Online Gaming - tech-ed-workshops

Pedagoy of online gaming: Lessons learned from online poker and WOW

Presenter: Ronald Glahn Room #: 107B

Date: 3/26/2007 @ 9:15:00 AM - 10:15:00 AM

Category: Concurrent

Theme: Cutting Edge: Web Strands

Sub Theme: Interactive & Collaborative Learning Communities

Ed Level: ALL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS

Tech. Prof.: ALL TECHNOLOGY LEVELS

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Organization: Porterville College

Description: Learn how collaboration, communal learning, online psychology, and the virtual representation of self are essential components of online learning. Attendees will discuss the pedagogical applications learned from online entertainment communities.

Abstract: What can be learned from the online gaming community? Online entertainment systems such as online poker and WOW suggest that the traditional learning environment in classrooms should be reconsidered. In such situated learning environments collaboration is key and communal learning becomes paramount. Adolescents can learn alongside adult learners. Traditional issues such as gender, age, location, and ethnicity become irrelevant. The psychology of online behavior as mediated by these entertainment platforms alters the virtual representation of the individual as perceived by other participants and oneself. Gaming theory provides a theoretical framework for increasing the motivation of the participant-learners. New learners develop skills and knowledge from observation and collaboration with expert players. Players learn from participation in virtually situated gaming activities promoting critical thinking and analytic skills. The games design requires the acquisition of specific knowledge and skill before the player is allowed to advance. This built-in assessment tool offers the learner/player the opportunity to reflect and revise ones own educational experience consistent with the design of the game. These processes are engineered to elicite the desired academic outcomes and the intended learning objectives. The online gaming phenomena have redefined community. Historically, community is bound by geography, factors of homophily: similarity of age, culture, ethnicity, gender, and socio-economic status. These factors are set aside and replaced by the common experiences of the virtual activity. Thus, in the World of Warcraft a twelve year old boy may be paired in a quest with a 50 year old novice player. The twelve year old could be leading the quest while the older participant learns and observes the expertise of the younger player. This phenomenon is made possible due to the anonymity of the participants. This suggests to the educational world that the traditional segmentation of learners ought to be reconsidered. What matters is not ones age but ones knowledge, skill and expertise. Traditional differences between androgogy and pedagogy are blurred by the interactive gaming learning experiences. Today’s learners do not tolerate passive learning environments where learner idly sits during lectures as in the traditional classroom paradigm. Today’s learners have an interactivity mindset where participation in the learning event enables acquisition of skills and the application of essential information. The black and white differences between work and play no longer hold true. The machines we use today offer productivity, communication, information and entertainment simultaneously. The application of online gaming attributes when applied to academic learning suggests the future direction of educational practices. The design and interactivity of a game like WOW, when applied to academic disciplines, such as history, science, literature will capture the interest, motivation and curiosity of the modern learner. Likewise, online poker environments provide the learners with practical applications of probability and statistics along with psychological exploration into self and the perception of others. Academia should derive important lessons from online gaming communities. These lessons include the pedagogical principles of; heterophly, which embraces the difference between learners and downplays the homogenoius groupings of the traditional learning environment; knowledge acquisition through peer mentored activities; and knowledge management as maintained by the community. Collaboration, communal learning, online psychology, and the virtual representation of self are essential components of future trends in online learning.