Double Journal Entry #12

Chapter Five of Situated Language and Learning by James Paul Gee deals directly with which the ways in which video game styles and principles of learning can be implemented in a school environment and make learning accessible to all students.   The design of video games is one that ensures players must learn it in order to be successful, and finishing the game itself therefore becomes the assessment.  A theory of learning is s hypothesis and reflecting into the way in which human minds comprehend and take in new information.  To each person, this method may be unique.  Gee argues, however, that a commonality among theories should be the underlying principal that for learning to be meaningful, it must be an engaging, authentic, challenging, and bodily experience. 

In the example of the video game World of Warcraft, which Gee had difficulty playing, he attributes this difficulty to a lack of engagement and thus also stipulates that before good learning principles can be implemented, the learner must be properly motivated and feel a genuine need to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to proceed.  This inability to play the game would have been viewed as incompetence in an academic setting, rather than with a more progressive eye toward expanding skills both horizontally and vertically.  Labeling a child who experiences such failures as “at risk” merely indicates that they have struggled with the base preparations.  While schools interpret this as an inability to move forward with learning, it is more often a result and a perpetuator of bad learning experiences.  “Fish tank” tutorials commonly found in the games described by Gee allow learner’s to extend their physical bodies and minds into a virtual world and use trial and error with immediate feedback to learn about the game, rules, and environment.  The fish bowl also provides multiple modes of representation and demonstrates cause and effect clearly and quickly. This is a powerful and effective tool compared to schools long used methods of instruction, testing, failing, re teaching, etc..  The sandbox tutorial is similar to the fish bowl in that it allows the learner to explore and experiment without risk of negative consequences, basically serving as a practice arena to prefect skills.  Because there is no risk of failure, learners are more apt to take risks, try harder tasks, and branch out into less comfortable areas.  This is in high contrast compared to school settings which often impose harsh punishments and consequences when a learner tries, yet fails at, a new task. 

Genre is simply that type of thing that something is, and Gee stresses that it is important to introduce new and different genres to learners.  Different genres require different learning skills, therefore knowing beforehand the type to be studied can help the student feel prepared.  Gee also states that in an ideal circumstance, there is no distinction between learning and play.  Play IS learning, and the two take place simultaneously.  The games discussed by the author support collaborative learning by connecting the player to a virtual community of other players, all of which at different ability levels.  Members can share and learn from each other’s experiences. 

Principles for good games as outlined by Gee also align with the thinking of several notable theorists.  For example,  Piaget’s psychosocial approach to learning is reflected in Gee’s statement that games “ensure that the learners have and use an affinity space wherein they can interact with peers and masters, near and far, around a shared interest (even passion), making use of distributed and dispersed knowledge.   Evidence of Vygotsky’s scaffolding approach can be seen by the sentiment “They let learners themselves asses their previous knowledge and learning styles and make decisions for themselves (with help).”   Gardener’s multiple intelligences are demonstrated by the quote “They give information via several different modes (e.g., print, orally, visually).   Dewey, who believed we individually and socially construct meaning can be seen in the notion “they allow learners to practice enough so that they routinize their skills and then challenge them with new problems that force them to re-think these taken-for-granted skills and integrate them with new ones.”   Finally, the work and theories of both Bandura and Skinner and their beliefs about conditioning are reflected in Gee’s quote “They teach skills as sets and make it clear how they are instantiated in practice as strategies for accomplishing specific goals or carrying out specific activities.”    Clearly, the progressive ideas of James Gee align with notable theories regarding learning.  

Sources:
Gee, J. P. (2004). Situated language and learning: A critique of traditional schooling. New York, NY: Routledge.