EUN VISUAL IDENTITY



The Games in Schools Community of Practice

Derek Robertson

National Adviser for Emerging Technologies and Learning Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) – 19.06.2009

Summary description

Introduction

This report summarises the activity, and in particular, the focus discussion topics that were featured in European Schoolnet’s online community of practice (gamesinschools.), launched on a Ning platform on March 23rd 2009. Its' primary purpose was to especially encourage teachers not involved in using digital games as learning tools in schools begin to engage with the ideas associated with this practice, as well as act as a central resource for debate and the sharing of ideas between European partners involved with games based learning projects in schools. The Games in Schools Ning was launched in the weeks leading up to European Schoolnet's Games in Schools conference, that took place on the 5 May 2009 in the Agora Building of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Members

To date there are 548 members of the Games in Schools Ning. Almost every European country is represented and there is also representation from interested parties that are as far afield as Australia and America. Members joined the Games in Schools Ning as a result of being directly invited or by hearing about the developing community on various channels such as Twitter, blogs etc.

Features of the Ning

The main thrust of the Games in Schools Ning was to encourage debate and to share practice via the discussion forums. However, other facilities such as the sharing photographs and video upload added an extra dimension to the community as it allowed us to share the still and moving visuals of the various projects that colleagues were involved with.

Discussion Topics

In the weeks leading up to the Games in Schools Conference a weekly focused discussion topic was released to the community. Members were notified of the discussion topic by means of a broadcast email that was sent to every member of the Ning community. The discussion topics were devised by the community's moderator, Derek Robertson (LTS), and partly chosen in relation to the issues dealt with in European Schoolnet's Games in Schools Handbook, soon to be published. The topics covered included definitions, examples, benefits, and issues of concern related to games based learning. Other topics addressed were commercial of the shelf games versus bespoke educational games, and the existing evidence base and future of games based learning.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION 1

Introduction 1

Members 1

Features of the Ning 1

Discussion Topics 1

Topic 1: Definitions of games based learning and thoughts on its increased profile in schools 4

Week beginning: Monday 23 March 2009 4

Number of replies: 15 4

Topic 2: How are you using games in schools? What examplesfrom all ages can you share with us to show how games have been integrated into learning? 7

Week beginning: Monday 30 March 2009 7

Number of replies: 19 7

Topic 3: What do you know or believe to be the benefits of games based learning in schools? How might its appropriate use impact on the cognitive and affective development of learners? 14

Week beginning: Monday 6 April 2009 14

Number of replies: 5 14

Topic 4: What issues of concern are there in relation to games based learning that may prevent or inhibit their use in classrooms? 18

Week Beginning: Monday 13 April 2009 18

Number of replies: 18 18

Topic 5: What evidence base is there that shows if, and how, games based learning can have a positive impact on teaching and learning? 21

Week beginning: Monday 20 April 2007 21

Number of replies: 7 21

Topic 6: Can bespoke GBL resources compete with commercially available off the shelf games that are now being used in classrooms? 24

Week beginning: Monday 27 April 2009 24

Number of replies: 12 24

Topic 7: What does the future hold for games based learning in schools? 28

Week beginning: Monday 4 May 2009 28

Number of replies: 2 28

Concluding remarks 29

Topic 1: Definitions of games based learning and thoughts on its increased profile in schools

Week beginning: Monday 23 March 2009

Number of replies: 15

In order to begin the series of weekly focus discussion topics it was decided that defining what might be meant by the term ‘Games Based Learning’ would be a good place to start for the members of the Game in Schools Ning. There is no hard and fast established definition of this term/practice and no doubt the approaches applied in this field, and the particular contextual perception of what the term can mean, were likely to differ widely throughout the participating community members.

The headline forum question was phrased in the following way:

“What is your definition of games based learning and what do you think may be contributing to the ground swell in practice and interest in the use of games based learning in schools? Do you think perceptions of games based learning have changed in recent times?”

Responses from the community

The first response to this discussion topic came from Ben Williamson (researcher at Futurelab, England) who offered a thought provoking take on the topic in question. Tempered with some degree of caution about the need for schools to be careful of how corporate companies can try to seduce education by over-emphasising what a game can do for learners:

''The concern I have about a lot of the existing arguments about the benefits of games is that they do, in fact, end up talking about "skills" as if playing games itself is enough to "re-skill" society. OK, I'm convinced that gaming requires skills development. But when the argument quickly come down to assertions such as "games will help your kids succeed in the 21st century" I find myself confused. Is that it? Games are just a seductive mechanism for sneaking a few skills into kids? Games are so good at skilling kids up that the world of business and the economy will end up transformed? It's fishy and overly deterministic. And it's easy to understand why that kind of argument is popular with the big commercial organisations: the skills games apparently provide just happen to be the same skills that commercial organisations say they need in new employees! Maybe that's a conspiracy theory too far, but when I attend major games industry events and am told by major keynote speakers from major corporates that games are perfect platforms for learning skills, I get suspicious.”

However, Ben was also keen to offer his perception of what a definition can mean when he stated that the best examples of games based learning he has seen “come from enthusiastic, gifted teachers who are applying the use of games to genuine educational aims. In that sense, the best definition of game-based learning is: The use of games as resources to support the aims of clever, professional and committed teachers who care about the children they teach and understand that games are an important medium in children's lives.”

This point drew responses from various members of the community who concurred with this emphasis on the role of the teacher being so important in the appropriate and successful application of games based learning to address particular educational outcomes:

Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) responded by saying, “at the heart of it (games based learning) though is the desire to create the context/ethos in schools in which the creative teachers that you speak of feel confident enough and have the appropriate support to take informed risks with games to help address their ideas to take learners forward. Your definition is one that rightly, in my opinion, puts the teacher at the heart of this practice.''

The importance of the role of the teacher was also emphasised by Dawn Hallybone (primary school teacher, England), “I feel games based learning should be about teachers using tools to enable good teaching that enhances the education of the children. It also engages those that may be 'turned off' by the traditional methods of teaching. We all learn in different ways, as good teachers are aware” and by Margaret Cassidy (primary school teacher, Scotland) who offered this comment about how her definition has been influenced by the practice that she has seen happening in the schools that she supports: “Games based learning to me means using games as a 'hook' to motivate and excite children (and teachers) in their learning. I have been privileged to see this first hand and love to see children who are eager to talk to you about their learning; I do not believe in using gaming 'just for the sake of it' but feel, if used in the correct context, can be a very powerful tool for learning.”

The concept of games based learning being something that was very much wrapped up in the excellent and informed practice of a teacher, seemed to be a popular one. However Eleni Kyraki (secondary school teacher, Greece) did not subscribe to this developing definition of practice when she argued “A game can be didactic, but is something to do in your free time. In any case it is not compatible with the every day school routine in an average school.”

Other attempts at defining what might be meant by the term Games Based Learning came from:

Alexa Joyce (European Schoolnet, Belgium) “For me game-based learning is the acquisition of new skills / competence through a playful experience, based on a set of commonly agreed rules. The rules are at the very least agreed between the game designer and player, but can be agreed between players where you have more than one. It doesn't have to involve electronic/digital environments; game-based learning can be anywhere/how...''

and Roto Giacomo (primary school teacher, Italy) “My “definition” of games based learning is strictly related with my professional experience as teacher in a primary school. Playing is a natural activity for young learners (and not only for younger ones, I think...). In my daily activities I use simple games as simulation, role-play....(I’m a language teacher) because pupils need to use language in a stimulating and interesting context and, according to this, videogames are a sort of natural, technological “evolution” of gaming itself. Games develop a kind of learning closer to pupils characteristics than the symbolic reconstructive one. But are games for pupils only?

The last summer I attended a course in Norwich, at Nile’s (Norwich Institute of Language Education, UK) where we played many different games during our learning activities, games tailored not specifically for kids but for adult learners. After months and months, I clearly remember each game and, especially, my learning outputs and reflections about processes active in all the games played. I realized that “learning by playing” is not only kids stuff.”

The community did not appear to come to any general consensus about what a definition of games based learning might be. It appears that those involved in games based learning in schools are still very much trying to articulate what a definition of this practice might be, but there is a feeling that the most appropriate and effective practice seems to be directly linked to the way in which a teacher is able to make links from a game to the planned experiences of learners.

Topic 2: How are you using games in schools? What examplesfrom all ages can you share with us to show how games have been integrated into learning?

Week beginning: Monday 30 March 2009

Number of replies: 19

Our attempts in the first discussion forum at establishing a working definition of games based learning led us to consider the importance of the role of the teacher in the games based learning interaction that might occur in schools. The focus of this forum discussion topic offered those teachers the chance to talk about how they are using games based learning in their own particular context.

The supplementary question that teased out this discussion topic also referred to material sourced from the forthcoming teachers' handbook about games based learning from European Schoolnet. The introductory discussion post was as follows:

The application of games in schools and how we can continue to help articulate what effective practice in this area actually means is the main aim of this forum. This particular discussion would like to explore the many and varied ways in which colleagues are using games in the teaching and learning context. We’d love to know just what it is you are doing with games….

Are you using :

• commercial off the shelf games that might be available for the console and handheld market leaders?

• games that have a bespoke design so that their use has a clear educational purpose built in?

• applications that allow the learner/player to become the creator of their own environments/game experience thus allowing them to become the creators and not just the consumers of games?

• Serious Games, those designed not for fun but for education and training purposes? If so, which ones and how are using them?

• virtual worlds or MMORPG environments with your pupils?

As well as using these starters to kick-start the debate I would also like to take the opportunity to make reference to material from European Schoolnet's forthcoming Teachers' Handbook, to widen the debate.

Extract from Digital Games in schools: A handbook for teachers (European Schoolnet, 2009)

''Successful applications of educational games

Video games have already been used for training, educational or therapeutic purposes. The following lists some of the most common use of serious games.

1.1.1 Military and Firefighter Training

In the military sector, MMORPGs are used not only to recruit soldiers but also to teach them strategic skills. For example, Americas’ Army has been employed to recruit soldiers and as a training resource by the American government. It is now available as a commercial video game, which has been significantly successful.

1.1.2 Fitness, Mental and Physical Health

The technology available for 3D-based video games has made it possible to create highly realistic environments and simulations. This remarkable level of detail has been employed to cure post-traumatic stress or phobias (Emmelkamp et al., 2001 ). When they are immersed in a safe, yet realistic environment, patients can learn to cope with their fears while feeling in control. Video games have also been used to relax patients before surgery to decrease their apprehension. Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit have recently been used and assessed for their potential to improve health and fitness and it was shown that, when used as part of a balance lifestyle. These consoles can help to improve fitness and general health (ISSA: International Sports Sciences Association, 2007 ). Video games have also been used successfully for adults with chronic illnesses.

1.1.3 Learning by Creating Video Games

Experiments have been conducted, through which students were required to create their own video games using a game engine. These initiatives made it possible for students to understand programming principles, while collaborating with other peers. For example, the game engine Game Maker is used in several schools. It consists of intuitive drag’n’drop tools to create 2D and 3D video games which can then be uploaded on the editor’s website and made available for download. This type of development tool benefits technical and collaborative skills and the creation of online communities.

1.1.4 Mobile Development and Augmented Reality

Using augmented reality, it is possible to obtain relevant information on one’s surrounding environment through a digital device (e.g. helmet or mobile phone). Due to their popularity, handheld devices have been combined to augmented reality in projects where mobility and location were significant factors for learning activities. For example, in Savannah, a strategy-based adventure game, children use their mobile phone, and have to successfully adopt strategies followed by lions to survive . Similarly, in the Museum Augmented Reality Quest (MARK), players are equipped with a handheld game console. They visit a museum and are asked to complete tasks and challenges. The handheld console is used to provide them with additional information on artefacts found in the museum and to virtually interact with them (Schmalstieg and Dieter, 2007 ).

1.1.5 Raising Awareness

Video games have been used to raise awareness and to help discussing topics that can be taboo, such as pollution, environmental threats, sexual health or bullying. For example, in the recently developed video game Global Conflicts: Latin America , the player impersonates a journalist who leads an investigation to uncover the causes and consequences of industrial pollution in South America. Likewise, in the video game Darfur is Dying, players impersonate refugees in Darfur camps. Through their journey, players are lead to understand the horror of genocide.

1.1.6 Learning History

Video games have been used in primary and secondary schools to illustrate concepts in science, history or geography. For example, the video game Civilization III was used in American schools to teach history (Squire, 2004 ). Similar experiments were carried out in Danish schools (Egenfeldt-Nielsen, 2005 ) using Europa Universalis II.''

The above are some examples of how games have been used.

Please share your experience with the community. No doubt there are some hidden gems of excellent games based learning practice out there....

Responses from the community

As the responses came in to this discussion forum it became clear that there were three developing approaches being used by community members. These were:

1. Application of Commercial off the shelf (COTS) games

2. Games design applications

3. The use of bespoke educational games

The application of commercial off the shelf games proved to be quite a common approach. Some might describe this approach to games based learning as one that sees a game that was designed for entertainment, not education, being retro-fitted to fit a particular educational outcome. Some of the responses elaborating on this particular aspect of games based learning were as follows:

1. Commercial off the shelf games

Dawn Hallybone (primary school teacher, England) described how her school has been trying to implement an approach using Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training for the Nintendo DS. This practice was inspired by a research project carried out by Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Consolarium initiative, although this approach differed from the original project as Dawn’s school had attempted to “use thirty (DS) consoles with 340 pupils.”

Rich Ollyot (Scotland) described a range of commercial off the shelf games that he has been using in his primary school setting: “One class has undertaken a project using Endless Ocean on the Wii as the stimulus. This was in place of a project, which looked at classification of animals, as obviously this could be incorporated through the marine life that you discover in Endless Ocean. The project has evolved (like some of the animals?) to look at environmental issues, maths coordinates, map reading and mapping skills, debates, letters, story writing, etc etc. This class are also involved with Moving Image Education and so there has been overlap with this area also.

Wii Sports has been utilised in Maths lessons... average, totalling, find the difference, how much more etc, in Golf and Baseball mostly.

Myst 3 ( as inspired by Tim Rylands) has been used for Imaginative Story Writing, especially looking at scene, character and setting.

We have also used Buzz! The Schools Quiz!''

Paul Hollins also referenced the Tim Rylands’ Myst work and he also talked about a project that he had seen in America that had used Grand Theft Auto “being used in a social science context to discuss gang culture and behaviour”, although there was no online reference available for community members to follow up and further investigate this link.

Jo Barcas Buchan (first year primary school teacher, Scotland) talked about the work that she had been doing with Nintendogs for the Nintendo DS. “I'm just coming to the end of 3 months using the Nintendogs package with a P2 class in Aberdeenshire. We've had an amazing time, and the learning has been far richer than I could have planned for. Not only have the children learnt about taking responsibility for something, they have also developed team building and communication skills (written and oral). The confidence to just have a go, and the motivation that this context has provided for the children has been fantastic to see.”

Margaret Cassidy (primary school teacher, Scotland) talked about a number of games titles that she has been working with in schools throughout the Local Educational Authority in which she works. These titles included Endless Ocean (Wii), Wild Earth African Safari (Wii), Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training (DS), Guitar Hero World Tour (Xbox360, PS2/3) as well as Moshi Monsters. Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) added some links that helped showcase some of this practice coming from Scottish schools.

Brendan O’Leary (England) also talked about a Guitar hero project that he was working on in his school. Inspired by the work that was carried out in schools in Aberdeenshire, in conjunction with Learning and Teaching Scotland’s Consolarium initiative, he talked about how the game had allowed him to explore a whole range of technology aspects in the associated contextual learning: “We're in the middle of a Guitar Hero project, based on the ones that ran in the Aberdeenshire schools a while ago (We're a Y6 class (10-11 year-olds) in Warrington). So far we've created rock star personas(and created biogs for them), designed adverts for instruments and recorded our own songs. We've managed to incorporate GImp2, Audacity, Comic Life and Movie Maker, with Excel and Data Loggers coming in soon. You can see the project unfolding on our public VLE page here...



Love to hear your thoughts and maybe discuss future projects. This was initially set up as a collaboration between schools, though unfortunately it hasn't panned out that way so far.”

2. Games design applications

Many other community members posted examples of how they are using applications that enable learners to become game designers. Members posting to discuss this approach included:

Petr Naske (secondary school teacher, Czech Republic) I am teaching Game Maker in our school, mostly boys aged from 10 till 14, they are very interested in creating games.

Chris C (secondary school teacher, England) talked of two applications that he uses to explore games design with his pupils these were:

*Scratch ( ) which is really about control and sequencing, however, we get students to create interactive games in Year 7(11-12 year-olds) as a sparking the gap unit, building on Primary school.

*Alice () again a programming application which teaches sequencing and Object Oriented Programming in a visual and fun way. Based around the SIMS, you can build some really fun interactive apps. Again, we get students to build a fully working game.

CJ3 (secondary school teacher, France) also talked of using Gamemaker: “We use GameMaker and MissionMaker to give pupils the chance to create computer games at KS3. In fact I am doing a research project on it so would be glad to make contact with any secondary schools who are delivering games authoring as part of their formal ICT curriculum.”

Tony Harkins (secondary school teacher, Scotland) also talked of using Scratch and Gamemaker but he mentioned some other tools that allow his learners to create and manipulate the games that they can play in class. These were:

“Level editors then give pupils experience of designing different types of game graphically. Pupils use Atmosphir (still in beta) to design a platform game. The latest version has added keys and doors and more enemies so pupils love avoiding the fire breathing chickens and flying around using the Turbo boost. During construction, the pupils are continually building and testing their level. If it is too hard, they make it more achievable and vice versa. There is a huge amount of sharing and cross testing of levels.

Then we use Trackmania Nations, to design a racing track. Again, pupils are involved in a constant cycle of plan, design, test and evaluate. The fact that they can then race their classmates on their own track is an added bonus.

I’ve now installed and plan to trial Sauerbraten, , for designing an FPS level. Pressing the E key in game will switch to edit mode and I found 9 very good videos showing the basics of level design at this link from Youtube.'' Although it must be said that Tony was sensitive to issues associated with a resource such as this by adding this line to his thread, “Are there moral issues to be grappled with as soon as shooting is involved?”

3. Bespoke educational games

Colleagues who described their work using bespoke educational games or referenced resources that they found useful included:

oel Josephson (England) referenced an alternate reality game (ARG) game aimed at developing Modern Foreign Languages: “I am a partner in the first instance of an Alternate Reality Game - called the Tower of Babel being used to promote language learning in secondary school students, its goal is motivational rather than direct learning; why it is good to learn languages.

Ben Williamson (researcher at Futurelab, England) talked of a research project carried out by Futurelab that aimed at making a game that had clear curricular learning intentions built in to the game design and experience. “We ran a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) project a few years ago with a prototype car-racing game called Racing Academy. The aim was for learners to modify and race cars, and then to analyse the telemetric data in order to improve their future performance. As I say, it was a prototype, but the simulation was built by high-end games designers and we got a group of 20 GSCE students (aged 14-15) to help test, refine, and evaluate it (it was subsequently used in another project with FE and HE learners on advanced engineering courses). There were lots of really positive outcomes. Students started to develop a really sophisticated understanding of engineering principles and began analysing complex telemetry; they used these understandings iteratively to constantly try out new set-ups and then to review their performance; and they seemed to enjoy it too. Of course, what really made the project work was the fact we were working in a real classroom, with a top-notch science and engineering teacher who could support the students throughout by linking the game and the data to real-world contexts, objects and concepts. Game + teacher = good work. Sadly, the prototype is now defunct, but I'd imagine a number of science and engineering teachers making really clever use of any future car racing game that was explicit about telemetric data analysis etc. What the game allowed students to do was try out concepts in practice (simulated practice, obviously) and make real-world connections as a result of careful planned teaching linked closely to specific course outcomes. Not all game-based learning has to be so closely connected to the curriculum, but it seems to work best when teachers are clear about intended outcomes.''

Eleni Kyraki (secondary school teacher, Belgium) referenced games that she has used that have been designed to address learning in Physics: “I have used in my physics lessons to higher classes of seconday level the Interactive material integrated to the curriculum developed by Wolfgang Christian and Mario Belloni under the name Physlets (...)

It includes examples and problems based on observations, interactions, estimations and calculations. It includes some games too. They combine the conventional educational characteristics with the modern form of the computer games.''

And finally we had Roto Giacomo (primary school teacher, Italy) who talked about bespoke games that he has used in his practice: “I’m a language teacher and I use many different games (computer games above all) in my activities. In these years I bought many licenses of “Kids Wordbank 1-2” (Oxford University Press - available only for the Italian market), “Wordbird in Wordland” (Academy Prentice Hall) and “Zak’s Wordgames” (Longman). I prepared a small resource, a kind of “Navigation Diary) where pupils have a target, record their score and take awareness of their results (see attachment here:). “Kids Wordbank” and “Wordbird” have clear educational and training purposes, but “Zak’s” is an interesting mix between a videogame and an educational game, because it uses adventure themes to present language in context. My pupils are very fond of it! These games are useful, in my opinion, because interactivity mechanisms allow players to set the levels of difficulty, according to their skills and knowledge: each pupil has a goal to reach, goals different from each others.”

It was evident from the range of responses to this discussion topic that games based learning in schools have a rich and varied application. This is possibly why it was difficult to come to some kind of agreed definition in the first focus discussion topic.

Topic 3: What do you know or believe to be the benefits of games based learning in schools? How might its appropriate use impact on the cognitive and affective development of learners?

Week beginning: Monday 6 April 2009

Number of replies: 5

The supplementary question that teased out this discussion topic also referred to material sourced from European Schoolnet's forthcoming handbook about games based learning. The introductory discussion post was as follows:

This weeks focus topic is all about what we know or believe to be the benefits of using games based learning in schools. If I can kick things off, my experience has been that if appropriate games are applied in an informed way then the benefits to teaching and learning can be many. We have seen positive impact on the following:

• attainment

• relationships

• social-cohesion and enhanced collegiality in class

• self-image and self-efficacy

• attitudes to learning and to school

I intend to submit examples of what we have found over the course of this week. No doubt you have experiences to share in regard to this particular discussion topic. As with last week I include a section of European Schoolnet's forthcoming handbook that directly discusses possible benefits of games based learning.

Extract from Digital Games in schools: A handbook for teachers (European Schoolnet, 2009)

"Video games include several implicit educational benefits. They can develop cognitive, spatial and motor skills and help improving ICT skills. They can be employed to teach facts (e.g. knowledge, recall, rote learning or memorization), principles (e.g. cause and effect relationship), complex problem solving, to increase creativity or to provide practical examples of concepts and rules that would be difficult to illustrate in the real world. They can be particularly useful to perform experiments that could be dangerous in real life such as the use of hazardous chemicals.

Despite their instructive features, not all video games are built with learning objectives in mind, however they all possess intrinsic learning qualities that challenge and foster learners’ cognitive abilities. Video games are based on the precept that players need to learn, to memorize, to collaborate, to explore or to obtain additional information to progress further in the game. Playing is learning and one of the main advantages of video games is their ability to let players learn in a challenging environment, where they can make mistakes and learn by doing. These types of environments might be particularly suited to pupils who are pragmatic. These pupils might prefer to go through the process of experimenting, instead of regurgitating information. Such an experience should help them to better understand some concepts that they might otherwise perceive as complicated or boring.

Video games promote genuine collaboration between users, and are, to some extent, similar to collaborative learning environments or collaborative working environments, where participants share information and learn from each other (e.g. Computer Supported Collaborative Working environments). Multiplayer video games develop both competition and collaboration, by motivating players to join teams (or guilds) and to compete against other teams. For example in MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games), players can create teams and share information through text, voice and learn by observing other players. Beginners can learn from their peers and improve their skills.

Video games can have an emotional impact on players; they can increase players’ self-esteem (provided that proper monitoring is applied) and let them engage in social activities. Playing can have a calming effect on participants and, like in any other entertaining activities (e.g. movies), players feel a wide range of emotions, but in a safe and controlled environment. Emotions experienced during play can vary through joy, empathy, anger, frustration, or victory. This succession of emotions tends to keep the players immersed. Furthermore, studies have shown that emotions can help the memorization process, especially if the emotional content or tone of the material to be learnt matches the emotions of the learner. Video games, because they induce different emotions in the player, might help to remember facts more vividly and hence, help the cognitive process. Video games can increase players’ self-confidence. This is achieved by keeping success within their reach (e.g. winnability), by making sure that the learning curve is suitable to their skills and by providing feedback on their progress."

Please feel free to share your experiences and thoughts in this area with colleagues.

Responses from the community

The first person to submit a response to this discussion topic was Linda Giannini (Italy) who posted a link to her project material. It was argued within these materials that this project "lays the groundwork for a constructive opening to the external world through the Internet and it enables adults to check what level of comprehension has been achieved with relation to the differences between reality, imagination and "virtual reality".

Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) posted a response that introduced a project that he had been leading in Scottish schools using Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training. Derek argued that his work had shown impact on the cognitive and affective domains of the children that were involved in this study.

''One of the projects that we carried out in Scotland began way back in January 2007. I had been playing the DR Kawashima Brain Training game on my Nintendo DS from the March of 2006 and found myself continually playing this so that I could get my Brain Age down to 20 ands so that I could open all the games that were hidden. This I did after much frustrating fun! As I played it I reflected on how the game made me feel as a player and as a learner. I was impressed at how the many aspects of it seemed to mirror could educational design:

* The encouraging mentor in the form of Dr Kawashima: always optimistic, always encouraging, he never made feel as though I had failed

* The player profile: I could see how I was performing and from this I could see that I had goals and targets to achieve. These goals and targets were almost implicitly negotiated and agreed between me and the game so that I could and would achieve them

* Success and persistence rewarded with my profile being enhanced and with other games being made available to me

* A sense that I had improved my performance in a range of numeracy and literacy and problem solving scenarios...in being good at the game I had improved at so much else.

This last observation made me think about how this game might have a similar effect on school pupils. I managed to put in place an initial trial of this, which can be viewed at our webpage.

The results of this initial enquiry and the subsequent questions that it raised led to an extended study last year. The results of this are now being written up but a summary of them can be viewed here.

We found evidence of clear and statistically significant impact on the mental maths attainment of children aged 9/10 as a result of playing this game for a short period of time first thing in the morning for a 10-week period. Amongst other things we found anecdotal evidence of impact on self-esteem, attitude to school and to the social impact in the classroom. As a result of what we did you will now find the Dr Kawashima game and the methodology that we employed now being used in very many schools across Scotland.''

Mick (Northern Ireland) responded to this thread to emphasise his belief that the biggest impact there was in relation to games based learning was that of enhanced/improved motivation to engage with learning. “I think the benefits of using computer-based gaming in a school context are likely to be similar to any engaging stimulus that motivates learners to take ownership of what they are doing. For all of the reasons mentioned in the earlier discussions, gaming is going to be perceived as a preferred activity by many pupils, and therefore can be a useful vehicle for drawing them in to learning. And I'm not thinking only of the disenchanted, but also of the scope for already engaged learners to extend their repertoire by using the functionality of online tools and environments.''

Jo Barcas Buchan (primary school teacher, Scotland) submitted a post that discussed her perception of the impact on learning in her P.2 class with a Nintendogs project. Jo talked about the impact experienced by young learners in her classin developing independence and making choices, but also on how such a context had positively impacted on her pupils' numeracy and literacy skills. “I've just come to the end of a term using Nintendogs with my P2 class, and have been discussing the project with the class to ask their opinions of the benefits of games based learning. The 2 main strands that emerged were the children saw that they themselves have developed teamwork skills, and that the collaborative nature of the project had enriched the experience. The second strand that I saw was that the children had relished the real choice that Nintendogs had given them. Through discussion it became clear that the children were not referring to the actual physical choice as to when they picked up the console and played, but to the fact that during the game they had total choice and control over the game play. There have also been clearly identifiable gains in numeracy for my class, with some children now able to use place value up to thousands, all children able to compare amounts of money far in excess of that used in their stage of the maths progression in school, and all able to order larger numbers than expected. On the last day of the project we tallied scores and the children were able to order numbers from 2000 up to 15000 with great confidence. Verbal and written communication skills have also been positively impacted, with children motivated to write and confident to express opinions and give instructions to others.”

Topic 4: What issues of concern are there in relation to games based learning that may prevent or inhibit their use in classrooms?

Week Beginning: Monday 13 April 2009

Number of replies: 18

One of the most important aspects when engaging with any change mechanism within the school setting, particularly with technologies, is the need to address just how we can appropriately communicate the message that informed practice is helping to design and drive the ‘new ideas’ that schools can try in the teaching and learning context. This discussion topic was aimed at teasing out just what, if any, the negative perceptions of games based learning may be and what colleagues have done to address this. The main discussion topic question was teased out further as follows:

There are still some issues of concern about the use of games based learning in classrooms. What do you feel these issues may be and what does a community such as this need to do to help address the concerns that teachers, parents and society may have about games based learning? Also, what has been your experience in terms of issues that have proven to be inhibitive/restrictive in relation to what you have tried to do with games based learning?

Responses from the community

Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) was first to contribute to this particular focus discussion topic. His experience appears to be one that has made it necessary for him to focus some of his energies into counteracting the negative image that computer games has a result of how they are portrayed in the media at large. He offered a recent example from the UK that highlighted how a government children’s health campaign: “In my view, one of the biggest challenges that supporters of games based learning face is how they can combat the perpetuating negative image that the media in general likes to revert to whenever games and young learners are linked. A recent example of this from the UK involved a government health campaign showing a young boy playing a PS3 with the strapline 'Risk an early DEATH. Just do nothing'. I wrote a blogpost about this that links to the advert. I for one do not believe that the young boy featured in the advert is playing a PS3 game!''

Margaret Cassidy (primary school teacher, Scotland) made reference to the main thread of that post by sharing with the community her experience of how an engaging game called Moshi Monsters that she was using with a class of 6 year olds caused an issue in a parent’s eyes in relation to game addiction. This virtual game was being used to drive a whole series of learning activities. However, one child wanted to play this at home and refusal had caused some tension between child and parent. Margaret talked about how the school played a huge part in addressing this issue and keeping parents informed of the rich and dynamic learning that was linked to the game. This helped the family in question make some sense of their child’s desire to play this game as much as he wanted to.

This theme was continued by Mark (Northern Ireland) when he suggested that, “what remains problematic is tackling the perception that there is something inherently frivolous in working within ‘games’.” The need to address this concern was also raised by Catherine Geeroms (Interactive Software Federation of Europe, Belgium) who suggested that in order to address and rebalance what may seem to be a negative view of some members of the education community, increased and more detailed discourse between both bodies needs to occur. She also suggested that it might be beneficial for more efforts to be put in place to share, with the wider European education community, the best practice examples that are happening and being shared via initiatives such as the Games in Schools Ning and the accompanying European Schoolnet project.

An interesting exchange occurred when Richard Garcia (Department of Education [Catalonia], and former teacher, Spain) posted his thoughts about the need for continued efforts for “clear, visible and provable results of the benefits of games based learning” to be made available before education institutions would really embrace this approach. Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) challenged this assertion by asking just what it was that Games based learning needed to meet such a comprehensive set of criteria before it would be taken seriously when it appeared that many other technologies have been readily embraced, without such rigorous demands, by the education community. Richard responded by suggesting that there was still a degree of misinformed prejudice on the part of decision makers in relation to the place of games in schools.

Ineke Verhuel (researcher, the Netherlands) and Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) both talked of issues that they had found in relation to the technical specification of the PCs that they were using in some of the projects that they had been involved in. Ineke talked about particular problems with video cards and also reported that IT help desks were possibly not prepared to support games based learning: “help desk was not very cooperative either. As one of the teachers stated: it looks like the help desk's goal is to prevent innovations, rather than sustain them. In his case, their view was that playing games can't be part of education.”

Paul Hollis (England) took the opportunity to remind the community that commercial off the shelf games are really designed and targeted at the entertainment market. He pointed out that some of the issues relation to the industry’s attitude to games in schools were raised and discussed in the TEEm Report from 2001. “One must not forget that the console manufacturers and games developers are in the business of entertainment not education (Sony withheld approval for educational games in the PS1 games due to the perceived brand "damage" if associated with education) .… Don't ever forget that games producers are driven by profit and they are generally not altruistic nor interested in education unless a clear profitable business model emerges.”

Some notes of caution were offered though by Eleni Kyraki (secondary school teacher, Belgium) and Simon Egenfeldt-Neilsen (CEO of Serious Games Interactive, Denmark). Eleni was keen to remind that learning is not necessarily about fun and that study can be hard and should be serious. She urged us not to allow the introduction of games in schools to inadvertently turn our children into, “happy consumers.” Simon also noted his concerns about the issues associated with the application of COTS in learning in schools. “My two cents are that we probably need to embrace the educational system more - we are still thinking games for the sake of games rather than really addressing key challenges the educational system is facing. “I have previously been a believer in using COTS. However, although COTS bring so many advantages on the motivational side it just makes it really difficult to get started (hardware, license issues, time-to-get-started, off-topic elements). Great teachers can use COTS with great results but for mainstream teaching I fear it will be too difficult.”

Topic 5: What evidence base is there that shows if, and how, games based learning can have a positive impact on teaching and learning?

WEEK BEGINNING: MONDAY 20 APRIL 2007

Number of replies: 7

This focus discussion topic was supported by the following introductory paragraph as well as reference to European Schoolnet's forthcoming teachers' handbook.

This week's topic for discussion is aimed at gathering what evidence the community at large knows about, has contributed or has been influenced by in relation to the impact of games based learning. This may take the form of small scale teacher studies that have been carried out or academically reviewed investigations that have been published after peer review.

To kick things off I have taken the liberty of posting two literature reviews that I have been influenced by and that have helped my developing practice in the field of games based learning. These both offer an overview of research in this area:

1. How are digital games used in Schools (European Schoolnet, 2009)

What do we know from research about the use of games in education? by Maja and Paul Pivec. Available at:

2. Games and Learning (Futurelab, 2004)

Literature Review in Games and Learning by John Kirriemuir & Angela MacFarlane. Available at:

I also add a selection from the forthcoming Games in School Handbook by European Schoolnet that makes reference to research that offers an underpinning rationale for games based learning.

Extract from Digital Games in schools: A handbook for teachers (European Schoolnet, 2009)

''Educational theories and Instructional Design includes can help to create learning material and to ensure that the learning objectives are met on the part of the learners. Such theories have been employed to design school curriculums and training programs. Amongst existing learning theories, different approach can be applied to ensure successful learning outcomes. Most educational theories fall into one of the following categories: cognitivist, behaviourist and constructivist. In behaviourist approaches, subjects are not directly responsible for their learning activities; instead, they are conditioned to react to a stimulus. In cognitivist theories, subjects possess an internal map (knowledge) that external events will require them to update. In these theories the emphasis is on the underlying cognitive process. Several well-known theories were established under the cognitivist movement, such as transfer effect, whereby learning can be affected by previous knowledge. Finally, in constructivist theories, subjects learn by interacting with their environment and peers. This involves a process of trial and errors and the learners’ ability to interpret their past and present experiences to update their knowledge.

Because they were initially designed for entertainment, video games are not all built based on Instructional Design theories. However, some of them intrinsically implement some well-known pedagogical concepts. For example, video games usually include high intensity of interaction, specific goals, a continuous feeling of challenge, and a sense of engagement; these concepts have been associated with successful learning environments by Norman (1993). To some extent, video games feature all behaviorist, cognitivist and constructivist approaches. However, whereas early educational software placed an emphasis on the first two theories, recent video games, due to their complexity, their open-ended and collaborative nature, encourage a constructivist approach to learning. In video games, players can elaborate new theories and hypotheses, test them and readjust their knowledge and skills accordingly. New video games, that include a 3D environment, advanced AI and realistic physics engines, offer a simulation-like environment that reacts to their actions in a highly realistic manner.

In term of cognition and learning process, video games can be analysed through well-known models such as Carroll’s minimalist theory (1990 ,1998), Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZDP)(1998 ) or Kolbs’ basic learning model (1975). For example, Kolb’s basic learning model illustrates the process of accretation whereby students modify their internal map (or knowledge) based on the information and feedback obtained from their previous actions. They successively go through active experiments, concrete experiences, reflective observations, abstract conceptualizations and back to active experiments. To some extent, the cycle of learning events experienced in video games can be compared to Kolbs’ learning cycle: the players experience something discordant or a failure (failure to win), they subsequently need to reflect and identify the cause of the failure. Following this analysis, they formulate hypotheses on the cause(s) of the failure, plan actions that might help them to overcome the problem, and then test and assess their hypotheses. Likewise, according to Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZDP), learners should be assisted with scaffoldings and be progressively made more and more independent. As learners improve their skills, less and less help is provided. Learner’s independence and meta-cognitive skills are improved gradually. This principle can also be found in video games that offer an easy learning curve, and that are usually forgiving in the first levels, so that players can progressively familiarize themselves with the game’s mechanics and become proficient. However, players need to learn new skills and to take responsibility for their success in the game: they need to take responsibility for learning. This ability for video games to engage children and motivate them to learn in order to succeed is by far the most interesting feature that could help instructors to make learning a more engaging and motivating activity.

One of the foremost qualities of video games is their capacity to motivate, to engage and to immerse players. Video games include a rich variety of auditory, tactile, visual and intellectual stimulus that make them both enjoyable, and, to some extent, addictive. During play, users are immersed in a state of flow (Csíkszentmihályi,1990 ), a state in which they can forget about their surrounding environment and become totally engaged and focused on the task in hand. In this state, provided that they possess sufficient skills, players will strive to achieve their goal, regardless of the challenges encountered. Players’ motivation can be triggered or hindered by many different factors such as the game play, the graphics, the interface or the game genre. Players’ behaviors in video games depends on their personality and aspirations. Therefore, the relevance of the reward offered in the game might differ across players. Whereas some players value exploration, other might prefer highly complex scenarios, where more strategic skills are required; some of them will enjoy very simple games with a linear scenario and that necessitates a short time of play to succeed. Cultural background and gender might also influence the motivation to play games.''

Responses from the community

Ineke Verhuel (researcher, the Netherlands) was keen to inform the community of her ongoing research into the impact of games based learning. “The research project is about investigating the effects of playing a cots (commercial off the shelf) game, an off-line rpg called Oblivion. What i hope students learn is problem solving, orienting, planning, English and collaboration, even though it's an off line game. Students play the game in pairs. Since I assume that motivation is the mediating factor, motivation for learning is also measured. I'm using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests and a control condition.”

Ben Williamson (researcher at Futurelab, England) , talked about the terms "impact" and "evidence" and suggested that they were highly contested terms. He went on to say that as a result of his work in recent years he, “sometimes get the impression that what many people want from games is evidence that they can help to boost attainment as measured by our normal yardsticks of exam results.” He went on to discuss findings from his latest small-scale research. “My own recent small study has produced some statistics from teachers--not evidence of "educational gains" by students but indications of teacher assumptions etc. It'll be available soon on the Futurelab website (.uk). The report there also contains lots of excerpts from a number of teacher interviews, which were highly illuminating. Teachers were telling us that the most important thing about using games in schools is that they enhance relationships in the classroom, and that they bridge the gap between formal educational content and children's informal new media experiences. I think our understanding of the "educational/learning" impacts of gaming needs to take account of those kinds of impacts--and our research and our policy therefore needs to pay attention to the kind of "measures" that teachers develop when they spend time working with children in classrooms.”

Other responses to this topic that made reference to research and peer reviewed materials included a post from Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) who linked to a recent PhD thesis by Jacob Habgood and by David Crookall (France) who introduced the community to a relevant academic journal: Simulation & Gaming: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Topic 6: Can bespoke GBL resources compete with commercially available off the shelf games that are now being used in classrooms?

Week beginning: Monday 27 April 2009

Number of replies: 12

Even though earlier topics had asked more questions than offered answers regarding a definition of games based learning, it was seen as appropriate to encourage debate around the place of bespoke educational games versus the application of commercially available games. This was also an opportunity to debate what we mean by serious games and just what these can bring to learning in schools. The focus discussion topic was teased out as follows:

Games based learning has been extended recently to include the application of commercially available games and consoles (made by companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft) that were initially designed for entertainment purposes. What do colleagues think of this approach? Does such a development have longevity, does it challenge the place of the bespoke games based learning resource or can they co-exist? Also, what tensions are there, if any between the application of a game designed for entertainment purposes and that of the serious games approach? Serious versus fun, and what is so serious about a game anyway?

Responses from the community

The first response to this topic opened up an interesting debate about whether a resource should be made with an educational purpose from the outset. Steve Howell (England) when considering the place of bespoke games versus commercial off the shelf games (COTS), commented, “I think they can probably co-exist. Commercial Games have a very wide non-educational audience so it's possible to spend a lot of time and money developing them, resulting in great visual appeal and gameplay. But their big disadvantage, of course, is that they aren't written with education in mind, so any educational merit they may have is, essentially, accidental.”

The suggestion that commercial off the shelf games had a big disadvantage at their design point as learning tools was challenged by Derek Robertson (LTS, Scotland) who argued that COTS were maybe at an advantage because educational involvement was not impeding the game design/play which can have inherent educational value. Derek argued, “Is not being written with an education audience in mind really a disadvantage? I suggest that this is an advantage! If the educational merit is accidental then great! Can the fun not be sucked out of such a resource when it is 'built for education'. Isn't there a worry that the learning can become too worthy and as a result the best elements of engaging game design are left out? We have found that the most engaging learning in some of our projects has come from retro-fitting COTS in to the curriculum. I would suggest again that Nintendogs is one of the best educational games I have worked with in years...in fact the best things I've seen since I was first seduced by the Logical Journey of the Zoombinis well over 10 years ago! One last thing I'd throw in is why do children invest so much of their time and efforts to engage with COTS? Is it because there is challenge, demand and enjoyment? Maybe education can learn a bit from the COTS games industry?”

Derek’s viewpoint seemed to be one that garnered some voices of support from within the community. Below are some of those responses.

Ella Myrhing (school librarian and teaching with games coordinator, Denmark) commented, “I must say I agree with Derek. Any game can be used for learning. It depends on the pedagogical context. And the students do not even have to play them. They can look at fan sites, the games' official websites, fan fiction sites and so on. They can find pictures and screen-shots. They can discuss on web-logs. The novels, poems, short-stories, fairy tales we let the students read are not written for learning either, but nobody will consider that to be a problem.”

Margaret Cassidy (primary school teacher, Scotland) commented, “I have never liked the label 'educational toy'. Anything and everything can be educational - it all depends how it is used. I have worked with children and commercial games and these games are used as a motivational tool. They are not using the game to become experts. Playing the game is second to their learning. At the moment we have 3 schools working together with Guitar Hero World Tour. Their main focus is to create a world tour for their rock group, looking at the culture of the countries amongst many other tasks. The children are loving having Guitar Hero in their class but do not expect to be playing it every day. Maybe some educators do not want to use commercial games as they are not comfortable with them and therefore do not want to know 'less' than the children. They feel more comfortable with bespoke educational games.”

Tony Parkin (England) commented, ”I have yet to come across a COT that WASN'T educational... surely the main question is whether formal education recognises and values what is learned?

Sometimes it can be shifted to 'How can pedagogical interventions build on that learning', perhaps? As others have indicated, even widely-disapproved of games have been used effectively and educationally by gifted teachers. To some this is social control, to others harnessing creativity.

This debate has existed for hundreds of years - just substitute COTS with resources from your favourite historical period - novels, movies, comic books, TV series, soaps ... and the same debate will roll on. Human beings are natural learning machines that learn from whatever they interact with. Formal education's role has always been to try and harness/control/identify/quantify that learning for the good of the individual/community/state/profitability/economy - just choose your own viewpoint.''

Gillian Penny (Scotland) also commented and based this on how her school is beginning to explore the world of COTS as learning tools, “Games produced for the education market are never going to have the same level of investment as commercially produced games and may tend to be less sophisticated and not have the same appeal for children. I really don't think it matters if the game is written with an educational purpose in mind as its success depends on how it is used in the classroom and how the learning experiences are developed for children. We recently used Guitar Hero as the context for a project and it was hugely successful. One benefit of these games is that they are readily available, generally very easy to use and really not that expensive. Many, many resources used in schools today are not specifically designed for education and are very successful.”

However, there were words of caution and reference to recent research that articulated some challenges that might be faced when attempting to use COTS in the classroom.

Andrew Pate (Australia) reminded us that although COTS might be an excellent educational resource there were issues about how they might be viewed by teachers who he suggests, “need to feel ‘masters of their domain’ and for many it seems like an incredibly brave thing to hand over ownership of the learning.”

Rene St-Pierre (Canada) made reference to the research (BECTA, 2001; McFarlane et al., 2002; Kirriemuir, 2002) that identified the constraints on the implementation of video games in learning:

❖ Difficult for teachers to identify what is pedagogically relevant (possible connections between game and curriculum)

❖ Difficult to promote educational potential of video games in the teaching profession

❖ Lack of time and resources needed to become familiarized with the game environments and to develop pedagogical scenarios adapted to the curriculum

❖ Difficult to concentrate exclusively on the relevant elements of a game due to number of functions that can distract users

❖ Considerable effort that teachers should deploy to ensure that students are in step with game instructions

❖ •Technical access and usage problems of hardware/software.

This topic seemed to focus on the argument surrounding the inherent educational worth and attitudes to COTS that had not been specifically designed for education but that were being used for that. There were no references to Serious Games made by any community member over the course of this discussion.

Topic 7: What does the future hold for games based learning in schools?

Week beginning: Monday 4 May 2009

Number of replies: 2

In order to attempt to draw the focus discussion topics to a natural close it was deemed appropriate to ask the community just how they intended to take games in schools forward in their own particular countries and contexts.

This focus discussion topic took place the week of European Schoolnet's Games in School's conference in Strasbourg, and as a result of this it may have impacted on community members’ availability to contribute. This may account for the fact that there was only one response that talked of what they were proposing to do with games in the future.

Katherine Ryan Murray, talked about how she was planning to use games that encourage active physical participation with learners who may have impaired physical mobility. “I work with pupils with physical difficulties. We have just bought a Wii and are beginning to look at how we can use it across the curriculum. For example, I watched this week as a boy with muscular dystrophy swung his arm holding the remote to bowl in Wii Sports in a way that a physio would never get him to do! We hope to combine that motivation with maths- keep the scores, how many more etc. Would love to hear from anyone using games already in this way with pupils with physical difficulties.''

Concluding remarks

The discussion forums

The initial purpose of the Games in Schools Ning was to encourage teachers who are not involved in the use of computer games as learning tools in schools begin to engage with the ideas associated with this practice. The evidence in the responses to the various discussion topics suggests that the people who contributed were those who were already engaged with the practice of using computer games in schools and those who were new to this idea were few and far between. Games based learning has gathered a real momentum in the past few years and it may have been the case that this resource proved to be timely for those already engaged with the practice of using games in schools thus giving them a forum to discuss their ideas and experiences. As a result of this the discussions proved to be useful and enlightening for those that participated and for those that possibly lurked and chose not to contribute. Although there were over 540 members in the community a great number of those chose not to engage with or contribute to any of the debates. Encouraging a larger number of community members to contribute to and engage with the community is something that may take time to nurture and develop. In this regard it may be a worthwhile endeavour to keep the Games in Schools Ning alive for the foreseeable future and for it to become the central focus for any future European collaborations.

We must also make mention of the fact that some community members took the opportunity to post their own discussion topics over the course of the weeks leading up to the Games in Schools Conference. However, these posts rarely sparked much response irrespective of the quality of the initial submission by a community member.

Other aspects of the Ning

The facility to upload photographs and videos to the Ning was something that some members took the opportunity to do. There were 103 photographs and 10 games based learning related videos uploaded to the site. The most popular video, with 119 views, proved to be a video that discussed the use of commercial off the shelf games.

Final Comments

It is maybe a little bit too much to expect a newly formed online community such as the Games in Schools Ning to burst to life in its early stages. It was clear from the responses to the focus discussion topics that a small but passionate group of practitioners were keen to contribute to the debates that arose out of differing perspectives and experiences. If the community is left to grow and becomes a fixture in future collaborative efforts then it could possibly meet its original purpose of bringing in other teachers who might be new to the idea of using games based learning in their schools. As it stands though it has shown that there is an increasing body of interest and practice in the place of games in schools and it is hoped that European Schoolnet's Games in Schools Ning may play a part in continuing to take forward this agenda.

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