Comments on: Games will be education http://www.bruceongames.com/2007/08/31/games-will-be-education/ A veteran's view on marketing games Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:01:38 +0000 hourly 1 By: Bruce http://www.bruceongames.com/2007/08/31/games-will-be-education/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Bruce Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:22:53 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/2007/08/31/games-will-be-education/#comment-67 Pablo, thanks for your input. I think that games could ultimately provide a better social framework for a class than a teacher can. This would be by taking elements from current social networking sites and MMOs as a basis to develop powerful social environments in which the whole class could be interacting at the same time. Schools are an interesting concept, would they still even be necessary? I will certainly read your link when I have caught up with things after my trip. Many thanks for pointing me in this direction. Pablo, thanks for your input.
I think that games could ultimately provide a better social framework for a class than a teacher can. This would be by taking elements from current social networking sites and MMOs as a basis to develop powerful social environments in which the whole class could be interacting at the same time.

Schools are an interesting concept, would they still even be necessary?

I will certainly read your link when I have caught up with things after my trip. Many thanks for pointing me in this direction.

]]> By: Pablo http://www.bruceongames.com/2007/08/31/games-will-be-education/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Pablo Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:19:39 +0000 http://www.bruceongames.com/2007/08/31/games-will-be-education/#comment-63 Education's always a touchy subject. If it were imparted through technological means such as the ones you've described, there would be a fear that the students weren't spending enough time learning about building relationships, as is a must when immersed in the social structure of a teacher-led classroom. Particularly, the teacher-student relationship wouldn't be as evident, or be missing. While I believe the possibility that games and electronic means could certainly one day replace our current means of education (particularly if they're 'dream games'), but if they don't strongly incorporate Freiran education, I believe that they will never be able to surpass our current educational services. In addition, for this to be at all possible, schools will need to be far more organized than today's, and have more budget at their disposal to constantly fix and update machines without falling behind as far educational software and hardware are concerned. And finally, a lot of testing will be needed on the effects of these machines on children, because if all they learn is games, well, they may come to view the world that way unless the programs are well enough developed to address the issue. Again, education is a touchy subject, and I can't say whether games (even 'dream games') educating our children would be good or bad, but it would be different, and often change is all you need to upset people. If you haven't done so already, please read Paulo Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". It's a great book that deals primarily with the ways in which children are educated and the effects that it has on their views of reality. Here's a link to chapter two, which is a critical part of the book: http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html Education’s always a touchy subject. If it were imparted through technological means such as the ones you’ve described, there would be a fear that the students weren’t spending enough time learning about building relationships, as is a must when immersed in the social structure of a teacher-led classroom. Particularly, the teacher-student relationship wouldn’t be as evident, or be missing.
While I believe the possibility that games and electronic means could certainly one day replace our current means of education (particularly if they’re ‘dream games’), but if they don’t strongly incorporate Freiran education, I believe that they will never be able to surpass our current educational services.
In addition, for this to be at all possible, schools will need to be far more organized than today’s, and have more budget at their disposal to constantly fix and update machines without falling behind as far educational software and hardware are concerned.
And finally, a lot of testing will be needed on the effects of these machines on children, because if all they learn is games, well, they may come to view the world that way unless the programs are well enough developed to address the issue. Again, education is a touchy subject, and I can’t say whether games (even ‘dream games’) educating our children would be good or bad, but it would be different, and often change is all you need to upset people.

If you haven’t done so already, please read Paulo Freire’s “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”. It’s a great book that deals primarily with the ways in which children are educated and the effects that it has on their views of reality. Here’s a link to chapter two, which is a critical part of the book: http://www.webster.edu/~corbetre/philosophy/education/freire/freire-2.html

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