Supporting Students
A majority of the younger students in your classroom are active "gamers" who spend their free time in a virtual world. Even though you may classify this activity as entertainment, you may be surprised to find that a good deal of learning occurs. Let's explore ways that you can support student learning through the use of multimedia and sound pedogogy in the classroom.
A Case for Multimedia in the Classroom:
Here is a brief history of use of Multimedia in the classroom. Josh Smith makes a good case for using it to enhance learning. |
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Sound Pedagogy that includes Games:
The ProblemThe idea that education needs to have a sociological and pragmatic connection is nothing new. This notion dates at least as far back as Francis Bacon when he wrote that ‘advancement of learning’ must enable students to navigate their way through a diverse world which lacks certainty; where knowledge is contingent, transient, and subject to change. The sad truth is that the vast majority of current teaching methods in public, higher and career education rely on antiquated instructional methods that are overwhelmingly centered upon the transference of content with little instruction for teaching students how to learn and make decisions given incomplete information.
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The SolutionIn his article, Timothy Clapper (2010) states that people learn from experience in a way that is not possible from instruction or information delivery alone. The type of learning needed is not the passive process occurring in many classrooms. He advises teachers to put aside the PowerPoint slides and use the power of project-based learning with cooperative learning techniques that will get learners actively involved in developing their own learning. Simulations and Games promote understanding because it merges theory and practice and offers a chance to work in diverse teams with unfamiliar participants and situations. He further emphasizes that a learning environment that encourages exploration of alternative personal perspectives and critical reflection supports ideal conditions for transformative learning.
Source: Clapper, T. (2010). Beyond Knowles: What Those Conducting Simulation Need to Know About Adult Learning Theory. Clinical Simulation in Nursing(6), 7-14. |