This presentation is part of a Master's course on Computer Assisted Language Learning at Victoria University of Wellington

1. SERIOUS GAMING 4
SERIOUS LEARNING
Bridging the gap?

2. What bridges?
 Digital immigrants  Digital Natives (Prensky
2001)
 Teaching styles
 Learning styles (Becker
 Formal learning 2006)
 Surface Learning  Informal learning
 Extrinsic motivation  Deep learning
 Direct instruction  Intrinsic motivation
 Linear modes  Inductive teaching style
 Inclusive, collaborative
modes
No single theory, different ways of learning & teaching

3. In a nutshell (Jonnassen, Wilson & grabinger,
1993)
Behaviourist game design Constructivist game design
 No extraneous information  Natural complexity and
content of language
 Simplifies comprehensibility
 Avoids oversimplification
 Reconstructs/replicates
knowledge  Present multiple
representation /
 Abstracts instruction perspectives
experience  Real world contexts
 Focuses on acquiring skills  Engages reflective
 Prescriptive sequences of practice
instruction  Offer open learning
 Supports individual learning environments

4. The situated perspective tenets
 Knowledge not an object, memory not a location
 Social interaction and negotiation in new
situations
 Learning happens in authentic contexts
 Bridges the artificiality of classroom learning to
real-life situations
 Knowledge construction through participation
 In given communities with specific
 Culture, Language (jargon included) & Tools

5. MUVEs & MMORPGS
 Multi-User Virtual Environments
 Massive Multi-user Online Role Play Games
 Add the 3d Component (≠ 2D – cards, chess)
 Users
evolve through an avatar (presence)
 Interact with the environment & often with other
MUVEs avatars MMORPGs
Freedom Objectives, rules and rewards
Social (Special Interest Groups = Competitive (individual, teams, guilds)
SIGs)
Creative
 Creative Communities of Practice

6. Some MMORPGs used in Edu
 MinecraftEdu widely used in
primary, secondary
 SecondLife soft and hard sciences
 WoW Both Secondary & Higher Ed
 Atlantis Remixed 9-16 y-o
 Civilization V

7. Gee’s Affordances (foreword in Reinders
2012)
A good game design include:
 Well-ordered problems
 Tools (and other players) to solve problems
 Learning by negotiating, building, sharing,
 Copious feedback to prepare for next stages, higher
level
 Next stages have new challenges (ZPD – cycle of
expertise)
 Playing & Learning through social interaction and
mentoring
 Two way narratives
 Reach standards in different ways
 Easy design so gamers can become designers
(See Jonassen 1994)

8. Challenges for educators
 Opportunity or disruption? – mechanics of
gameplay
 Learning to play versus learning language
 Requirements (hardware and human
resources, time)
 Institutional buy-in
 Curriculum Integration (alignment goals-
assessment)
 feedback, on-going assessment, formative vs
summative
 Needs more research & practice, check
livebinders
 See Stephen Thorne’s IATEFL 2012 Keynote
 Read this post of teacher of German using WoW

9. Further Readings:
 Becker, K., (2006) Games and Learning Styles, Academia.Edu [online]
 Brown, J.S., Collins, A. & Duguid, S. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture
of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-42.
 Jonassen, D.H., Wilson, B.G., Wang, S., & Grabinger, R.S. (1993).
Constructivist uses of expert systems to support learning. Journal of Computer-
Based Instruction, 20(3), 86-94.
 Kkorthagen F.A.J., (2010) Situate Learning Theory and the Pedagogy of
Teacher Education: Towards an integrative View of Teacher Behaviour and
Teacher Learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26 (pp98-106) [online]
 Lave, J., & Wenger, E., (1990). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral
Participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press
 Prensky M.,(2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, MCB
University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001
 Reeve J. K. (2010) . Constructivism and Its Application to Game-Based
Learning [online]
 Reinders, H. (2012) Digital Games in Language Learning and Teaching, New
Language Learning & Teaching Environments. Basingtoke, England: Palgrave
MacMillan
 Young, F. Y. (1993). Instructional Design for Situated Learning. Educational
Technology Research and Development, 41 (1), 43-57.

10. Second Life Platform
 3d MUVE, not a game
 Role Play is more than half of users’ activities
 Artists also promote their work
 Learning Higher Ed for simulation
 Language learning - CoPs & Slanguages
symposium
 Edunation, Virtlantis, Cypris Chat, Instituto
español, etc
 Simulation, explorations and treasure hunts
 French FL and VUW language program

11. VUW languages – Aims of
project

12. Pedagogical principles

13. Various Activities – levels of
competence
 Explorations, interviews, treasure hunts,
 Set lessons directed by the course outline

14. Student Impressions (survey)

15. Recommendations

16. Questions ?
 Edith.paillat@vuw.ac.nz