serious games/simulations: potential impact on assessment and instructional design
TRANSCRIPT
Peter Shea & Jim Grenier
March 23, 20162:15 PM - 3:05 PM
Room 555
Serious Games/Simulations: Potential Impact on Assessment and Instructional Design
Session Description
This session will address such issues as using games/sims for
student performance data collection and assessment, customizing
instruction with games/sims, and overcoming obstacles to integrating
games/sims in the curriculum, as well the possible solutions to these
implementation issues.
• Learn about the potential impact of serious games/sims on your professional role (as instructors and instructional technology staff)
• Learn how to make the best use of these tools at your institution
Learning Outcomes
Presenters
Peter SheaDirector, Office of Professional Development
Middlesex Community College (Massachusetts)E-mail: [email protected]
Jim GrenierDirector of Online Education
Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeE-mail: [email protected]
You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of
conversation.
Plato
Definitions
A simulation is an “interactive environment in which features in the environment behave similarly to real-word events.” (Clark & Meyer, 2003).
“A serious game is a game in which education (in its various forms) is the primary goal, rather than entertainment.” (Chen, 2006)
Important Terms “Educational data mining (EDM) refers to the process of extracting useful information out of a
large collection of complex educational data sets (Berland, Baker, & Blikstein, 2014 ).
“Academic analytics (AA) is the identification of meaningful patterns in educational data in order to inform academic issues (e.g., retention, success rates) and produce actionable “strategies” in budgeting, human resources, etc. (Long & Siemens, 2011 ).”
“Learning analytics (LA) emphasizes on insights and responses to real-time learning processes based on educational information from digital learning environments, administrative systems, and social platforms. Such dynamic educational information is used for real-time interpretation, modeling, prediction, and optimization of learning processes, learning environments, and educational decision- making in near real time (Ifenthaler & Widanapathirana, 2014 ).”
[Source: Loh, C., Shang, Y., & Ifenthaler, D. (Eds.). (2014). Serious Games Analytics: Methodologies for performance measurement, assessment, and improvement]
Emerging Market for Serious Games & Simulations
[Source: Ambient Insight. The 2012-2017 Worldwide Game-based Learning and Simulation-based MarketsKey Findings from Recent Ambient Insight Research. Presentation for Serious Play Conference 2013. http://goo.gl/6WL39G]
Example of a Serious Game with LAD
Screenshot of Agent Surefire game space Screenshot of Agent Surefire Player LAD
[Source: Mavi Interactive]
Example: Gravitalent
[Source: You Tube]
Example of a Simulation with LAD
Simformer offers a learning management system which provides both an LAD for student players tracking the success of their virtual businesses as a well as a LAD that provides instructors data on student performance in the simulation. [Source: Simformer]
“We overestimate student knowledge and thus build new knowledge on a shaky foundation.”
(Ambrose et al., 2010)
How is Simulation or Game-based Assessment Different from Traditional Educational Assessment?
Sim Tools
[Source: www.branchtrack.com]
Examples of Serious Games
Nobel Prize Website – Displays several games in different content areas. http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/
FunBrain – Great website for K-8, both for students and teachers. www.funbrain.com
Educational Learning Games – boasts over 4000 games for education. http://www.educationallearninggames.com/
Examples of Simulations
Churchfire https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/RLOs/661/Armstrong-churchfire.htm
Evil Landlady (Cultural Competence) http://www.halfbakedsoftware.com/quandary/version_2/examples/landlady.htm
Rhet Sims https://www.middlesex.mass.edu/TitleIII/rhetsim.aspx
Advantages of Game-Based Assessment
"The greatest advantage of an in situ analysis algorithm built ... into the game engine is that it allows for ad hoc (formative) assessment. This means that stakeholders can access the assessment report as the game is still in progress, without waiting for play-learners to complete the entire game." (Lohet al.,2014)
[Source: Loh, C., Shang, Y., & Ifenthaler, D. (Eds.). (2014). Serious Games Analytics: Methodologies for performance measurement, assessment, and improvement]
Paradigm Shifting
“If great lecture is theatre, the future of learning is games.”
Anant Agarwhal – President, EdX
[Source: Inaugural Celebration Symposium: The Future of Education. 2012 MIT Alumni Leadership Conference .http://storify.com/mitalc/2012-mit-alumni-leadership-conference]
Recommended Reading
Aldrich, C. (2009). The Complete Guide to Simulations & Serious Games: How the Most Valuable Content Will Be Created in the Age Beyond Gutenberg to Google. San Francisco, CA: Pfieffer
Kapp, K. (2012). The Gamification of Learning and Instruction: Game-based Methods and Strategies for Training and Education. Pfieffer.
Loh, C., Shang, Y., & Ifenthaler, D. (Eds.). (2014). Serious Games Analytics: Methodologies for Performance Measurement, Assessment, and Improvement. Springer.
Mayer, R (2014). Computer-Based Games for Learning: An Evidence Based Approach. Cambridge: MIT Press
Michael, D & Chen, S. (2006) Serious Games: Games that Educate, Train, and Inform. Boston: Thomson
All play means something.- Johan Huizinga, Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture
[Special thanks to our friend Nikki Boots, PhD for some of the slide content]