Tech-Enabled Learning: Dag Hammarskjold Middle School's Use of Gaming Tools - Research Paper

Introduction

Technology has improved the experience of both learners and teacher in the classroom through the creation of various tools. The use of gaming tools is one of the elements that technology has brought and has enabled the students to get involved and interested in their subjects. One of the American schools that used gaming tools in its classrooms is Dag Hammarskjold Middle School in Wallingford, and one of the activities they undertake with this game is the involvement in an educational activity that resembles the popular video games such as Fortnite (Squire, 57). The children compete during the game in collecting points which they then in turn use in unlocking cloths, powers, and pets for their players in the game. They are not fighting against act other unlike it is the case with many other games. The classroom games are, however, used by the teachers in presenting various classroom subjects, and the students can earn points as they pass through the various levels of education in the game.

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Just like our society has matured, so is video games. There is an improvement both in the graphics and the stories, and we are getting to realize the potential that the virtual world has in the learning process. Many industries have also emulated the art of gamification with the growing video game market, which has evaded the education sector as well (Facer et al., 1369). We have also realized that just in the same way that people enjoy the media, movies, and books, so do they enjoy gaming as well, and this is an opportunity to tap on gaming and make it useful beyond just entertainment and a method of exploring fantasy. The large industry is now used in making the world a better place since it is the bread and batter of children's entertainment. It encourages social skills development, teamwork, and is also a wealth of knowledge depending on the genre. Video gaming can be used in the classroom to enhance learning in the following ways:

Teaching How to Learn from Failure

The use of video games encourages the students to take a different perspective on failure, not to be a sign of lacking something, but rather as a way of learning. The principle here is that "failure is only a setback, and not a disaster" and this principle allows children to enjoy growing and learning just the same way that characters in video progress in their journey. There is an opinion that is prevailing that fun and education are not compatible and that learning and happiness can never take the same seat (Squire, 52). However, people fail to understand that just like effectiveness is required in teaching, so is it in education, nurturing and guiding young people, even if it implies a change in the system. Even though this is shocking, the truth is that video games can provide high chances for learning and education.

Revolutionizing Learning

To make progress in the education system, people need to be taught in the best ways in which they can learn. And when learning takes the route of video gaming, then the children quickly get vested in what they are doing, their scholastic topics, and future. If for instance, you asked some random person what they learned in a video game, they would answer you without thinking (Facer et al., 1390). However, if you asked the same person what they learned in their fifth-grade physics topic, you might end up with no answer at all. The use of entertaining, accessible mediums and the prioritization of techniques that efficiently works for students like the video games, there is likeliness of educators and video games designers to realize unimaginable success in teaching future generations.

Social Studies

In a case study by some educational researchers, the idea of learning outside the traditional classrooms was examined through the use of a video game called Making History in a high school history class. The teacher in this study had previously used the game in other classes, and so he knew the learning expectations and goals as well as a strong methodology for integrating the course material with the experience from the game. In this game, the teacher came up with a group of students who controlled various countries during World War II (Devlin). From the study, it was established that even though not all students gained from the time they spent in the game, there was a change in the classroom environment from that of lecture-centered to that which is centered on the learners. By being in the video game, the students engaged with each other and the teacher by asking questions about the decisions that led to WW II. There was also an excitement that came along playing the game, and students discussed o the strategies they would use in the next round outside the class (Devlin). In most cases, some students lack such a level of motivation and excitement to learn in traditional classrooms.

There is a strong sense of motivation that this study suggests especially in the social studies classrooms. Apart from the students only getting engaged in lectures or PowerPoint presentations, the use of video games in classrooms engages them in a higher degree by fully immersing them to a different world. The students become interested in improving how they understand the world as we saw in the case where they consulted each other on how they could defeat in WWII. However, there is no evidence that such motivation would lead to increased performance in academics, but there is enough proof that the use of video in learning translates into deeper learning. It is however unfortunate that academic achievement is measured in grades and test scores, rather than the level of understanding, and there is, therefore, need for further studies to appreciate the full impact that video gaming has on social studies learning.

Video Games Make People Happy and Relieve Stress

Regardless of their ages, video games are suitable for all people due to their therapeutic effects, especially individuals having emotional and mental problems (DeShazo, Jonathan, Lynne, & Wanda, 821). Through gaming, children who might be having some emotional problems from home may get relieved of such stresses. It is important to give the brain some resting time to help improve one's mental and emotional wellbeing. Relaxing is also important as it helps in boosting the memory, preventing depression, helping in decision making, and reducing the risks of stroke and heart problems. Gaming also has physical health benefits through the suppression of urges to stress and reduction of acne. All these things counted here come when one does something really fun doing, and it is important both for the health and development of children.

Video Games Are Especially Well-Suited for Individualized Learning

Students learn in various ways since they are different. Most schools and teachers do not have enough resources to provide each student with an individualized learning plan. However, with video gaming, this dream is almost achieved. Through gaming, the children get to learn at their speed without the necessary oversight of teachers or parents. Based on the preferences and choices of a child, the experience of the player can be tailored. If they successfully solved a problem, then the game can be modified to present a more challenging one. If they struggle to grab a concept, the game can be modified to introduce the idea differently or reduce the technically of the idea until the student can get it (DeShazo et al., 821).

It Helps Gauge Children’s Cognitive Development and Facilitate Individualized Learning

Traditionally, the only ways in which students got assessed was through the use of quizzes and tests, but these only revealed a small percentage of the students' performance. The use of video game could be more comprehensive in assessing the students in real time as they collect data every step of the game, offering context for the development of the child and their specific habits of learning. As a result, this enables a deeper understanding of how the students are interacting with the materials and allowing the teachers to give immediate feedback (Annetta, 229).

Most teachers believe that games can be used to motivate students who are struggling. Students who have low self-esteem are usually disengaged in the classroom activities, and therefore, they require more individualized learning plans. The use of games is very useful in addressing such gaps, and according to a survey, 78% of teacher submitted that the use of video gaming in classrooms improved the performance of students, their mastery of the curriculum content and skills, with 71% submitting that they improved their mastery of extra-curricular skills like communication, technology, and critical thinking (Annetta, 237). Apart from motivating them to attend classes, games also enable the low-performing students to make stronger efforts in succeeding.

The Perceived Negative Effects of Using Videogames in Classrooms for Learning

Violence

Video games, in most cases, leads to increased aggression resulting from the aggression found in most of the scripts. Students who play violent video games supply aggressive ending more often every time they are asked to complete a story (Bavelier et al., 397). An example given is of Jane, who after spending a long day at work, waits for over an hour waiting for food in a restaurant. As she waits for the food, Jane is frustrated and even thinks of writing to a magazine about her experience at the restaurant. Apart from that aggressive response, she also thinks of setting the table cloth on fire. A rational person, on the other hand, who is forced to wait for more than an hour, does not give such a response.

Addiction

Most of the newer technology is surrounded by the concern of addiction, and video gaming is not an exception. Researchers have also reported on the relationship existing between the amount of time spent on the screens or playing video games, and the resulting performance in school. The amount of video game played is associated with lower GPA among the college students (Bavelier et al., 414). Here, the major issue is the time and not the content of the video played since the time that these students spend playing these videos could have been using doing some more relevant academic activity which could then result in a better educational outcome.

Conclusion

Many researchers have researched the possible effects that video gaming could have on students, and from such studies, there are both positive and negative influences resulting from the same. As described in the content of this paper, some of how video gaming in classrooms can be used positively to build the performance of the students include the following: video games boost the social learning of the students through the interactions that they engage in as they play the games. It also creates an environment where personalized learning is fostered since the students can learn at their own pace through the tailoring of the videos games to fit each student's capacity to understand. Video games also teach students how to learn from failure by acknowledging that failure is not ultimate, but a process of learning. The principle here is that "failure is only a setback, and not a disaster" and this principle allows children to enjoy growing and learning just the same way that characters in video progress in their journey. On the negative implications of video gaming among students, some of the most quoted drawbacks associated with video gaming in the classroom include the claim that it leads to aggression among the students which may then lead to violence. This is, however, majorly through the content of the video making it a partial effect since in most cases where video games are used in schools, the content is usually monitored to ensure that they confo...