepts quicker and therefore supports the positive side of digital gaming in the classroom.

Gee, J., Levine, M. (March 2009). Welcome to Our Virtual Worlds. Vol. 66 Issue 6, p. 48-52.

Digital gaming in the classroom is becoming the new rave. In a world with SMARTboards and tablets and children being so involved with media, it’s a no wonder why educators are exploring the use of more technology in the classroom. The point that most researchers agree is that using digital gaming in the classroom is crucial to learning. If students are using all of the digital gaming and media outside of the classroom, why not incorporate it in the classroom with an educational spin? Research show that education digital gaming helps students who struggle with complex language skills. These games encourage speaking through generating vocabulary that is used in actual situations in life. These games are called “Webquests” and they generate role-playing games. Educators are noticing a decline with students coming to Kindergarten behind in social and speaking skills. These digital games help those students. In the older classrooms, digital gaming such as,”Sim City,” encourages students to learn in the realm of economics, social studies, and just general knowledge of how families and communities work. It is great to see how this research supports the idea of digital gaming in the classroom and in a paperless way.

Barack, L. (February 2007). Hangin’ with the Cool Kids. Vol. 53, Issue 2, pg. 22-23.

Macintosh has always been at the forefront with pushing the envelop with technology. When it comes to using digital gaming in the classroom, not only are the advocates, but they also have made their machines user-friendly and classroom-friendly. At a MacWorld meeting in January of 2007, Mac addressed educators specifically and helped them to understand how to use their devices in the classroom. Reseachers on the board of Macintosh showed teachers how to make simulated lesson plans. They proved that students learn better when they are hands-on and interested in what they are learning about. MacWorld showed teachers how to use their devices (iPods, iPads, and iPhones) in the classroom and also told them how to write grants to obtain these tools for their classroom. Being able to get devices into the classroom to use is key when the focus is digital learning and gaming. Apple has always strived to push the envelope when it comes to technology. The fact that they are also connecting to educators proves that there is a link between learning digitally and advances in technology.

Porcaro, J. (January 2012) New York Comic Con. Vol. 58, Issue 1, p. 20-21.

Digital gaming is all the rage in classrooms. But what are the benefits? Yes, the students will be involved because it is interactive, but at what cost? Ideally, the goal of using digital gaming to help students learn will be met and seen in the test scores, but at what cost? Ironically, researchers at a “gaming” conference in New York City in 2012, said that yes, digital gaming has great benefits with students. They are able to have fun while learning. Students are able to get their hands right in the middle of education. But, these gamer researchers also have a concern. Are students actually retaining the information that they are learning? We as educators need to make sure that students are yes, learning in a fun and digital way, but that literacy is the focus. When digital gaming is the goal and not literacy, the mark has been missed. There cannot be good digital gaming without the emphasis on literacy. Literacy and learning should be the optimum goal for classrooms, not necessarily digital gaming. With all of the positive research on digital gaming, it was good to read information on the negative research; especially from a group of people who are sold out on gaming and technology. This article supports the negative research with digital gaming because it stresses the fact that without literacy being the foundation and goal, digital gaming in the classroom is a moot point.

Chik, A. (April-June 2011). Pedigogies: An International Journal. “Digital gaming and social networking: An English teacher’s perceptions, attitudes and experiences.” Vol. 6, No. 2, p. 154-166.

Our students are more involved and accustomed to technology than ever before. This generation is so engrossed in social media and digital gaming that it is almost overwhelming. Research is starting to show that digital gaming is good for students who do not have great language skills. This helps these students to use everyday language and problem solving skills. The author of this article talked about using different digital resources like “YouTube” to make a Jeopardy game for learning for a test. Facebook was also used as a social students project. However, in all of the positive points of this article, it was discovered that there were some negative. Through using social media for learning, students declined in their ability to spell correctly. They tended to use more slang conversational writing skills in English. This article is a great one to read because it is on both sides of the fence. That is exactly what research does especially when you are observing and testing something so controversial as digital gaming in the classroom. The bottom line is that this article supports digital gaming in the classroom. It helps students to be creative with their learning style. It helps students to practice good social skills with the guidance of the teacher. Introducing digital gaming in the classroom means students can have fun with a hands-on twist and learn in the mean time. As an educator, that is always my goal in the classroom: students having fun and learning when they don’t expect it. This article is also excellent in that it cautions the educator. The caution is simple—make sure you as the teacher are implementing digital gaming as a supplement and don’t forget the root of all that is important to learning. The root of education is literacy, knowledge and understanding. Does this article support digital gaming in the classroom? It has both negative and positive sides beautifully argued.

Staiano, A., Calvert, S. (March 2012) Social Issues and Policy Review. “Digital Gaming

and Pediatric Obesity: At the Intersection of Science and Social Policy.” Vol. 6,

No. 1, p. 54-81.

With the entire positive impact that digital gaming can have in the classroom, there is an argument that students use it too much outside of the classroom and they do not need to have more of it at school. This article addresses just that. Yes, there are positive sides to digital gaming, but at what cost? The rise of childhood obesity has both doctors and educators concerned that students participate in too much digital gaming. In the United States alone, one-third of our children are obese. This raises eyebrows and makes doctors start to research the cause. The biggest culprit of this rise in obesity is digital gaming. After students sit all day at school at their desks, they go home and sit down to play games either on a gaming console, computer or tablet. This is entirely too much time sitting. These students struggle when it comes to learning how to interact socially. Too much time spent with digital gaming does not allow students to explore the world around them. Digital gaming also does not help students to learn to focus for ling periods of time. Most games last 10-15 minutes. Because of that, students are only able to focus for short amounts of time in the classroom. This struggle with digital gaming and obesity carries over to the classroom. Students have too much time at home digital gaming and sitting down. Should we as educators incorporate digital gaming in the classroom as well? Should we play in to the fact that students are digressing socially and physically because of digital gaming? This article shows the negative impact of digital gaming in the classroom because of the fact that students are so involved with it already at home.

Fabricatore, C., Lopez, X. (July 2012) Electronic Journal of e-learning. “Sustainability

Learning through Gaming: An Exploratory Study.”

This article addresses why digital gaming is important for learning in the classroom because of the sustainability of the information that students learn. Children learn in many different ways, but the one way that they all need to practice learning in is problem solving. Digital gaming really helps students to take ownership of their own learning. They are able to learn creatively and put practical 21^st century skills in use. With this world of digital gaming introduced in the classroom, students are able to grow their understanding of core concepts into more complex concepts. As an educator this is very important to me. The fact that digital gaming in the classroom has a place for all types of learners is very positive research. This article went on to talk about the importance of always gathering data about the digital gaming used in the classroom. Without the purpose of digital gaming in the classroom clearly stated, there is no point to actually implement this in the classroom. This article clearly supports digital gaming in the classroom. It is excellent in that it provided graphs and charts. Studying the charts that were given to the reader really solidified their argument about the positive that digital gaming can have in the day-to-day classroom.

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