World 2-1: Mobile Learning
In this world, I built upon my interest in mobile devices and how they could be used in education. As aforementioned, I came into this world already prepared to learn, but I was fortunate enough to find a couple of courses to expand on what I already knew and believed.
“Children have always competed for their parents’ attention, but this generation has experienced something new. Previously, children had to deal with parents being off with work, friends, or each other. Today, children contend with parents who are physically close, tantalizingly so, but mentally elsewhere” (Turkle, 2011).
In ETEC 511 (from World 1-3), one of the areas that we discussed in this class was case-based reasoning. In one of our assignments, we were to create case studies to encourage thinking and conversation about a topic. My group decided to look at mobile devices and how they are affecting our Western culture. One does not have to look around very far (perhaps the mirror?!) to see someone who is prone to being on their mobile device more than they should. However, should there be etiquette when using these devices? Are we ignoring our family and friends? How are they affecting our relationships in and outside of school? These videos help explore this emerging topic. Be sure to visit The Connected Generation to know more!
“Children have always competed for their parents’ attention, but this generation has experienced something new. Previously, children had to deal with parents being off with work, friends, or each other. Today, children contend with parents who are physically close, tantalizingly so, but mentally elsewhere” (Turkle, 2011).
In ETEC 511 (from World 1-3), one of the areas that we discussed in this class was case-based reasoning. In one of our assignments, we were to create case studies to encourage thinking and conversation about a topic. My group decided to look at mobile devices and how they are affecting our Western culture. One does not have to look around very far (perhaps the mirror?!) to see someone who is prone to being on their mobile device more than they should. However, should there be etiquette when using these devices? Are we ignoring our family and friends? How are they affecting our relationships in and outside of school? These videos help explore this emerging topic. Be sure to visit The Connected Generation to know more!
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When reading the course description for ETEC 565M (Mobile Learning), I knew that I needed to take this course! I was looking for more ways to use mobile learning in my classroom. In this course, we were asked to create an online educational resource (OER), where MET students, and the world at large, could learn more about our topic. Eager to find justification to learn more about gamification (World 1-2 - ETEC 510), I suggested to the class that this topic needed exploring.
In our OER research, we discovered not only a whole wealth of available educational games for mobile devices, but we also explored what features were needed in selecting an educationally-sound and engaging game.
According to Prensky (2008), in order for a video game to have any significant meaning in a student’s learning, it must have: (1) Goals; (2) Decisions & Discussion; (3) Emotional Connection; (4) Cooperation & Competition; (5) Personalization; (6) Review & Iteration; and (7) Fun (p. 1016). Students “buying-in” to learning through a video game because of the preceding components is important, but there is another significant factor that enables students to succeed in learning through video games. Often children do not feel pressure from adult observation during playtime, which results in a natural inclination to learn from failure and mastery of their objectives (Klopfer et al., 2009, p.4). Students are immersed into their own world – there is no adult pressure surrounding them! Judy Willis, a neurologist that turned to teaching, believes that video games can be used by educators as a source of inspiration to engage students in their learning. Teachers can engage students through the video game model when they consider individualizing and scaffolding instruction, having the students demonstrate incremental progress through graphing for motivation, writing for additional support, setting achievable challenges with students (Willis, 2011).
It was also through this OER that video-game learning became a major theme in my MET journey… and will continue to be post-MET. However, I will talk more about this in the End Boss section.
Please watch these videos on video-game learning, before exploring the Mobile Games for Learning OER.
In our OER research, we discovered not only a whole wealth of available educational games for mobile devices, but we also explored what features were needed in selecting an educationally-sound and engaging game.
According to Prensky (2008), in order for a video game to have any significant meaning in a student’s learning, it must have: (1) Goals; (2) Decisions & Discussion; (3) Emotional Connection; (4) Cooperation & Competition; (5) Personalization; (6) Review & Iteration; and (7) Fun (p. 1016). Students “buying-in” to learning through a video game because of the preceding components is important, but there is another significant factor that enables students to succeed in learning through video games. Often children do not feel pressure from adult observation during playtime, which results in a natural inclination to learn from failure and mastery of their objectives (Klopfer et al., 2009, p.4). Students are immersed into their own world – there is no adult pressure surrounding them! Judy Willis, a neurologist that turned to teaching, believes that video games can be used by educators as a source of inspiration to engage students in their learning. Teachers can engage students through the video game model when they consider individualizing and scaffolding instruction, having the students demonstrate incremental progress through graphing for motivation, writing for additional support, setting achievable challenges with students (Willis, 2011).
It was also through this OER that video-game learning became a major theme in my MET journey… and will continue to be post-MET. However, I will talk more about this in the End Boss section.
Please watch these videos on video-game learning, before exploring the Mobile Games for Learning OER.
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LEVEL UP WITH THIS LEARNING ARTIFACT: |