To what extent do serious games foster risk taking as an innovation skill?

Helen Smith (PhD student-AIT)

Barriers to risk taking in the classroom• High stakes assessment and the fear of

failure

• Time

• Resources

• Individual skills of the teacher

• Political rhetoric and controls over pedagogical practice

Can we create a learning environment….• That is engaging?• That engages young people

in real world problems?• That allows them to see the

links between global problems and science and technology?

• That allows students to work creatively and collaboratively ?

• That allows them to freely take risks?

Positive educational features of computer games

Mirror constructivist learning models that students:

•Face uncertainty as to outcome of the task•Recieve in time feedback•Actively construct knowledge•Can work co-operatively•Are self-regulated learners •Experience situations within the games that resemble real-life or authentic situations.

Some more positive educational features of computer games…

Players experience ‘fun failure’ (McGonigal, 2011)

Games engage the ‘digital natives’ of contemporary society (Prensky,1996)

Games allow for a state of creative ‘flow’ (Csikszentmihalyi, 2003)

Could serious games be even

better?

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Theories of persuasive design (Fogg, 2002 and Bogost, 2007) suggest that serious games are not value neutral and that players are anchored in an ideological position through a series of processes

Does this lead to greater levels of engagement than traditional educational games?

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Many serious games model the ‘Science-Technology-Society’ nexus typified by the work of Carl Mitcham (1994, 2001)

What are the implications of climate change?

Scarce resources?

What would be peoples lived experiences?

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Games for Change and Games for Good

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Increase capacity for social innovation?

Collaboration beyond the game in socially innovative practices?

Real engagement in issues around science & sustainability?

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Young women & Serious Gaming

• Engaged as both creators and players of serious games?

• Are more motivated by the social aspects of science and technology?

• Increase in serious games that touch upon the social position of women?

„ I foresee games that fix our educational systems... I foresee games that raise rates of democratic participation. I foresee games that tackle global scale problems like climate change and poverty. In short, I foresee games that augment our most essential human capabilities- to be happy, resilient, creative- and empower us to change the world in meaningful ways“

Jane McGonigal Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World (2011)

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Why are some of our young people fearful of taking intellectual risks?

*psychological disposition*a lack of cultural capital*the consequence of living in a risk averse culture

What might be the limitations of serious games?

Could you apply the same principles of game based learning to a non virtual environment with the same degree of success?

What place can serious games have in the future of educating our young people?

Thank you for listening…

Helen.Smith.fl@ait.ac.at

1911.04.23