Barbour, M. K., Evans, M., & Toker, S. (2009, March). Making sense of video games: Pre-service teachers struggle with this new medium. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education, Charleston, SC. This next generation of students has had exposure to digital media far more than any previous generation, particularly video games. Almost daily, news outlets report the latest news on the evils of video games, how much children are playing video games, the potential of video games, and the list just goes on. In this presentation, the researchers explore how pre-service teachers make sense of a commercially purchased video game and its role in classroom teaching.

1. Gaming and the Pre-Service
Teacher
Dr. Michael Barbour
Wayne State University
Mr. Mark Evans
Gainesville State College
Mr. Sacip Toker
Wayne State University

3. Description of Class
• It was open to all majors
in the University
• Gender breakdown: 4
women 16 men
• Racial breakdown: All
students were White save
for one who was of Asian
descent.
• SES: All students were
from middle class
backgrounds and above

4. Description of the Course
• Course took place Winter
Session 2007
• Course examined using role
play and video gaming in the
social studies classroom
• Students had to play a video
game over the course of the
semester
• Students participated in a One
Minute History project with
high school students
• Students had to create a
homemade PowerPoint game
that covered 8th Grade GPS

5. Video Game Journal
• After the students
chose the game they
had to keep a journal
• Journal consisted of
directed questions
asked by the instructors
• Students would answer
the questions in WebCT
and respond to one
another

6. Some Questions Asked Were:
• Why did you select the particular game that you purchased? What
are your first impressions of playing the game?
• Have someone of the opposite gender, not in this class, play your
game for at least one (1) hour. Based on your reading of Dickey and
that person's experiences, how is your game perceived by the
opposite gender?
• Based on your reading of Gee and your own game play
experience, have you experienced the things that Gee has described?
Explain.
• Squires completed his Ph.D. dissertation on using Civilization in
middle school and high school history classrooms, can your game
be used in a social studies classroom? If so, how? If not, why not?
Be specific and use both the Georgia Performance Standards and
the National Council of Social Studies standards in your discussion.

7. From The Journals
Seven Themes Emerged
• Game Preference
• Educational Value of the Game
• Learning and Game Play
• Good Games and Their Characteristics
• Bad Games and Their Characteristics
• Game Components
• Gender Issues In Gaming

8. Game Preference
• Competition Among
Friends
• Type of Gaming System
they had available
• Will the Game Fit For
Their Purpose For Class
• Previous Knowledge Of
Game (Halo
Series, Tiger Woods
Golf)

9. Educational Value of the Game
• They Believe Gaming
Gives Computer
Confidence
• Get Across Difficult
Concepts In A Way That
Is Meaningful and Long
Lasting
• Applies “Real Life”
Pressure In A Safe
Environment

10. Learning and Game Play
• Great For Factual
Learning
(Vocabulary, Dates)
• Teach Higher Order
Thinking Skills (Problem
Solving)
• Build Community and
Team Work In
Multiplayer Mode

11. Good Games and Their Characteristics
• Detail Of the Game
• The More
Challenging, the Better
(Reality of Challenges)
• Well Designed A.I.
Makes the Game
Accessible To the Player

12. Bad Games and Their Characteristics
• Baby Sitting Purposes
(No Challenge)
• Must Have Clear Goals
and Objectives
• Use of Profanity For
Shock and Not Part of
Plot Movement

13. Game Components
• First Was Features
(Controls, Narration, Cle
ar Instructions)
• Second Was Content
(Will This Cover A
Standard)
• Third Was Rules (What
Was the Degree of
Reality)

14. Gender Issues In Gaming
• Women Have Different
Motor Skills Than Men
• Women Spatially
Challenged With Some
Games
• Women’s Motivation
Increased With the
Availability of Women
Playable Characters
• Women Love the Wii

15. Conclusions
• Pre-Service Teachers • Games Must Have Clear
Feel Strongly That Goals and Accessible
Games Are An Controls To Be Useful
Important Part of • Not All Games Are
Learning In A 21st Beneficial For
Century Classroom Classroom Use
• Issues of Gender Need • Games Can Build
To Be Addressed In Community
Gaming • More Research Needs
• Games Do Fit In The To Be Done In This Area
Curriculum

16. We Welcome Your Questions