This weeks Digital Technologies lesson expanded on last weeks introduction to games-based learning. The lesson focused specifically on the benefits of using games such as Minecraft in the children and the impact of doing so on young learners. The lesson involved us firstly reviewing the benefits of using games such as Minecraft in the classroom while acknowledging a variety of opinions. The main task of the lesson involved children from a local primary school, or ‘Digital Learners’, coming to educate us on how to use Minecraft while sharing with us why they thought that using Minecraft in school was effective and necessary.
When the children arrived, we were informed that they would be teaching us how to use Minecraft. When I learned this, I was apprehensive as despite having a brief idea of what Minecraft was, I had no experience of using it and thus was nervous at the idea of being taught it by young children. After we were assigned our group the young girls begun to show us their Minecraft Harry Potter universe that they had created together as a class. It was fascinating to see excited they were when speaking about their creations and how passionate they were about Minecraft. They children were instructed while teaching us to not touch the iPads but instead instruct us with their voices, although we as a group initially struggled with this concept I was surprised by the level of patience the children had with us and how great they were at teaching us.
As a learner with no experience of using Minecraft prior to today’s lesson I struggled to navigate the game initially, despite instructions from the digital leaders I found the game was sensitive to touch and due to this I struggled to construct a building. However, after some persistence I begun to get the hang of it. In my opinion, the ‘design’ feature of the game is by far easier to navigate than the ‘survivor’ mode as in the design feature all of the materials are accessible to you from the start whereas in survival you must kill, dig and find your own materials to survive. In design, children are free to instantly create anything they wish and thus I feel this is the easiest feature to introduce in the classroom.
From the perception of a teacher in training it is understandable why integrating the use of games such as Minecraft into lessons would be beneficial. When I asked the young digital leaders in my group why they feel using games like Minecraft in the classroom would be a good thing they answered because its “engaging” and “it makes learning fun not boring”. As well as conversing with the young digital learners on the benefits of games-based learning I also spoke with their class teacher and asked how she links games like Minecraft into a lesson. She spoke about linking the games with class topic work. For example, the class topic of the children we were working with today is “Harry Potter” and the teacher links this topic work with numeracy, literacy and technology. Todays lesson can be linked with both technology and Expressive Arts curriculum outcomes:
“I can explore and experiment with digital technologies and can use what I learn to support and enhance my learning in different contexts.” TCH 1-01a
“I have the opportunity to choose and explore a range of media and technologies to create images and objects, discovering their effects and suitability for specific tasks.” EXA 1-02a
As well as curriculum links, todays lesson educated me on the multiple benefits of using games-based learning in the classroom. In today’s society video games, such as Minecraft, are a vital part of youth culture. In 2011 Ofcom reported that around 86% of 5-7 year old children and 90% of 8-11 year old children use gaming devices regularly (Ofcom 2011). Bray (2012) detailed that games-based learning has the best impact on students when it is combined with effective teaching while stating that games should not only be used as a reward in the classroom but as new resource for learning. Thus, if we as student teachers want our young learners to be fully engaged with our lessons in the classroom we must aim to use resources they know and enjoy while expanding our knowledge of gaming and technology. Beauchamp (2012 p.10) spoke on the importance of teacher’s knowledge of the games they are using in the classroom “Achieving particular educational objectives through the use of the game was more dependent upon a teacher’s knowledge of the curriculum with which they were working than it was on their ability with the game.” Therefore, it is vital that aspiring teachers like myself aim to expand my knowledge and experience of using technology and video games that would be beneficial to use in future lessons.
To conclude, after today’s lesson I now feel I have the confidence and knowledge to introduce games-based learning into future lessons. Prior to today’s lesson I wouldn’t have had the knowledge of how to integrate a game such as Minecraft into a lesson however now I feel confident that I can introduce Minecraft into a variety of curriculum lessons. I look forward to continuing to experiment with games-based learning to create engaging, interactive and educational lessons I can use for future lessons.
References:
Beauchamp, G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
Ofcom (2001). Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes. [Online]. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education. [Accessed 13th of March 2018]
Bray, O. (2012) Playful Learning: Computer Games in Education. [Online]. Available: https://www.slideshare.net/Microsofteduk/playful-learning-computer-games-in-education [Accessed: 13th of March 2018]
