week 8 readings

During this week, we considered the effectiveness of video games, and how they can enhance learners experience of language. Purshotma (2005) makes an interesting commentary about how many critics find that video games are nothing more than recreational diversions at best, and as time bandits, at worst. Most educators even now will decry using video games as a means for better expression of one's language. Yet, if used in any medium, is not the point of any communication how one expresses desire? It all comes down to motivation, really. If I am motivated to do something, the learning process is much less onerous, and therefore the tedium of learning is gone. Learning happens, rather than being part of an overarching process. Purushotma claims the idea behind re-imagining the use of the popular game, The Sims, is precicely this. He uses the claim that playing games is not studying, and embraces this, in the sense that he wants students go beyond mere study, and to engage in acts that contain the essence of language: talking over problems, discussing ideas, and using vocabulary creatively to get ones point across. His argument is that any engaging activity allows the learner to become less passive about the language, and become more of an active user of a method of information gathering, such as browsing the web.

I agree with the idea that any kind of learning is good learning, and that someone who wants to know a language, needs it for particular purposes. So, combined with the fun of surfing the web, let the games begin!

Jonathan De Haan brings science into the picture. He and his collegues study how interactivity and videogames combine, and sets up his research to find the answer to the question: how can using a video game help or hinder vocabulary recall. He uses as his subjects Japanese people who then play an English language video game to track their results. The results were mixed, however in that watchers of the game recalled more vocabulary than did players, suggesting that the combined task of learning vocabulary and playing the game bifurcated attention enough that vocabulary building suffered. However, some questions do remain. the big one is: when players are accoustomed to controls, game play standards and parameters, can or can not new vocabularies then be better learned? a follow up study is in order here, methinks.

one critique also discusses the comparison of using traditional teaching structures versus video game learning, and concludes that visual learning, combined with the ready identification of target words or vocabulary, can make for a more enriched learning experience.

The question over all now, is, what if you are not really into games? What do we do for these kinds of learners?

In the discussion, we talked about how these games can be a bridge between the way you view your class and your life, so I guess I could answer my own question by saying that if you are not so much into solitary games, then playing with someone would be ok. I had more fun goofing around with people as we tried to figure out the controls than with the actual play of the game itself, and I find that I like building games the best, where you have to make a city or an army or something like that. Thus, a good teacher should try to find the right game for each student's personality.