The University of Michigan conducted a survey in 2014 to determine how teachers felt about games in the classroom, and found that:
- 90% of teachers believe games motivate students
- 89% feel games help students reinforce or master previously taught content
- 59% see games as effective in teaching students new content
For education marketers to effectively reach educators with compelling messages, it’s key to understand how these beliefs influence buying behaviors.
Although there is growing evidence that using digital games in classrooms helps students develop certain attributes and skills, the evidence of its efficacy is more anecdotal than empirical. In his 2014 book, Computer Games for Learning: An Evidence-Based Approach, educational psychologist Richard Mayer, Ph.D. wrote: “When you look at the research reviews and meta-analyses that have been done, the evidence is not all that convincing yet that digital games are going to revolutionize education.”
Even though there are opponents to game-based learning, there are multiple small studies such as the 2013 research by New York University and City University of New York that found that math video games enhance middle school students’ motivation to learn.
The researchers found that when students played the game with one another, they adopted a mastery mindset that is highly conducive to learning. In this mindset, because students are focused on developing their abilities and gaining knowledge, they regarded mistakes and difficulties as being part of the learning process. On the other hand, if students developed a performance goal mindset, their fear of looking less intelligent might make them avoid opportunities to add to their knowledge of the material. In either event, students’ interest and enjoyment in playing the game increased when they played with another student.
Game-based learning has many prominent advocates who believe that digital games “have the potential to bring about meaningful learning experiences for today’s students. Leading game expert Jane McGonigal asserts that using video games turns students into expert collaborators and problem solvers.
Although gold-standard research into the efficacy of game-based learning is limited, it is relatively easy for education marketers to showcase these results and to support their customers in adding to the body of information around small implementations.
Microsoft recently purchased MinecraftEDU and developed a new version of the game for schools, Minecraft: Education Edition. This is an open world game that helps promote creativity, collaboration, and problem solving in an immersive environment. And it’s free for teachers, students, and schools.
It is only a matter of time before an enterprising researcher designs an empirical study to demonstrate Minecraft’s abilities to support and develop mastery of 21st century skills. In the meantime, Minecraft is being used in hundreds of classrooms to engage students and stimulate their interest in directing their own learning.
Other educational game developers can also leverage the storyline of student engagement in their marketing by showcasing their own efficacy studies and evangelist customers. Case studies, focused results, and district referrals can lead the way to additional district pilots, particularly if marketers can demonstrate specific learning outcomes through their own empirical research. Even though the topic of game-based learning is not new, it is good to remember that those educators who are using game-based learning are early adopters. Game-based learning for mainstream educational use is still in its early days, and there is plenty of market opportunity for education game developers to stake out their areas of expertise.
This is the second post in a two-part series about the state of gaming in K-12 classrooms. Right now I’m at the Serious Play Conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where I’m presenting a session titled “These Bananas Aren’t Going to Sell Themselves.” I’ll be sharing a game plan to put educational marketers on the path to success. Interest in education gaming is high, so this is likely a topic we will revisit on a regular basis throughout the upcoming school year. Soon, we’ll share the results of another in our Pulse series of educator surveys to expand on educator perceptions and use of games in the classroom to further inform 2016-17 marketing and sales plans. If you can’t make the conference, email me at firstname.lastname@example.org to get the deck or just chat more about options that might be right for you.
"Mwanzoni mwa mwaka 2014, Chuo Kikuu cha Michigan kilifanya utafiti wa kugundua jinsi walimu walivyohisi juu ya michezo ya kubahatisha darasani, na kugundua kwamba: ""90% ya walimu wanaamini michezo huchochea wanafunzi, 89% wanahisi michezo inasaidia wanafunzi kuimarisha au kudhibiti yaliyomo hapo awali, 59% wanaona michezo kuwa na ufanisi katika kuwafundisha wanafunzi yaliyomo mpya." Ingawa kuna ushahidi unaozidi kuongezeka kwamba kutumia michezo ya dijiti katika madarasa husaidia wanafunzi kukuza sifa na ujuzi fulani, ushahidi wa ufanisi wake ni wa kihistoria zaidi kuliko wa kihistoria. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika kitabu chake cha ""Computer Games for Learning: An Evidence-Based Approach,"" Richard Mayer, PhD, mwanasaikolojia wa elimu, aliandika: ""Kama unaangalia ukaguzi wa utafiti na uchambuzi wa meta ambao umefanywa, ushahidi sio wote ambao unashikilia kwamba michezo ya dijiti itabadilisha elimu, hata ingawa kuna wapinzani wa kujifunza kwa msingi wa mchezo, kuna masomo kadhaa madogo kama vile utafiti wa 2013 na Chuo Kikuu cha New York na Chuo Kikuu cha Jiji la New York." Watafiti walipata kwamba wakati wanafunzi walipokuwa wakicheza mchezo huo pamoja, walichukua mtazamo wa ustadi ambao unasaidia sana kujifunza. Katika mtazamo huu, kwa sababu wanafunzi wanazingatia kuendeleza uwezo wao na kupata maarifa, waliona makosa na ugumu kama sehemu ya mchakato wa kujifunza. Kwa upande mwingine, ikiwa wanafunzi wamebuni mtazamo wa lengo la utendaji, hofu yao ya kuonekana kuwa wa akili kidogo inaweza kuwafanya waepuke fursa za kuongeza maarifa yao ya nyenzo. Katika visa vyote viwili, wanafunzi walipendezwa na kufurahia kucheza mchezo huo walipocheza na mwanafunzi mwingine. Kujifunza kwa msingi wa mchezo kuna watetezi wengi mashuhuri ambao wanaamini kwamba michezo ya dijiti "ina uwezo wa kuleta uzoefu wa kujifunza wenye maana kwa wanafunzi wa leo". Mtaalamu wa michezo ya kubahatisha Jane McGonigal anasema kwamba kutumia michezo ya video huwafanya wanafunzi wawe wataalamu wa kushirikiana na kutatua matatizo. Ingawa utafiti wa kiwango cha dhahabu juu ya ufanisi wa kujifunza kwa msingi wa mchezo ni mdogo, ni rahisi kwa wauzaji wa elimu kuonyesha matokeo haya na kusaidia wateja wao kuongeza mwili wa habari karibu na utekelezaji mdogo. Microsoft hivi karibuni kununuliwa MinecraftEDU na maendeleo toleo jipya la mchezo kwa ajili ya shule, Minecraft: Elimu Edition. Hii ni mchezo wa ulimwengu wazi ambayo husaidia kukuza ubunifu, ushirikiano, na kutatua matatizo katika mazingira ya kuzamisha. Na ni bure kwa walimu, wanafunzi, na shule. Ni suala la muda tu kabla ya mtafiti mwenye bidii kubuni utafiti wa kihistoria kuonyesha uwezo wa Minecraft kusaidia na kukuza ustadi wa ujuzi wa karne ya 21. Minecraft inatumika katika madarasa ya wanafunzi na kuchochea hamu yao ya kuongoza kujifunza kwao wenyewe. Watengenezaji wengine wa michezo ya elimu wanaweza pia kutumia hadithi ya ushiriki wa wanafunzi katika uuzaji wao kwa kuonyesha masomo yao ya ufanisi na wateja wa wainjilisti. Uchunguzi wa kesi, matokeo ya lengo, na marejeo ya wilaya yanaweza kuongoza njia ya majaribio ya wilaya ya ziada, haswa ikiwa wauzaji wanaweza kuonyesha matokeo maalum ya kujifunza kupitia utafiti wao wa kihistoria. Ingawa mchezo-msingi wa kujifunza ni suala la kawaida, ni muhimu kukumbuka kwamba ni baadhi ya wanafunzi ambao ni mapema katika kutumia mchezo-msingi wa kujifunza. Kujifunza kwa msingi wa mchezo kwa matumizi ya elimu ya kawaida bado iko katika siku zake za mapema, na kuna fursa nyingi za soko kwa watengenezaji wa michezo ya elimu kuweka maeneo yao ya utaalam. Hii ni sehemu ya pili katika mfululizo wa sehemu mbili kuhusu hali ya michezo ya kubahatisha katika vyumba vya darasa la K-12. "Kama ilivyoelezwa katika mkutano wa ""Serious Play"" katika Chuo Kikuu cha North Carolina huko Chapel Hill, hii ni sehemu ya mazungumzo ya ""Banana hizi hazitajiuza zenyewe"" na ""Kuchanganya mpango wa mchezo wa kuweka wauzaji wa elimu kwenye njia ya mafanikio.""" Kwa kuwa kuna upendeleo mkubwa katika michezo ya kubahatisha, hii ni moja ya mada ambazo tunapaswa kuzungumzia kwa mara kwa mara katika mwaka ujao wa shule. "Punde si punde, tutashiriki matokeo ya uchunguzi mwingine katika mfululizo wetu wa ""Pulse"" wa uchunguzi wa walimu ili kupanua maoni ya walimu na matumizi ya michezo katika darasa ili kuelezea zaidi mipango ya uuzaji na mauzo ya 2016." Kama huwezi kufanya mkutano, barua pepe mimi katika firstname.lastname@example.org kupata deck au tu kuzungumza zaidi kuhusu chaguzi ambayo inaweza kuwa haki kwa ajili yenu.