THE STIGMATIZATION AND CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF VIDEOGAMES IN EDUCATIONAL CONTEXTS
The following excerpt on education has been inspired by Ian Bogost’s book, “How To Do Things With Videogames”. In particular, it has been written as a response to both the introduction and conclusion of the book, where he mentions “serious games” (p. 5) and later, the “educational potential” (p. 152) of videogames.
January 15th, 2018
In this chapter, I would like to consider the value in serious games; that is, games that provide an alternate dimension to the gaming experience apart from entertainment. (Bogost, 2011). In this chapter, the focus will be on educational videogames where possible explanations for its negative reputation will be explored followed by an overview of the current landscape of the use of videogames in the classroom. The popular game Minecraft will be used as an example to show how videogames are currently trending in classrooms to include coding in response to STEM-inspired curriculums.
Educational videogames provide a “fun” element both inside and outside of the classroom. Scholar Kurt Squire argues that videogames in the context of education is vastly under researched, despite the potential benefits it can provide to students. He describes Bogost’s elements of Drills to elicit such points, claiming its usefulness in military school training for instance. So why are videogames ignored in K-12 contexts?
The Stigmatization of Videogames in Relation Childhood
One could make the claim that videogames are stigmatized due, in part, to their perceived violent nature. Media coverage of videogames can seemingly be more negative than positive at times, as they often link violent acts of aggression to apparent violent videogames. Ferguson (2007), speaks to this politicized aspect of videogames, using the Columbine shooting in 1999 as an example to illustrate how easily videogames can be linked to any act of violence. In this circumstance, the media portrayed Doom and Grand Theft Auto to fuel the aggression for the boys to commit the massacre, though no solid link between the videogames and the act were ever credibly claimed (Ferguson, 2007). De Castel and Jenson (2003) argue against the link between violence and videogames, claiming that to blame such acts on videogames alone neglects the cultural context of the issues surrounding such tragedies.
Authors Nolan and McBride (2014) make the interesting association to Early Childhood Education, explaining that the stigmatization of video games in the classroom can be linked to romantic perceptions of childhood. As such, it can be believed that technology leads to a decline in outdoor or ‘natural play’ and serves to threaten, rather than to enhance, the lived experiences of children. Neil Postman’s Disappearance of Childhood (1994) is an example of how such romantic perceptions of children and childhood can appear to be threatened by technological change.
The Current Landscape of Videogames in the Classroom
Despite this, newer generations are looking to videogames to provide educational experiences for students in the classroom. Some may categorize the use of videogames in the classroom as encompassed within the “hidden curriculum” where digital game-based learning is called upon as a classroom resource (Nolan & McBride, 2014, p. 597). With recent school-board initiatives such as game-based learning as well as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), videogames are becoming increasingly popular in the classroom. Minecraft is a primary example of this. Scholastic Books recently published an article on their website for educators, entitled 10 Ways To Use Minecraft In The Classroom to which they argue the following subjects can be taught through playing the videogame: science, math, English, history, art and architecture, economics, language, social skills, geography, and technology.
What is particularly known about Minecraft is its ability to engage children in coding. Gallagher (2014) published a book entitled An Educator's Guide to Using Minecraft® in the Classroom. In the book, he explains how to use the videogame in the classroom to elicit subject-knowledge as well as coding through lesson plans and ideas for educators. Taking its inspiration from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), many schools are looking at coding as a subject in its own, most likely, as a result of the influential digital age defined by computer programming itself.
Despite the increasing prevalence of videogames in the classroom, students and educators cannot reap the benefits in its entirety unless educators familiarize themselves with videogames. Nolan and McBride (2014) argue that ill-prepared educators are hesitant towards gaming culture and become more hesitant to employ these strategies in the classroom. The equation is simple: videogames can prove to be beneficial in the classroom, only if educators themselves are well-prepared to teach them and view them as a classroom resource rather than through a deficit lens.
References
Bogost, I. (2011). How to do things with videogames. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press.
De Castell, S. & Jenson, J. (2003). Serious play. J. Curriculum Studies, 35(6), 649-665.
Ferguson, C. J. (2007). The good, the bad and the ugly: A meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games. Psychiatric Quarterly, 78(4), 309-316.
Gallagher, C. (2014). An Educator's Guide to Using Minecraft® in the Classroom: Ideas, inspiration, and student projects for teachers. Peachpit Press.
Nolan, J. & McBride, M. (2014). Beyond gamification: Reconceptualizing game-based learning in early childhood environments. Information, Communication & Society, 17(5), 594-608.
Postman, N. (1994). The disappearance of childhood. New York: Vintage Books.
Scholastic Books. (2018). Ten ways to use Minecraft in the classroom. Retrieved from: https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/10-ways-use-minecraft-classroom/
Squire, K. (2003). Video Games in Education. International Journal of Intelligent Simulations and Gaming, 2(1).