Group 3
When one thinks of the word “games”, fun and entertainment come to mind. However, games do not have to be all about enjoyment. They should offer learning experiences and be complement learning in the classroom. Aside from puzzles and board games, games found on the Internet can also be used as learning tools in the classroom.
Our group discussed some appropriate instances in which online games can be introduced to the classroom. Games can be introduced before the specific lesson is taught as anticipatory sets or as ways to assess what students already know about the upcoming lesson. The games can also be introduced during the lesson. They would be a way to check if the students truly understand the subject or they could simply be fun, educational breaks from the teacher’s lectures. Games can also serve as follow-up activities for the lesson. For example, after teaching multiplication or SAT vocabulary, students will be given the opportunity to play games reinforcing these subjects. In addition, students may play these games as homework or extra credit if Internet access is available.
Another key element is teaching is allowing students to take control of their learning (student-centered learning). Our group was able to discuss a variety of ways in which the teacher can choose appropriate and similar games before teaching the lesson. Students can later choose among those games for their activity. They can even search for the games themselves and play them with the teacher’s approval. It will also be very student-centered simply because it is an online game. While the teacher explains the main rules and objectives of the game, the students are held entirely responsible for their understanding and performance in playing the game. Similarly, students can share their responses to the game (just like what we did in class) first amongst each other in groups, and then in a mini presentation to the class. This way, the teacher will only serve as a mediator, and not as an active participant in the assignment or students' learning. If they play the games on their own time (not in school), the teacher will be completely absent and the student is left to figure out the rules and objectives of the game. A variation of this idea is to simply have the students placed in groups and discuss the advantages of the game with each other instead of having a presentation in class.
