Mike McKee EDCI 270 Case 3: Serious Games When I first began evaluating the use of serious games,

or game-based learning in the classroom, I was somewhat skeptical of its validity. Video games are often used as a form of entertainment with little to no educational benefit. There is even an argument that says many video games promote violence and risky forms of living. Children use video games as a way to escape from the real world, so how could they also use video games as a way to further their learning? However, I began to look into the specific game that is being used in the classroom and was surprised at the difference between it and the typical video game that I always think of. The game is called Spent, and it focuses on showing the student what it is like to live in a poverty situation. The player of the game begins by being asked to put themselves in the shoes of one of the many Americans who are unemployed and fighting to make a living. They are then told that they have lost everything, their house, their job, and their savings. On top of that, they are a single parent. After all of this, they begin the games by picking a job. This is when they realize that every decision that they make could have a huge impact on their wellbeing. They need to be careful and take many scenarios into account before making a decision. Then there are many big decisions that they are forced into, and again, they all are going to have an impact on their wellbeing. Unforeseen events occur along the way, such as pipe leaks and medical expenses that are also big decisions. All along the way, the player is struggling to make ends meet and provide for their family. By the end of the game, they get a good picture of just how difficult it is to be unemployed in America. The interesting thing about this game is that it puts the students directly into the situation. This could not be achieved through just teaching and the use of videos or a textbook. The serious game provides an entire new dimension to their education because they are able to be actively engaged and participate in what they are learning about. Specifically, an 8th grade social studies class can use the material presented in the game of spent to gain an appreciation for an aspect of the United States that they may have learned about, but have never experienced. There is an article that goes into detail about the benefits of using these serious games in the classroom. Students today have a high need for cognition and require a lot of motivation during the learning process. Video games can be used to help improve the teachers ability to meet these needs. In the article, a list of potential results that could come from the use of video games in the classroom is presented, and I have chosen to include it below because I believe that it is a great representation of the wide range of benefits that could come from serious games (Federation of American Scientists 5).

Increasing the speed at which expertise is acquired and depth of understanding achieved; Increasing learner ability to transfer expertise acquired to the solution of practical tasks;

Decreasing the range of outcomes among learners; and Making learning more motivating, if only to get more time-on-task.

The article continues to describe the benefits of these games by explaining how the objectives are present from the beginning of the article. They are given a clear goal, and are often given a time limit to complete the goal. This provides the student with motivation because they know what they are trying to achieve. While doing this, they are increasing their higher order learning skills. I also know personally that a video game can completely engage the player. I often find myself becoming heavily involved in the story, so I can only imagine the benefits that would result if the game were teaching the students along the way. Another article that I found was about how to map out a serious game for higher education. It gives a list of the required aspects of a serious game and describes each aspect in detail (so much that it was sometimes over my head). Before a learning-based game is developed, the objective has to be in sight. If they do not know what they are trying to achieve, then the game will be very difficult to create, much like a lesson plan. Then they do a lot of research. They need to understand who their audience is, the learning environment, the learning activities they need to use, and the method for reaching their objective. They have to make a strong connection between the learning world and the gameplay world in order to promote this learning (Westera, Nadolski, Hummel Wopereis). It was incredibly interesting, because everything that was being explained in this article was similar to the way that a lesson plan is approached. Essentially, these serious games are a lesson, and if they are approached as a lesson, then they can definitely be used to influence learning. There is another article that continues to support the use of serious games. A quote from the front page of the article says, If you think video games are childs play, meet the growing community of scientists, policy makers, and game developers who beg to differ (Schollmeyer 34). The article goes on to explain all of the people in the community who support the use of serious games for learning. It gives counterarguments for the difference between serious games and a typical video game, and this is a big reason why experts are still hesitant to call these serious games games at all. They are so much more than that. These games can change how students view learning. If serious games began to be implemented in more classrooms, students might begin to enjoy learning. When playing a serious game, it doesnt even seem like you are learning because you are so engaged by the game itself. However, it is able to present content in a way that is better received by the student, and they are able to see when they are succeeding. These serious games are able to meet the students need for motivation and a higher order of thinking that will keep them engaged. They provide a whole new side to learning that a projector and a chalkboard cannot.

Works Cited Schollmeyer, J. (2006). Games Get Serious. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 34-39. Hummel H.G.K., Nadolski, R.J., Westera W., & Wopereis, I.G.J.H. (2008). Serious games for higher education: a framework for reducing design complexity. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 420-432.