Matt Taylor- Pedagogy Practicum

James Gee: Good Video Games and Good Learning

I will critique a few of the “learning principles” outlined by James Gee. Overall, I see some good points within his principles, yet some do not appear to be feasible or worthwhile in most higher-education classrooms.

1. Identity. Gee argues that video game players (i.e., gamers) use a strong identity developed by the game manufacturer or gamer. I see Gee’s point, but I don’t see how this really maintains a player’s interest in a game. In my experience with games, friends and I often like different games for different reasons.  I don’t see the identity options in a game as a primary contributor to one’s interest in a game. To parallel this with academics, I think it would require a student in a science course to put on a white coat and eye protection (strong identity). I highly doubt that the clothing accessories that one wears in while in class or while studying would maintain interest in the topic for any valuable period of time. Furthermore, a course of study is much more committal than any player identity in a game. A gamer may change player identities 25 times in an hour of play. A student is not able to change their course objective once, let alone 25 times, over a semester. Gaming allows sampling of shallow identities where courses do not due to the depth of the material.

2. Interaction. Gee states that games allow a gamer to interact: “Games talk back. In fact, nothing happens until a player acts and makes decisions. Then games react back, giving the player feedback and new problems.” I agree with Gee that this is a valuable part of games, and should be incorporated into academics. Online courses can offer this type of interaction with students and is often found to be effective. Nevertheless, I foresee this type of interaction as being a difficult procedure to incorporate into a standard textbook/ lecture formatted course. Therefore, a hybrid course or completely online course might be optimal.

3. Production. The article states that gamers are producers and consumers within a game. The gamers are able to manipulate facets of a game to their liking and then play the game according to their own settings. Gee suggests that a parallel with students would be developing the material that they study. I see Gee’s point, but I argue that in many cases gamers do not begin to use, for the most part, the option to develop/manipulate portions of the games until they have mastered most of the manufacturer materials provided in the game. In other words, it is like a student going through all of the teacher’s material and once the student becomes board or unsatisfied with what is provided, then the student takes it upon him or herself to create/study their own material. Gee seems to be suggesting that students should begin developing their own course material from the onset.

I disagree with idea of students developing/using their own material with minimal prior experience in the target area of study. Nevertheless, I agree and have taken part in courses (as a student) where I developed/ directed my area of study. I did not, nor do I think I should have, began development of my own material until I was given sufficient skills. For example, I’ve written papers, conducted research, and given presentations on my own selected topics. I engaged in these activities only after acquiring sufficient skills to head my own projects. I think it would be irresponsible of a teacher to allow a student to take an academic direction within a course while the student does not have sufficient skills to make an appropriate decision about what is right or wrong. (This last statement will lead into my next point).

4. Risk Taking. Gee states that failure is good when the consequences are minimal because it promotes learning through exploration/failure. In other words, Gee is says that gamers learn through mistakes and school does not allow as much flexibility for making mistakes. I would argue that mistakes are valuable for learning, but if most of what you do are mistakes then you are only learning what NOT to do. It is much more valuable (according to research within psychology) to have a majority of activities end in success, rather than failure, from both a learning and motivation perspective.

Statement of Teaching Philosophy for Psychology- Third Draft

 I am applying for the position of assistant professor of psychology at Queensborough Community College (QCC). As an instructor at QCC, my teaching philosophy is to motivate students through teaching procedures that incorporate goals aligned with course objectives. Additionally, I motivate the students through development of a lively and engaging atmosphere to increase learning in the field of psychology and related. Furthermore, I see myself as a mentor to the students. 

 In my classroom I use the following teaching procedures: active participation, written assignments, quizzes, and frequent feedback. Active participation includes answering and asking questions during lecture, use of clickers, and mini-in-class assignments. Written assignments include in class assignments, home work, quizzes, and presentation outlines. Quizzes are often given at the start of each class period and based on previously assigned readings and lecture. The students receive prompt and detailed feedback about their performance in all activities where it is possible to assess their performance. 

 Through my experience, and according to research, I’ve learned that students perform better and value frequent testing. The frequent testing helps them to keep up with the assigned material. Additionally, I’ve found that it helps me to determine appropriate pace of material for the particular class of students. 

 I use the above mentioned procedures along with my own stories and jokes to liven up the course. I encourage students to give their own experience, which often times turns into a discussion within the class. I have a knack for encouraging students to feel comfortable and participate in class. I believe that a class where there is a high rate of participation leads to a greater student learning, and appreciation for the course topic and education in general.

 Finally, I see my self as a mentor to students. I feel that one of the best ways to help students is to give them individual attention outside of class. One of my favorite roles as an instructor is to help them develop the sub-goals that lead to their post-graduation aspirations. Many times students want to attend graduate school and would benefit from research experience. I enjoy giving students opportunities to help on my own research. This allows the student to acquire the skills that are desired and often required in graduate school. 

 As a mentor I want to help students determine their direction in both academics and how academics will help them in the “big picture.” I believe that academia is one of society’s greatest assets. As an instructor, it is my mission to help QCC shape their students into the benchmark citizens of society.

 

Second Writing Assignment

The second writing assignment instructs the students to analyze and answer questions about an experimental article. The article and the questions were rather simple. The questions asked the students to identify and describe the basic components of the experiment. For the most part, the students did rather well.

For the most part, the students had nearly correct answers. Interestingly, despite my clear policy against plagiarism, 8 of 29 students copied a substantial amount of the article into their answers. As a result of the plagiarism and the room for improvement in their writing, the third writing assignment will be a revision of the second assignment.  Therefore,

I revised the students’ papers by writing on them and grading each question. Additionally, I’m meeting with each on an individual basis for 5-8 minutes to give more detailed feedback. I am trying to do my part as an instructor to improve the students writing. I realize that I won’t help them make a dramatic difference in writing within one semester, but I know from my own experience that with greater practice and feedback come better writing skills. I expect their papers to be much better after the second draft. I’ll post about how they do after the second draft.