WK3 Response #2 - Kathy Kellen

Kathy wrote:

Students play games, pure and simple fact! Perhaps it is one of the most vital venues to explore as education continues to evolve. Today, games are integrated into everyday life and include interaction with friends. The Pew Internet and American Life Project (Jones, 2003) explored the impact of gaming on the lives of college students and found that while nearly half admitted that gaming kept them from their studies (not that that would ever happen in an FSO course) they viewed it as a positive aspect of their lives! Playing games should be a social endeavor involving friends. World of Warcraft provides an opportunity for friends in different time zones to play and interact together. Bonnie Nardi (2010) writes, “instead of withdrawl into fantasy worlds, we see the extrusion of the worlds into ordinary life as family and friends play together, as players gather in Internet cafés, and as they meet and socialize with others online.”


As educators, we need to be aware that change is a given, keep open and enquiring minds, and engage in games regularly.

I commented:

Kathy, I kind of agree both with what you and Jordan are saying about games. It is completely obvious that students love games, and there are a few games out there that can be fun and educational at the same time. for example:

http://www.minijuegosgratis.com/juegos/hwdykyworld/hwdykyworld.html?b415=0766

i LOVE this game and bring it up as a successful example every chance I get.

There will have to be a two-pronged attack here for gaming in education:

#1. new tech - touchscreens, optics, and holograms are exploding. look at the 360's Kinect. That kind of technology will ALLOW more for the user and open up opportunities in more fields of education that were not available before.

#2. ideas - Game creation and programming will grow exponentially as most all training can and should be possible in a virtual environment.

We're not there yet. But, that's where it's all going.