Game Over
Game Over
What I learned from Tetris (besides how to pack for road trips) …
I would gladly play this game for hours, even today. We are no stranger to the many conversations circulating around the harmfulness of video games on growing minds. In reflection, I find that like with most things, “gaming” needs to be developmentally appropriate. We used appropriately, it can be used as a tool to develop necessary life skills. We only need look for the connections. and applications.
On average students spend 6.5 hours playing video games a week. This number is on the rise. The fascinating thing is that this requires a great deal of focus and dedication. These are attributes that many are seeing less and less in schools and society in general. Yet, they are required to excel, let alone engage in a majority of games. To continue the Tetris example you must scan and analyze, think quickly to problem solve. You cannot be distracted or you risk missing an opportunity or complicating your process. As pace and and difficulty increase you must be willing to lose and try again, learning from past failures and obstacles. The more confidence grows the more one is able to think long term for bigger gains as opposed to short term thrills. These are skills that we want our students to have. So, how do we translate them to the classroom?
Video Games by their nature are created to be highly difficult and yet thoroughly addictive. There is a sweet spot of frustration required in all learning. Too easy and we are not stimulated, there is no reward for “winning,” while too much difficulty creates feelings of hopelessness because what is being asked is believed to be unachievable. Here is a key point. Games say “Try Again.” There is always the promise of another opportunity. They never tell the player that they have failed and should move on the the next game. We have been known to do this as educators, I know I faced in while in school. We receive a bad grade on a test, struggle with a concept, and then ultimately move on to the next section. If we gave students more opportunities to “try again” how would this impact their attitude towards learning concepts, and their confidence in their academic abilities? What if we taught concepts the way video games create levels?
Resiliency begins with the idea that growth and thus success is possible. Often times within traditional learning concepts are presented, studied for mastery, assessed, and then forgotten. Therefore what is the goal? Newer video games have intricate plots, hidden successes and failures, multifaceted tasks, and dynamic puzzles in order to keep players engaged, guessing, and ultimately addicted. This working with academics would do well to build these layers into the learning process. I’ve often told classes that we were “practicing a skill that will help us on another level.” They love this, it a language they speak and a concept they are familiar with. Why can’t we teach them concepts the way games do? Earlier generations learned life skills on the ball field or the play ground more and more these skills are being absorbed through technology and digital media. Let’s guide and be sure they are gathering the fundamentals of the sport.
- Try Again. You will get there.
- Sometimes you have to do several missions before you beat a level.
- There will be surprises and at first it will seem like cheating when you’re blindsided by an obstacle. You will see it better the second time around, and eventually you will create a successful strategy to meet and defeat it.
- Sometimes to see a solution we need to take a break and approach from a different angle.
- Hold onto your high score, the ones before don’t matter as much.
- The journey can be just as enjoyable as the end result.
Play on…