Trends in Adult Education
As a student of the PIDP 3100 course ‘Foundations of Adult Education’, we were asked to research and select a trend in adult education. Once we had reviewed the article, we were then asked to connect with a learning partner to share our insights. Below, I will explain the two trends that we discussed.
The trend that I selected to learn more about was ‘Gamification’. Oddly enough, my learning partner selected ‘Digital Game Based Learning.’
Gamification can be summarized as the use of game principles and mechanics in a non-game setting. The article I read made some great points such as:
“If you're going to engage your students using any form of gaming, you should understand game mechanics. The problem with most attempts at gaming in education is that educators mistakenly think that if you give out a badge or slap points on it, you've gamified. This is wrong.”
There are four game player types and “you should consider all four of the player types as you design your experiences”
“Privacy requires that you not publicly share grades.”
“It motivates a love for learning.”
‘It's time for some serious testing of serious games to determine which ones are appropriate for classroom use.” (2014, March 20). Gamification in Education. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/gamification-in-education-vicki-davis
Digital Game Based Learning is “an instructional method that incorporates educational content or learning principles into video games with the goal of engaging learners.” (n.d.). Retrieved from URL http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4970.
The article shared by my learning partner also made some interesting points:
“The prevalence of video games has actually rewired our brains and made traditional learning methods less effective. Current learning methods for young learners fail to engage learners used to interactive media. Learners now expect interactivity.”
“The instructor-led classroom and the teach-test method are actually historical artifacts. The teach-test instructor-led class and its instructional methods arose partially from the rise of the printing press and the widespread availability of reading material. Even technologically savvy educators have biases towards methods that worked while they were learners themselves.”
“No matter how much you may try to keep up, …your students will always be more hip to the technology than you.”
“The brain reorganizes and rewires itself in response to cultural stimuli, so a child who plays videogames at night is bored at class not because of "short attention span" or bad study habits but because the child's brain has programmed itself to respond better to "twitchspeed" interactivity.”
“When people are "playing," they forget inhibitions and self-consciousness to concentrate on the game's mission (i.e. "learning objectives").”
“Teachers can play a vital role in ensuring that students adequately reflect on the problems or conflicts that arose during the game/learning activity. Games are good at interactivity but bad at reflection…what the learner needs most is FEEDBACK, game or no game.”
“Befriend IT as soon as possible; choose urgent learning needs that are "boring, complex or difficult," and offer game-based learning in conjunction with more traditional methods and give learners the option NOT to learn via the game method. Technology is not essential for reaching younger learners. Resourcefulness, a well-designed curriculum and motivational ability trumps game-based learning every time.”
“Using teaching methods so dependent on a technology…has the unfortunate effect of rendering teachers helpless in the wake of massive technological breakdown. If a trainer/facilitator skilled in DGBL suddenly found his classroom without internet access, could he still train employees effectively?” (2003, April 28). Digital Game Based Learning. Retrieved from URL http://www.savie.ca/SAGE/Articles/Prensky-Marc-2005%20.pdf
