Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?

In their article titled “Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother?” Joey J. Lee and Jessica Hammer are trying to define, evaluate and explore the potential use of gamification in educational settings. They do this by discussing what gamification is, how it might be done, and finally they discuss some of the risks and benefits of using gamification. They state that gamification “attempts to harness the motivational power of games and apply it to real-world problems” (Lee and Hammer 2011, p1), and since the biggest problem they identify in education is motivation they see an intuitive fit.

What?

Lee and Hammer start their discussion on by noting that education would already seem to have several game type elements involved, such as reward systems, 'leveling up' through year levels and badges or grades. They go on to use some examples of what gamification might look like where students gain rewards (points for extra reading, an 'on target' badge for attendance and homework completion, and a 'lead detective' title for good questioning). They state that while the current rules surround school situations reduces student motivation, replacing the current rule systems with gamified structures could increase student motivation and engagement.

Leblanc (2004) points out that while some sorts of rewards can help increase intrinsic motivation, some types of rewards will stifle it. Lee and Hammer's examples of gaining points for reading an extra book or earning a badge for completing homework are both examples of rewards that are given based on success but earning a badge for attendance, for most students, this will fall into the category of reward that will stifle intrinsic motivation.

While they are not claiming here to be making an exhaustive list of what types of game elements could be utilised in gamification, they do only include examples of only one type of game element, namely points. Detarding et al (2011) identify five game elements (including reward structures) and Costikan (2002) also identifies five game elements however, he does not include reward structures as a game element. One critique of gamification is that the the points or reward structure is only one game element and a minor one at that. Some might say that this has more in common with pokies than gaming, especially considering that, according the Leblanc, the types of rewards that might be employed could decrease intrinsic motivation and make students respond only to extrinsic rewards.

Lee and Hammer go on to list a few examples where gamification is being used to increase student engagement, motivation and achievement. One example they site is Lee Sheldon at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Lee Sheldon runs a course on designing MMO's, massively multiplyer online games. He has designed his curriculum to use the lingo of the MMO's and also the game elements in order to increase student engagement and achievement. He has done more than add points to his course, he has added game elements such as large social groups called guilds, competitions, quests, small groups or party's. All of these elements combine to make the course material fun, interesting and student engagement has increased (you can read his critique/dissection of the experience here).

How?

Lee and Hammer claim that gamification works in three critical areas, cognitive, emotional and social. At a cognitive level, gamification can provide students with concrete immediate goals and also supply multiple ways of solving the problem. Lee and Hammer explain that both of these, the immediate reward for achieving and the choice in how to solve the problem both increase student engagement.

When they come to discuss how gamification can help motivate students on an emotional level, they focus on the fear of failure. They argue that failure is a normal part of gaming, where often “the only way to learn how to play the game is to fail at it repeatedly, learning something each time” (Lee and Hammer 2011). Where failure in a normal school setting is often linked directly to the students grading and feedback comes in the form of end of year report cards, failure in gaming is just another part of the learning process. Lee and Hammer claim that because gamification shortens the feedback cycles, students are given more feedback on their performance as the progress, it gives students a way to cope with failure and end up viewing it in a positive light.

While this might be the case in some situations, games have a certain amount of risk aversion built in. Save points in single player games means that taking a risk is not really a risk at all, nothing will be lost and failure simply means a small amount of time lost. So while games might create an environment where taking risks is easy, it might be because there is no perceived risk. Players are not often forced to play on after a bad decision and if they want to, they can always reload a previous saved game. While giving students more opportunities to fail in a classroom setting along side more feedback could lead to students more able to cope with taking risks, we also learn from gaming that taking away the consequences of taking risks can also be harmful.

According to Costikyan (2002), struggle is an important game element and while it can be competitive or non competitive without it games are not fun. When considering reducing risk in order to reduce the fear of failing, it would be important to keep in mind that it must not be done at the expense of the 'struggle'. Making the 'game' easier could lead to a reduction in the amount of fun that students could experience.

Why bother?

While Lee and Hammer do see many benefits form using gamification in education, they do acknowledge there are risks. Making extra work for teachers, creating a situation where students only learn when external rewards are offered, and also that the playfulness that is a large part of gamification may be forced and so the students could be turned off. However, having identified these risks, they do not offer any explanation on how to avoid them other to say that some gamification attempts will succeed and others will not. The risk that student intrinsic motivation may be reduced due to the rewards being used to reward participation or performance rather than success is underplayed here, but also the fact that schools are not the only place that this sort of motivational system is being used. Gamification is being sold as a marketing technique, business management system on top of the similar types of game elements being used in social media games such as farmville to addict players and to drain their wallets. If we use gamification in schools in a detrimental way, the effect will not just last while the students are at school but could make them more familiar with and willing to participate in marketing schemes that abuse these game elements.

While there are risks involved, taking game elements and adding them to the classroom does have the potential to not only make learning fun and enjoyable, but to increase the engagement and motivation of students. It could also be a great chance to teach students about how gamification works so when they encounter it outside the school setting they are aware of the risks and are better able to make use of the benefits that companies or marketers are offering in a gamified structure.

References

Costikyan, G. ( 2002) I Have No Words & I Must Design: Toward a Critical Vocabulary for Game.

Sourced at http://www.costik.com/nowords2002.pdf

Deterding, S., Khaled, R., Nacke, L.E., Dixon, D. 2011. Gamification: Toward a Definition. In CHI 2011 Gamification Workshop Proceedings, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Sourced at http://hci.usask.ca/uploads/219-02-Deterding,-Khaled,-Nacke,-Dixon.pdf

LeBlanc, G. (2004). Enhance Intrinsic Motivation Through The Use of a Token Economy, Essays in Education, vol. 11, Fall. Sourced at http://www.usca.edu/essays/vol112004/leblanc,pdf.pdf

Lee, J. J. & Hammer, J. (2011). Gamification in Education: What, How, Why Bother? Academic Exchange Quarterly, 15(2). Sourced at http://www.gamifyingeducation.org/files/Lee-Hammer-AEQ-2011.pdf

Do you want points with that?

Before I post up a few more entries, here's an interesting summary (by Travis Ross) of a talk by Jane McGonigal titled "We don't need no stinking badges: how to reinvent reality without gamification".

Jane McGonigal is the author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World and, amongst many other things, creator of the Find the Future game set in the New York Public Library.

She compares the four big ideas of gamification (points, levels, leaderboards and achievements) with the four big ideas of gameful design (positive emotions, relationships, meaning and achievment). She compares the extrinsic rewards that points can give with the intrinsic rewards that the other positive elements of gaming can give. Below is a summary taken from Travis's blog.

Blissful Productivity → Achievement and Accomplishment. Research has indicated that individuals are happier if they have a relative sense of achievement and accomplishment in relation to others.

Social Fabric → Family matters. Relationships matter. Relationships dictate happiness more than any other indicator.

Urgent Optimisim → Positive emotions release seratonin. Negative emotions release stress hormones like cortisol. Over a period of time these actually lead to physiological changes.

Epic Meaning → Meaning. Having meaning in ones life is important. Individuals are happier when there action allow them to self-determine and have an impact on their world

Further posts will explore the positive and negative elements of gamification and also give some examples of how we can use it in our classrooms to hopefully, help foster these four 'superpowers' in our students.

I want more.......Video Games!

TRANSFORMING THIS TEACHER

An anticipated move into the field of Teacher Librarianship is the impetus for my further engagement with higher education and study. Through the research considered in Semester One of this course, exciting adventures lie ahead in my future.  Video games and education is an idea that I will continue to explore, as either a full time classroom teacher or school librarian.  The thoughtful  posts presented by others on this blog,alongside my own investigations, indicate that there is a vast array of available video games ready for immediate integration into school settings. These video game resources have the added benefit of having been tried and tested in many other classrooms around the world, so there are pedagogical endorsements to accompany them. This would be an awesome starting place for any teacher looking to incorporate 21^st century teaching and learning practices. Without the need for one’s own creativity or game design expertise, video games could be being utilised in more classrooms, informed by the greater body of research supporting the pedagogical imperative of doing so.

The opportunity that I perceive for myself in all of this, as a TL, is the promotion of appropriate video games for use across a diversity of curriculum departments.  I investigated the selection criteria for inclusion of  video games in a school resource centre in an earlier blog post but now have an increased awareness of that being only one part of the role. Locating appropriate resources for the teacher and enabling the delivery of quality education is also important in terms of the collaborative aspect of teacher librarianship. 

With the wonderful leadership of current and past TLs who have shared their wisdom and treasures I am sure it would be possible to create some buzz around video games used in others’ classrooms, in my school.

 I would like to become more than a lurker in the online professional community and participate in growing a shared understanding of the value of video games in educational settings. I already utilise video games with my English and SOSE classes including;  

• Stop Disasters when teaching Geography to middle school students,  
• Echalk for revision,  
• Brainpop for motivation,  
• Yacapaca for literacy purposes and 
• a COTS game - Law and Order, when teaching students Legal Studies. 

Furthermore, I observe the engagement that students exhibit when playing coolmaths, (as well as my daughter with Mathletics) have incorporated activehistory across the SOSE department and actively search for online games sites for use in my lessons such as BBC skillswise. I love games and so do students. The effective and evidence driven use of them is opening the doors to some very engaged learning experiences, particularly for numbers of teenagers who are turned off traditional teaching and learning methods.

Gaming in Libraries 

I am now interested in seeing how they could be employed in library lessons. Having  recently registered in Second Life, I am actively attempting to realise its potential in demonstrating information literacy practices for students in a simulated environment. I have also spent some time viewing the vodcasts of Scott Nicholson (2009,see above) for further ideas of the practical implementation of video games in school libraries. Nicholson (2009) explains that Web based games are easier to explore and have no cost to the library in contrast to the popularity of console games. So these are just a few examples of some of the steep learning curve I am excited to be involved in currently.  

I am embracing a cross curricular approach to video gaming in schools. As the cartoon (Le, 2011) below suggests, it can be incorporated into almost any educational situation, including homework. The use of video games in schools is educational, social and democratising.

"By exercising careful thought in game selection and gaming policies, librarians can, through the use of video game programs provide and support education, promote community interaction not only among young people, but among a broader spectrum of patrons, and even level the playing field between haves and have-nots"(Adams, 2007).

 With Teacher Librarians aspiring to show curriculum leadership, this is too important an opportunity to let slide by.

Son, L. (2011). Digital Game-Based Learning Cartoon [Image]. Retrieved  October 23, 2011, from http://www.flickr.com/photos/donjonson/5351362611/

There must be potential, within the video games context, for students to interact meaningfully, rather than just as a training activity as I believe my teaching practices currently represent. There are multimodal projects (such as Education Queensland's Games in Learning) in which I need a broader knowledge, preferably as a participant, but at the very least as an observer, searching for the inevitable learning opportunities that exist. This should also ensure that the gap between play and learning, and in school versus out of school differentials are decreased, as I engage more fully with what Jenkins states as essential in the 21 st century - digital media literacy. Michael Dezzuani (2010) spoke of the flow from participation, to pleasure, to interaction and ultimately, engagement, when curriculum content and concepts are learnt through video games. For the my teaching role in a school library to be based around a wholly engaging and demonstrably successful curriculum, this is a path that I need to travel along.

References:

Adams, S. (2009). The case for video games in libraries. Library Review,  58, 196 - 202. doi: 10.1108/00242530910942045

Dezzuani, M. (2010). CLN647 Youth, Popular Culture, and Texts - Video Games Week 8 [Lecture Podcast]. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_75617_1%26url%3D

Nicholson, S. (2009, June 14). Gaming in Libraries Class, Session 4 – Digital Games [Video file] . Retrieved from http://www.gamesinlibraries.org/course/?p=34

To Game or not to Game? Transformations / Innovative Pedagogies

Like many other teachers, I had always been ambiguous about using video games as educational resources in my classroom. But I have discovered, through much research, that games do possess educational potential. A great overview of skills that video games develop are provided in the infographic, How Video Games are Changing Education, that Sheryl has analysed in this blog.

For myself, I am not proposing to make great pedagogical changes, but to start slowly by using a number of curriculum based video games until I am comfortable to utilise them regularly as part of my pedagogical toolkit.

Two curriculum based video games that I will begin to utilise more often relate to Primary students as this is currently the area in which I am teaching:

ABC READING EGGS

It is an Australian program developed by the Blake Education literacy team. “The program is the result of over 3 years’ research and work designed to bring 21st century technology to the key task of getting children successfully started on the journey to becoming proficient and motivated readers. “

It caters for Stage One (3-7yrs) children and the focus is on reading and spelling. But there is also a new program, Reading Eggspress, coming out this year that caters for 7-13 yr olds. If students use it at school they can also log on at home with their username and password. From a teaching perspective one of the things I like is how a lot of the hard work is done for you. The lesson design in both the spelling & reading follows on from the previous one to build skills. The lessons are presented in three broad levels with 40 lessons in each level. You can choose to have students progress through each corresponding level or select an individual lesson that relates to an area you are covering in class

MATHLETICS .

Is another excellent games site designed in Australia & used extensively worldwide. I initially became interested in this as I could see that my 7 yr old daughter was struggling with maths. Not wanting her to be as mathematically challenged as I am I started to investigate maths games- both board & video. At the same time her school introduced mathletics and since she has been using it I have been so impressed with her understanding of concepts and her ability to learn basics i.e. timetables. Given that she does not have a competitive nature I questioned whether she would enjoy participating in the ‘challenges’ but, surprisingly, she loves it. An unexpected spin off from this has been an interest developed in Geography as she now wants to know about the countries she is competing against.

Again students can log on at home with their school password. The plus for teachers is that Mathletics covers the full Primary and Secondary curriculum and the “implementation team works hand in hand with schools to ensure that Mathletics is successfully integrated into the existing school program. Each school is given ongoing, individualised training and technical support throughout the school year.“ So, if as a future teacher-librarian I was to introduce this to a school it would be good to know that I had some back up if I started to encounter problems.

There are also step by step instructional guides on the most effective way to introduce it to your class with lots of practical hints & tips and a blog where you can link to your country and follow latest innovations & what other schools are doing.

There are a multitude of relevant and educational video games out there but this week I was reminded that they really are only as good as the teacher using them. In my role as University adviser I saw two student teachers use the same spelling video game resource.One used it brilliantly to consolidate learning experiences from the lesson, the students were engaged & able to play/ participate successfully. The other used it in an ad hoc fashion where it seemed to be stuck into the middle of the lesson just for the sake of it. Students were uncertain of how to use it as it had not been explained clearly and it didn’t seem to serve any particular purpose or achieve an objective. Rather than being a valuable learning tool it just caused disruption.

The point I am trying to make here is that video games cannot replace a teacher, but they can enhance lesson delivery & become part of your pedagogical toolkit. Games are only as good as the teacher using it and we still need to plan how to best utilise them. So it is for this reason that my first forays into using video games in the classroom will be somewhat cautious and carefully planned.

However, my ultimate goal from there, as I continue my studies and become more proficient at using technology would be to eventually use ‘stand alone’ video games and the ultimate goal would be to combine my background of Art and English and work with a class on game design. My influence here being a case study reported in Walsh’s (2010) paper, Systems- based literacy practices: Digital games research, gameplay and design (p.33) where students designed games using Powerpoint . The teacher described the classroom as (p.33) a “dynamic environment in which students work individually and collaboratively to engage, explore, explain, extend, evaluate and celebrate their work.” Now, how inspirational would this be whilst still meeting curriculum requirements!

References.

Walsh, C (2010) Systems-based literacy practices: Digital games research, gameplay and design. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 33 (1), 24-40. Retrieved September 12, 2011 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=11c034ea-9b66-41e1-81bb-bf43fe2aa388%40sessionmgr13&vid=6&hid=15

All images sourced from Google.com.au Retrieved October 22, 2011 from http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=mathletics&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=IMl&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1280&bih=640&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=L6_PZglIB-bvZM:&imgrefurl=http://www.beachlands.school.nz/WebSpace/28/&docid=OvfFnXnzA0-E1M&imgurl=http://www.beachlands.school.nz/DataStore/Pages/PAGE_28/Docs/Documents/mathleticsWEB.jpg&w=250&h=175&ei=4kejTvevNciZiQf5x-m_Bg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=764&sig=114891364082347634713&page=1&tbnh=124&tbnw=165&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:0&tx=113&ty=55

News of the day - Xbox, Disney and Sesame Street Unite

The following news article posted online at PRNewswire today examines the relationship forged between popular culture texts and the Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 teams up with Sesame Workshop, Nat Geo WILD and Disney.

The article, outlines Microsoft Studios plans to expand and collaborate with Disney and has produced a new game code-named "Rush". Their aim is to create playful learning experiences and seek to "inspire kids and their parents to get off the couch and into the action, working collaboratively with their favourite characters to have fun and learn at the same time.

Microsoft has done their homework and researched thoroughly to know what engages students and encourages them to learn. Their educational expert - Alex Games (is the surname a coincidence or what!!!) states that partnering Nat Geo WILD and Sesame Street turns "passive television viewing into a creative, immersive experience.

Microsoft aims to push the "boundaries of traditional television and gaming to help inspire and train the next generation". Of course the cynic in me can see this as a highly profitable move on Microsoft's part to capture the growing market that targets our youngest and most vulnerable learners - the kiddy and prep kids who are already overwhelmed with an abundance of commercialised products based on their favourite television programs. This at least is a positive move to see educational aims fulfilled and new digital pedagogies applied.

Another experience 'Project Columbia' "encourages a love for books and changes the way children read". Children are able to interact with the text and images and immerse themselves in the plot. Microsoft claims that "by using the multisensory and active nature of Kinect, the power of play can help emphasise understanding and the meaningof what is written, not just decode it.'

It looks like the marriage of Disney/Pixar, Sesame Street and Xbox will reap positive benefits for our younger pupils and promote literacy and learning that is fun.


Images
Sesame Street - http://cfs.wisc.ed/news/CFS_Affiliate_Participates_in_Sesame_Workshop_Financial_Education_Initiative.aspx

The Incredibles - http://www.picturesdepot.com/wallpapers/207909/the+incredibles+movie.html

Which videogames should be used in schools?

Wallace, S. (2008). Video Games Start to Shape Classroom Curriculum [Image]. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.csmonitor.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/images/2008/0918/video-games-start-to-shape-classroom-curriculum/picture1.jpg/5391240-1-eng-US/picture1.jpg_full_600.jpg

Introduction:

I already use video games in my teaching. However, this has been a personal and relatively quiet decision which means in practical terms that the teacher librarian has had little input into the choice or necessary resources for playing video games in my classroom. Overall I believe, initially based on personal observations and discussions, that video games are perceived as “bludge” time and therefore most students and teachers do not apportion value to this type of activity in the classroom.  In my present full time teaching role, time has been an enemy in terms of sourcing and fully realising the potential of such resources in a 21^st century teaching and learning paradigm. This course has allowed me to investigate more deeply into the research (such as Prensky) that shows the value of utilising video games in the classroom. So I am starting from a place of acceptance that video games are part of our pedagogical toolkit. What I would like to do is further investigate which video games should be part of a school library collection and have a clear rationale to present to more doubting teacher practitioners.

For this purpose I have looked particularly at the research presented by Elizabeth Tappeiner and Catherine Lyons (2008) in their journal article entitled “Selection criteria for academic video game collections”. They propose four specific criteria that they recognise as necessary considerations for developing video game collections: cultural value, content, teaching and learning principles and physical characteristics. In examining these criteria the value of video games in school libraries should become more evident.

Practical considerations: physical characteristics and playback equipment:

There are, similar to books and movies,  a large number of publishers of video games with their very large range of games and gaming accessories that need to be considered for the collection development of a school library. Every DVD rental business and many retail outlets provide a variety of gaming resources, recognising that different formats and games appeal to different consumers. School libraries are in a different position based on the fact that they are not going to be providing these resources with profit aspirations. Therefore, it would seem possible that a library could rationalise some of this choice in playback equipment. Tappeiner and Lyons outline the major game developers as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. They discuss the need therefore to have a clear library policy on games and playback equipment before developing a video game collection. Decisions on whether or not to loan the playback equipment or just games and for how long and under what conditions determine the eventual composition of the collection. Other aspects to consider include all the peripheral accessories that may be needed for various games introduced into the library collection. These practical aspects are all crucial to consider alongside the budget for the school library space.

Teaching and learning:

The second criterion to address when formulating a video game collection in a library involves the purpose of the resource. For a school resource centre, teaching and learning principles are high stakes purpose. Generally games may be perceived as fun or for leisure or entertainment whereas for appropriate use of funds, teacher librarians will need to consider the usefulness of video games for various curriculum objectives.  Some recent research by Gentile and Gentile referred to by Tappeiner and Lyons (2008; 123) in their journal article, found that “video games use pedagogical techniques that lead to good learning: requiring learning to a high level, distributed practice with feedback, overlearning to automaticity, reflection and practicing inquiry skills.” It seems quite evident therefore, that most video games could be considered useful for educational purposes.  Further, one of the best known researchers on video games and learning, James Paul Gee, identifies many characteristics of video games that provide players with good learning experiences, two of which were highlighted by Tappeiner and Lyons (2008; 123):

1 players assume a role or identity and need to navigate a new environment with an unfamiliar set of givens; or

2 players “build and maintain a complex entity” and handle the interplay among variables (article)

This provides further clarification regarding the types of video games to be used in an education context.

Content:

What the video game is about can be more difficult to determine than for a book or a dvd selection. Sometimes the context is integral to participating in the game and at other times it is simply a backdrop to the skills needed to partake in this activity. Tappeiner and Lyons (2008; 123) suggest that many games “build skills that players can use in real world contexts”. Examples such as SimCity and Nintendo’s Brain Age were specifically employed to illustrate that mainstream or commercially available video games, although not designed for educational purposes, have suitable content for use in schools. However, they also outlined Craig Anderson’s recent research that found that violent video games can have a negative effect on a young person. Therefore, the content of the video game needs to be investigated very carefully.

There are a number of selection methods outlined to ensure that care is taken in the selection of suitable video game content. The use of the rating system, similar to that used for video content in general was highlighted as a necessary tool for the assessment of content in terms of “violence, sexuality, substance abuse, profane language and gambling”( Tappeiner and Lyons, 2008; 123). Also walkthroughs, as provided by a number of websites including IGN and Gamespot as identified in the article, can provide additional detail to assist in the selection decision making process.

Historical and cultural value of video games: collecting classics:

Resource Centre selection policy must also determine the age of video games that they purchase for the school context. Tappeiner and Lyons (2008; 124) refer to Stanford Humanities Lab’s 2007 list of ten most important video games of all time.

Lion,W. (2008). Sims 100 million [Image]. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2477136208

Spacewar! (1962),

Star Raiders (1979),

 Zork (1980),

Tetris (1985),

SimCity (1989),

Super Mario Bros. 3 (1990),

Civilization I/II (1991),

 Doom (1993),
Warcraft series(beginning 1994) and

Sensible World of Soccer (1994)

These classics could be justified in a school context in terms of the enduring nature of the games for purposes such as deconstruction for a game design or programming class or critical analysis for a cultural study. However, the compatibility of the game with the school console resources, to hark back to the original criterion, is ultimately going to determine whether these resources are suitable for the collection. This would appear to be of the lowest priority within the four criteria outlined for school library collection development.

Conclusions:

The selection criteria for video games in a school library context have shown the necessity for a unique approach to this resource.  “Creating these collections from scratch is no easy task; the number of new releases is increasing, hardware rapidly becomes obsolete, and few, if any, recognized authorities regularly review and recommend games for an academic audience.” (Tappeiner and Lyons, 2008:124) Also, convincing the school community of the relevance or importance of video games in an educational context, creating appropriate policy, deciding on consoles, titles, vendors, budget percentage and security of the video games are other specific challenges for the Teacher Librarian. This situation is evolving as the video game becomes a more integral component of teaching and learning pedagogy.

In practical terms, the acquisition and collection of video games could and should be a service provided by a library, particularly when gaming is widely regarded as a teenage motivational activity, although more broadly, research indicates its relevance to teaching and learning objectives.  To provide access to these games, selection processes need to be established based on physical characteristics, teaching and learning principles present in the games, subject matter and content, and the cultural and historical value of a game. Further, circulation policies will then to be established. So many decisions to be made, that ultimately the teacher librarian is responsible for, guided by the evidence available.

Reference:

Tappeiner, E. & Lyons, C. (2008). Selection criteria for academic video game collections. Collection Building, 27, 3, 121 - 125.

Should Videogames be part of the school library?

I love games – whether they are board or video, they are important elements in my leisure time.  I have seen many students playing both varieties of games in the school resource centre, ranging from chess (both off and online) with resources provided by the school library to HALO played on student owned laptops just using the wireless facilities of the library. This range of experience is only observed in out of formal class settings (sometimes in class but not with permission!) Therefore, my personal observations seem to match some of the research that suggests that there is a gap between play and learning; a gap between in school versus out of school experiences.