Formal Essay – Interactive Gaming as a Learning Tool – First Attempt

In our current century, gaming has become an effective method of entertainment for members of every generation. Educators, seeing the effect that the gaming culture has on members of today’s society, have been trying for a number of years to use interactive gaming as a learning tool. This essay will explore three articles that relate the use of interactive gaming as a teaching method. The first article, “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” talks about a study that was conducted on young children with the aim to teach them about animal behaviours through the use of interactive gaming. The second article, “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare”, discusses the negative aspects of using interactive gaming as a teaching method, while the third article “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?” discusses the positive aspects of this method. This essay will conclude with my own personal opinion regarding the use of interactive gaming to learn based on the articles that I read.

 

This article “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” documents the study conducted by K. Facerw, R. Joiner, D. Stanton, J. Reidz, R. Hullz, and D. Kirk from NESTA Futurelab, Bristol, UK; University of Bath, UK; Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK; and University of Nottingham, Bristol, UK, respectively. The purpose of the study was to explore how mobile gaming (physical movement in junction with interactive gaming) can effectively work as a teaching and learning tool. This study aimed to teach the group of students about the behaviours of lions in the Savannah using an interactive environment and mobile gaming devices.

This study was conducted with children aged eleven to twelve and run twice, once with a set of five girls, and once with a set of five boys. Each trial took two days to complete, with the first day acting as a sort of “tutorial” where the children were able to explore their environment (a playing field 100m x 50m) and learn how to use the equipment, and the second day acting as a opportunity to use those new found skills in scenarios presented by the game servers (hunger, heat exhaustion, bush fires, angry elephants). Each student was given a GPS that would track them as they moved around the playing field, and a person digital assistant (PDA) that acted as their main method of interaction with the game. This PDA allowed them to interact with the virtual world by communicating what their lion saw, smelt, and heard through the use of pictures and voice commands. Additionally, there was a room known as the “Den” that the children would return to when the simulation had concluded. Here, the students were to reflect upon their experiences with the guidance of the teacher. With the use of an interactive flip chart, the student were able to see their movements across the playing field and view the locations of the markers they posted (for smells documented, etc).

At the conclusion of the study, it was seen that the students were able to make the connection between what they were doing in the game and how a lion would need to behave in the wild. The students quickly learned that they had to work together to take down larger prey, which prey to avoid, which situations were safe and which were dangerous, and how to keep their energy levels up. In the debriefing (the “Den” discussions), the students were saying “I actually thought that what was on the screen was actually what was real”, “It felt like Africa”, and “When there were flies I was like [turning head, to check where the flies were]’” (Facer, Joiner, and et al 399-409). This showed that the students were connecting with what it meant to be a lion in the Savannah, effectively learning about animal behaviours. Undetermined to be concluded was the question of whether this method taught the students more effectively than conventional classroom methods. However, it was definitely realized that this method could connect with the students and allow them to absorb the intended information while remaining entertained.

 

The article, “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare”, written by L. de Wit-Zuurendonk and S. Oei, contains arguments that are against the use of gaming as a learning tool. The first argument is that “the dynamic colourful world of a computer game will distract the student’s attention from the learning process.” (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21). The authors argue that asking the student to learn while being bombarded by flashing lights and graphics won’t enable them to absorb the intended information. This can be true, especially for people diagnosed with ADHD. It can be very difficult to concentrate on learning when there are multiple point of information coming towards you all at once. The second argument that this article makes is that “the present generation contains a different type of learner” (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21). This refers to the fact that serious gaming could be an effective learning tool for certain generations, but not for others. By this, I am referring to digital natives (those under the age of 18) versus people over the age of 40. Individuals over the age of 40 have only been exposed to technology for half their lives, and this could influence their ability to interact with these games and effectively learn from them. People in this category are used to attaining their information through different methods, so the serious gaming may not be an effective tool.

The article, “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?”, written by Monica Peddle, contains arguments that are for the use of gaming as a learning tool. The first argument is that games “can … mimic processes, networks and systems used in the clinical setting to help learners prepare for their role.” (Peddle 647-649). This argument suggests that exposing the students to potential scenarios that they could be facing will give them an idea of what they will be encountering in the workplace. Then, when they are faced with situations later in life, they can recall the methods they used to solve similar problems when they worked through the game. The second argument is that “simulation gaming allows students to experiment in authentic situations, without risk to themselves or the patient in the clinical setting.” (Peddle 647-649). This is particularly applicable to nursing because the work involves live people. In these games or simulations, the nursing students can see what will happen if they make the wrong decisions. Unfavourable outcomes can be explored in a risk-free environment, which allow the students to satisfy their curiosity as well as deal with these situations. Additionally, the students can learn without risking any kind of damage to live humans.

These two articles, together, summarize the pros and cons of using gaming as a learning tool. As mentioned in the article regarding the children learning about the behaviours of lions, interactive gaming can and has been used as a learning tool. The first article’s secondary argument (learning through gaming is effective only for certain generations) applies to the study conducted on the children. Young children have grown up their entire lives using technology and they can easily work with it. This increases their potential ability to absorb the material that is being presented to them. The second argument of the second article (simulations allow the users to experiment with situations without risk to themselves or others) also pertains to the initial article. It would be very dangerous for the younger children to go out into the African Savannah and observe the lions in their natural habitat, and this simulation allows them to experience the behaviours of a lion without any risk. In the simulation, they can die as virtual lions, but remain untouched in the physical world.

 

In my personal opinion, I believe that interactive gaming is an effective learning tool. The study conducted on the children regarding the behaviours of lions in the wild proved to be an excellent method for communicating the information that was presented. The children were saying that they “actually thought that what was on the screen was actually what was real” and that “It felt like Africa” (Facer, Joiner, and et al 399-409) which showed that they truly connected with the simulation and the experience. I believe that connections like this can heighten our personal learning experiences and enrich our ability to learn. In addition, the students found the simulation to be generally enjoyable. Finding enjoyment in learning can lead to children seeking out knowledge on their own because they associate fun with learning. The article written by Monica Peddle makes an excellent argument for gaming as a learning tool: Simulations and gaming “can … mimic processes, networks and systems used in the clinical setting to help learners prepare for their role” (Peddle 647-649). This argument is especially applicable for students who are training for high risk, high stress jobs. If they are trained using simulations that allow them to work through difficult, fast-paced, high stress scenarios, it can give them an insight to the intensity of potential situations, thus preparing them for these encounters. In response to L. de Wit-Zuurendonk and S. Oei’s argument that “the present generation contains a different type of learner “ (de Wit-Zuurendonk, and Oei 17-21) I believe that interactive gaming shouldn’t be used on which students that haven’t been exposed to technology for most or all of their lives. If a student hasn’t used technology frequently in their lives, it wouldn’t make sense to use a teaching method that incorporated it. To use an analogy, it would be the equivalent of asking a bushman of the Sahara desert to hunt by using guns.  It would be incredibly silly to do this because the bushman has never used a gun, and he has developed his own effective way to hunt without using gun. It doesn’t matter that the use of a gun would make his hunting easier and more successful because his own methods have worked for him his entire life and changing it will only make it more difficult.

In conclusion, I believe that interactive gaming is a great way to learn because the majority of students that will be using this method are digital natives. This group of students will get the greatest use from these technologies and will learn most effectively through them. Technology is becoming the standard way of the future, and the changes in technology will bring about new changes and experiences in learning.

 

Sources:

Serious gaming in women’s healthcare
de Wit-Zuurendonk, L, and S. Oei. “Serious gaming in women’s healthcare.” International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology. 11.118 (2011): 17-21. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/store/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03176.x/asset/j.1471-0528.2011.03176.x.pdf?v=1&t=h968khzg&s=91341aa330524cf2e7abd3028ce4fbe32334e1c7&gt;.

Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?
Facer, K, R Joiner, et al. “Savannah: mobile gaming and learning?” Journal of Computer Assisted Living. 20.6 399-409. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/store/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2004.00105.x/asset/j.1365-2729.2004.00105.x.pdf?v=1&t=h95yr5w9&s=f282cc021388d7c41469fe93b0c0786593ff8e42&gt;.

Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?
Peddle, Monica. “Simulation gaming in nurse education; entertainment or learning?” Nurse Education Today. 31.7 (2011): 647-649. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://journals1.scholarsportal.info.ezproxy.lib.ryerson.ca/tmp/18367332623042512011.pdf&gt;.

Digital Literacy

Part One – Name searched: Marco Germinario

1) What does your partner’s current digital footprint says about him/her, does it say anything about their new media creative abilities or interests?
Well, when searching up for any information about Marco Germinario, one will find that there really isn’t very much to find. The only link that I found that was tied back to Marco was the link to his Facebook page (assuming that he wasn’t the Artistic Director and Founder of the Ragnarok Nordic Festival in 2010). Through his Facebook page, you can see that aside from being a normal kid, he has a photo album displaying a few of the paintings art pieces that he created, which are certainly impressive. The paintings show his ability to be creative and communicate his ideas and concepts, which is a key element for the creation of new media art pieces.

2) Do you think an  employer or teacher should be able to see that?
I would think that an employer or teacher should be able to see the work that Marco has done. It would give other people a good idea of what he is capable of in terms of artistic creation. In terms of the other photos and information that can be found about him on his Facebook page, there really isn’t anything there to show that he’s anything but a normal kid.

3) Where is the information coming from?  A blog, a website, Facebook, etc.
As stated earlier, the information I gathered came from Facebook.

 

Part Two

How to establish your digital footprint using web 2.0 technologies (Julia)

• Create personal profiles pages on social networking websites
• Comment on other people’s blog, profile pages, websites, etc
• Tag yourself in blog posts, videos, photos, etc
• Subscribe to other people’s posts
• Keep on top of what is being said about you and your own posts

How to create a data trail that can be searched and found via specific keywords (Julia)

• Add as many keywords and tags as your possibly can
• Be specific with your key-words, or be vague when you want to reach a wide audience
• Limit where each unit of information can lead- if you let them free, the trail can’t be followed
• Use unique keywords
• Try to think like your target audience – use the keywords that they would use.

A strategy would best serve the purpose of creating a digital identity that serves to inform teachers and potential employers of who you are as a new media creative professional (Marco)

Your identity in life is one perceived by others through your words and actions in the moment. Now image being able to sit down at your computer with that moment and tweak every aspect of your produced information. I’m pretty sure you would not only be the best but would look the best all the time, come on we’re all a little conceited. Well as crazy as that might sound its possible, how you say, well through something called your digital identity. The main purpose of which is to outsource your information as it suits you through a multitude of mediums. This information can be descriptive and beneficial to your social image as well as a way to inform teachers and potential employers of how you see yourself. As for a new media student it shows ones creative potential and professional caliber. Though the words you write, videos and photos you post it also helps familiarize yourself to your superiors and points out your creative abilities and interests, something very advantageous when yearning to get ahead of the rest. Altogether its a quick and easy way to outsource your information, like an ongoing, digital resume with and the space and customization for you to fill it with.

CSS 101

What is CSS and how does it work?
CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets. You can embed CSS code into HTML files or link them together. Like HTML, CSS code is downloaded, interpreted, rendered, then displayed as the final product (web page).

How the CSS syntax works:
Below is an image of the fundamental CSS model

The difference between id and class:
IDs and Classes can be described as “hooks” – meaning they allow us to directly access and modify different portions of the document.
IDs are unique. Each element can only have one ID, and each page can only have one element with that ID.
Classes are not unique. You can use the same class on multiple elements, and you can use multiple elements on one class.

The difference between external style sheet, internal style sheet and inline style:
External Style Sheet – styles are called up using a separate page
example:

<head>
<link href=”style.css” rel=”stylesheet” type=”text/css” />
</head>

Internal Style Sheet – styles are referenced on the same page
example:

<head>

<style type=”text/css”>
<!–
.body {background: #000000;}
–>

</style>
</head>

Inline Style – style attribute goes right on the tag
example:

<p style=”color:sienna;margin-left:20px”>This is a paragraph.</p>

When is it better to use one over the other?
External – when a style is applied to many pages
Internal – when a single document has a unique style
Inline – when only one small section of a document is different

The box model:
The box model is literally a box that wraps around HTML elements. It consists of margins, borders, padding, and the content. The box model allows you to place a border around elements in relation to other elements.

• Margin – Clears an area around the border. The margin does not have a background color, it is completely transparent
• Border – A border that goes around the padding and content. The border is affected by the background color of the box
• Padding – Clears an area around the content. The padding is affected by the background color of the box
• Content – The content of the box, where text and images appear

What does floating and position do?
Position rules are used to position an element in the document flow in relation to other elements.

Floating is when you render two elements so they sit side-by-side with each other.


CSS grouping/nesting:
Grouping is a technique used to minimize code when there are elements with the same style.
Example – the code below:
h1
{color:green;}
h2
{color:green;}
p
{color:green;}
…can be group selector-ed into the code below:
h1,h2,p
{color:green;}

Nesting is a technique used to apply a selector within a selector.
In the example below, one style is specified for all p elements, one style is specified for all elements with, and a third style is specified only for p elements within elements with:
p
{color:blue;
text-align:center;}
.marked
{background-color:red;}
.marked p
{color:white;}

How to align elements:
There are two properties used when aligning elements. The choices are for each property are shown below:

text-align: [left, right, center, justify]
vertical-align: [auto, baseline, sub, super, top, middle, bottom, text-top, text-bottom]

How to build a CSS navigation bar:
Since a navigation bar is simply a list of links, you just need to use the tags for an unordered list <ul> and a link <li>:
<ul>
<li><a href=”default.asp”>Home</a></li>
<li><a href=”news.asp”>News</a></li>
<li><a href=”contact.asp”>Contact</a></li>
<li><a href=”about.asp”>About</a></li>
</ul>

Then you simply remove the bullets, margins, and padding:
ul
{list-style-type:none;
margin:0;
padding:0;}

HTML5 – 102

Completed by Elsie A, Marko G, Sam L, and Julia W.

What Image File Formats should be used for web pages, why (how does compression affect loading?)?
Web pages normally use JPG files because JPG compresses the data to be very much smaller in the file.

How do you optimize images for the web?
You can do this by

• stripping meta data from JPEGs
• optimizing JPEG compression
• converting certain GIFs to indexed PNGs
• stripping the un-used colours from indexed images

 

What tricks and tips can you use to make your webpage load faster?

1. Optimize your images
2. Use a local host
3. Use a decently priced hosting system – cheap systems use cheap equipment
4. Enable PHP caching
5. Check the speed of your bandwidth
6. Keep your CSS files small
7. Optimize your database for maximum performance
8. Limit hotlinking
9. Use less Javascript – if you have any, compress it

 

How can you use images in css, show us examples?
To use images in css you must use the simple tag of <img> or the tag <p> and insert the web URL of the image and then close the code with </img> or </p>.

How To Add a YouTube Video to Your Web Site and video in html5?
To add a YouTube Video to your site take the embedded YouTube video URL and copy it from the web broswer’s addrress bar and paste it on a line by itself in the post editor. It should not be hyperlinked.

How do you optimize video for the web and incorporate it in your web page?
Pick the best and most appropriate:

• Streaming media format
• Delivery method
• Playback platform
• Data rate
• Audio quality
• Codec

How to put it on your webpage:

• Add it as an embeddable video from a 3rd party website
• Convert it to a Flash video and embed it on your website
• Use screen capture software

 

How do you optimize sound for the web and incorporate it in your web page?

• Optimize landing page
• Provide an online player
• Keyword in URL and file names
• Optimize audio files
• Transcribe show in RSS feed (for podcasts)
• Use ID3 tags
• Promote podcast In audio search and podcasting directories
• Include graphics
• Include iTunes tags
• Check your files from an outside view (subscribe to your own posts)
• Define audio properties

How to put it on your webpage:

• Use an RSS feed
• Use a Flash player
• Embed the audio on your website

 

What are some of the dos and don’ts of web design with media?

1. DO: Keep your page structured/ DONT: Just place boxes everywhere
2. DO: Focus on what’s important/ DONT: Place irrelevant ads across your page
3. DO: Choose the right color scheme/ DONT: Overdo it with 20 different colors
4. DO: Make it easy to scan your pages/ DONT: Write one paragraph per page that is 1,000+ words long 
5. DO: Keep it simple stupid/ DONT: Go on and on (and on) about nothing
6. DO: Focus on killer copywriting/ DONT: Stuff your pages full of keywords 
7. DO: Set your navigation up properly/ DONT: Make your readers search to find something
8. DO: Optimize your load times/ DONT: Make everything on your page an image
9. DO: Choose the right fonts and sizes/ DONT: Have 5 different fonts in 10 different sizes
10. DO: Make your page visually appealing/ DONT: Throw a bunch of crap together and think you’ll do well

 

What resolution should you design for?
Some designers stated that they design their pages for 900 pixels wide, some still swear by the 960 grid system and there are those that simply stated to go with your client’s preference and their audience, but most people nowadays use Less Framework, which is a CSS3 styling option that makes the framework recognizes the visitors screen resolution and sizes the web page accordingly.

Designing for mobiles?
There are three options you can take when making your website mobile friendly. If you have a more complex website its easier if you create a separate site (.mobi), it looks good however it is difficult and costly to update and manage. If your site is visited often by users making a mobile app for your website is very affective, however it also is costly. A Responsive Website is probably the best option for it adjusts its size via mobile device, again this option is also cost affiliated.

SOURCES

http://www.scantips.com/basics09.html
http://zemalf.com/1366/how-to-optimize-images-for-web/
http://designmodo.com/9-tips-to-make-your-website-load-faster/
http://webdesignledger.com/tips/20-dos-and-donts-of-effective-web-design
http://www.htmlgoodies.com/beyond/css/article.php/3921766/What-Screen-Resolution-Do-You-Design-For-Using-the-Less-Framework.htm
http://www.searchenginepeople.com/blog/responsive-design.html
http://www.websiteoptimization.com/speed/tweak/video/
http://www.ericstips.com/tips/lesson41/
http://www.feedforall.com/audio-file-optimization-tips.htm
http://www.ericstips.com/tips/lesson42/

Group Research: Networking-101

What is a computer network?
A computer network is a collection of computer and other kind of hardware connected to one another by communication devices that can be used to share any kinds of information and resources

Define and explain visually the difference between these different types of networks:
Local Area Network: LANs link computers in the close proximity to one another. It makes it easy to share the information on one computer to the other.
Wide Area Networks: WANs do the same as LANS (sharing computer’s information from one to another) but with a far apart proximity of half a mile or more.
Internet: The internet is a global network that connects from any part of the world to another. Using the internet, we can share information all across the planet to anyone.
Intranet: Intranet is a network that is restricted or private on the internet.
Metropoliatan Area Networks: MANs are computer networks made for the size of a city or a very large campus. MANs connect the networks of LANs to form.
Virtual Private Network: VPNs use the Internet to connect intermediate networks to smaller networks that would normally be impossible to connect to.

How do these two types of networks differ?
In a peer-to-peer network a group of computers is connected together so that users can share resources and information. There is no central location for authenticating users, storing files, or accessing resources. This means that users must remember which computers in the workgroup have the shared resource or information that they want to access. It also means that users must log on to each computer to access the shared resources on that computer.

In a server-based network, the server is the central location where users share and access network resources This dedicated computer controls the level of access that users have to shared resources. Shared data is in one location, making it easy to back up critical business information. Each computer that connects to the network is called a client computer. In a server-based network, users have one user account and password to log on to the server and to access shared resources.

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What is the difference between a client and a server?

Client is a smaller computer through which the information or application stored on the server is accessed by the user whereas server is a powerful computer that stores the data files and applications.

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What is the OSI model?
Essentially all networks that are used today are at least partially based on the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) standard. Developed in 1984 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the standard is based on the OSI Reference Model, which is “a set of seven layers that define the different stages that data must go through to travel from one device to another over a network”

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Identity 5 different network architectures, explain what each does.
LAN – Local Area Network – connects network devices over a relatively short distance
MAN – Metropolitan Area Network – a network spanning a physical area larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN
WAN – Wide Area Network – connects network devices over a wide distance- the internet is the largest WAN
WLAN – Wireless Local Area Network – connects network devices over a relatively short distance using Wi-Fi connections
SAN – Storage Area Network – connects servers to data storage devices
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Define and visual explain what the following terms mean:
Protocols: Protocols are digital messaging formats which have rules for how to exchange messages in or between computer systems.

TCP/IP: Internet Protocol suite is the set of protocols on the Internet. The are the most popular protocol stacks for the WANs.
FTP: File Transfer Protocol is the regular network protocol that can move one file from one computer to another over the Internet.
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the base of all data communication on the Internet. It is an application protocol which can distribute, collect, and spread information all over the world wide web.
Telnet: Telnet is used on the Internet or LANs for links to be sent from one computer to another.
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What is a router?
Routers transmit information between multiple interconnected networks and relay data to its destination.

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What is a network firewall?
A network firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access and prevent the interception of data on the network.
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What is the difference between a web and ftp server?
Web servers “deliver […] content, [including] web pages, using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), over the World Wide Web”. The term can equally refer to the computer running the program. The FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server makes it possible to move, upload, download and transfer files online.

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What is an IP address?
Each machine in a network has a ‘unique identifier,’ which is distinct from every other computer. In the TCP/IP protocol this identifier is known as the IP address. IP addresses use binary bits to create a unique string of numbers separated by periods (IP version 4) or colons (IPv6).