1 Learning Principles in Teaching and Video Games Peter Hastings CDM

2 Intro Requirements for learning –Multiple viewpoints Assessment of the learning opportunities I provide Assessment of learning via games 2

Back to basics What works for learning?

4 What Affects Learning? Need empirically proven principles of effective learning –Theories of Motivation –Theories of Emotion –Learning Sciences 4

5 Motivation Theories Flow: (Csikszentmihalyi) –Total absorption in activity –Balance of demands and capabilities Self-determination (Deci and Ryan) –Intrinsic motivation from inherent need to be active –Influenced by needs for competence, autonomy, relatedness –External motivation can be internalized Terror-management theory (Greenberg et al) 5

6 Emotion Theories Appraisal theory (Scherer) –16 dimensional appraisal frame represents emotion (reaction to event) –Ditto for mood –Combine to get feeling –Current effort to include in Soar (Marinier) –Connection to motivation? Also: Ahn and Picard’s Affective Cognitive Learning and Decision making (ACLD) 6

Learning Science

8 Learning Science Principles Connect to prior knowledge Information delivery? NO! Constructivism Active learning –Learner's active involvement with info to be learned –Metacognitive level 8 distilled from Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (eds), “How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School”, 2000.

9 LS Principles 2 Reflection Zone of Proximal Development Assessment: Can't connect to what students know if you don't know what they know. Facts are important –base for further knowledge –but not all-important 9

10 LS Principles 3 Experts vs novices –Qualitative differences in: Perception Knowledge retrieval Choice of action –Expert blindsight Transfer –Horizontal, vertical, near and far –"Efficiency" of learning -> cheats, shortcuts, etc 10

11 LS Principles 4 Learning is hard work! –It takes time. –Practice / rehearsal. Motivation is key! 11

12 LS Report Card 12 PrincipleGrade Connect to prior knowledge Minimize info delivery Support constructivism Active learning Metacognition Reflection Zone of proximal development PrincipleGrade Assessment/feedback Facts and how to use them Training perception Mastery Learning Transfer Practice Motivation

13 LS Report Card: My teaching 13 PrincipleGrade Connect to prior knowledge B Minimize info delivery C- Support constructivism B Active learning C Metacognition C- Reflection C Zone of proximal development B- PrincipleGrade Assessment/feedback B- Facts and how to use them B+ Training perception C Mastery Learning B- Transfer B+ Practice B+ Motivation C-

Cognitive architectures

15 Cognitive Architectures (e.g. Act-R, Soar) About decision making If conditions, do action(s) Facts, rules have context sensitive activation Learning through –Adjusting activations on facts, rules –Being told –Production compilation 15

16 Cog Arch Impls for SGs Understanding includes not only actions/conclusions –Also conditions: when they apply –Players must learn to evaluate situations Relate to expert categorization (Slow) Learning through experience Generalization and transfer 16

Games

Reasons for caution

19 “Educational” Games 19

20 Laski & Ogan's study Popular math games provided by Math textbook publisher Whittled 36 Gee principles (coming up) down to 6 due to problems with –applicability to these games –operationalizability of the principles Found none of these 6 appeared significantly in these games. 20

Games Reasons for hope

22 Gee's principles for learning in games 1.Active, critical learning 2.Design 3.Semiotic 4.Semiotic domains 5.Metalevel thinking about Semiotic domains 6.Psychosocial moratorium 7.Committed learning 8.Identity 9.Self-knowledge 10.Amplification of input 11.Achievement 12.Practice 13.Ongoing learning 14.Regime of competence 15.Probing 16.Multiple routes 17.Situated meaning 18.Text 19.Intertextual 20.Multimodal 21.Material intelligence 22.Intuitive knowledge 23.Subset 24.Incremental 25.Concentrated sample 26.Bottom-up basic skills 27.Explicit info on-demand and just-in-time 28.Discovery 29.Transfer 30.Cultural models about the world 31.Cultural models about learning 32.Cultural models about semiotic domains 33.Distributed 34.Dispersed 35.Affinity group 36.Insider 22

23 LS Report Card: GAMES 23 PrincipleClassGames Connect to prior knowledge B A Minimize info deliveryC- A Support constructivism B C Active learningC A MetacognitionC- A ReflectionC B Zone of proximal development B- A PrincipleClassGames Assessment/feedbackB- A Facts and how to use them B+ A Training perceptionC A Mastery LearningB- A TransferB+ A- PracticeB+ A MotivationC- A

24 The Big Question Once we’ve identified a deficit, what do we do about it? 24

25 The Answer 25

26 IL 7 th grade science standards Understand that objects in the solar system are for the most part in regular and predictable motion. Know that those motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, the phases of the moon, and eclipses Understand that gravity is the force that keeps planets in orbit around the sun and governs the rest of the motion in the solar system. Know that changes in gravitational forces explain the phenomenon of the tides. Know that what an object weighs on Earth is different than what it weighs on the moon or other planets in our solar system. This is due to gravity Identify the differences among the planets in our solar system: the four closest planets to the Sun are called the inner planets. The inner planets are small and have rocky surfaces. The five farthest planets from the Sun are called the outer planets. All outer planets except Pluto are much larger than Earth, are made of gases, and have no solid surfaces Understand that rock samples taken by astronauts walking on the moon show that the earth and moon have a common history.

27 Evaluation questions Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the 4 closest planets to the sun and because of the solid surface, they are considered: –terrestrial –terramorphic –gas giants –carbide What is the second largest planet? –Neptune –Mars –Saturn –Uranus How can our weather satellites rotate around Earth? –Due to gravity and its forces –The thrusters on the satellites keep them in space –The magnetic pull of Earth –Black holes

28 Serious Games Class In 2010, 14 CDM students developed two different games for a 7th grade CPS class –Planetary science –Used Illinois state learning standards –Tested before and after using games –They actually learned! 28

29 SolarSurveyor

30 Planetary System Builder

Outcomes Engagement Learning

32 Current research Two PhD students: Brian Grey and Ali Alkhafaji –Focus on motivational aspects –Factors that affect motivation: (Garris et al, 2002) –Fantasy: Context, themes or characters. –Rules/Goals: rules, goals, and feedback –Sensory stimuli: Visual, auditory –Challenge: Level of difficulty –Mystery: Information complexity –Control: by player over directions, outcomes 32

Further research needed

34 Issues: Johnson: General cognitive capabilities? Refining principles for games Operationalizing Music? What DOESN'T MATTER for learning? Cheating / gaming Learning objectives and outcomes Injecting games into ed tech? Evaluation???!!! (more below) 34

35 Game simulates RW? Test in RW? MC tests measure RW abilities? Would anyone believe test embedded into learning game? Is the best eval (without testing real-world abilities) just whether they've "won the game" or what their skill level is? 35

36 Conclusions Games hold much promise for education Also huge potential for hype More research is needed! 36