Gaming technology and reflection

Originally published to eBridge on Wednesday 31 October 2012

Prensky (2007, p.50) takes a moment to address one of the criticisms that is often directed at the use of digital games as a tool for learning - the lack of reflection. This is particularly apparent when the games we use are 'twitch speed', with no room for error. Race (2010) lists reflection, or sense-making, as one of the key factors for successful learning, and notes that:

     '...we can't make sense of things for our learners - only they can do it. So our job      becomes to provide them with the best possible environment...' (p.20)

When we make a decision to incorporate gaming technologies into a learning program, we then have a duty to ensure that the reflective part of learning is not sacrificed. Without giving people a chance to ground themselves, they do not learn any self-reliance in their learning, and will flounder when their new skills are no longer relevant - an increasingly rapid and certain occurrence in our evolving society.

References:

• Prensky, M. (2007). Digital Game-Based Learning. St. Paul: Paragon House Edition.
• Race. P. (2010). Making Learning Happen: A Guide for Post-Compulsory Education.  2nd Ed., Sage.