Digital Badge #E

This week’s reading was about solving problems using technology; such as software, apps, and games. I was interested to learn about problem solving and inquiry learning with technology. Before reading the chapter, I wasn’t very familiar with what these terms mean. The text states that “problem solving and inquiry learning use real-world situations and issues to actively engage students” (159). Not only are the students being taught lessons that will help them in school, but they are being presented with real-world problems that will help them in the future as an adult. The text also states that through this type of activity, students learn “thinking skills, risk-taking, creativity, and mental self-discipline” (159). All of these are qualities a modern day adult needs to possess to get through day to day life successfully. The problem with technology sometimes is that a student learns to depend on the technology for everything; through this type of learning, they are dependant on the technology to provide the problems but they are learning to figure it out on their own.
Something in chapter 7 that I found very interesting was the article listed on page 167 titled “Discovery Learning Using Squeak and Scratch”. These are two tools that I had never heard of before and I was able to spend a little time using Scratch. I was interested to see how much detail the program actually required from the user. To be honest, it was a little difficult for me to figure out even with the instructions simply because I was required to think on my own instead of the technology just doing the work for me. I believe these types of programs for students are revolutionary. Being a child who grew up with technology, I am used to the computer basically doing all the work and I feel that more and more students are developing this habit because so much technology is used in their everyday life.
Chapter 7 also talks about “gamification”. The word gamification is described in the text by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2011b, as the “application of game elements to non-gaming situations, often to motivate or influence behavior” (169). My question is, what behavior is this influencing? The text also states that when games are mentioned “many educators, parents, and students think of video games which are pervasive elements of youth culture today (Bissell, 2011)” (169). What we do not want to portray through the use of gamification in the classroom is the behavior that sits around and plays video games all day. The problem is, how do you allow students to be taught lessons through gaming but still discourage the overuse of video games? I believe this will always be a tricky subject because while using games to teach a lesson can be very useful in stimulating a student’s mind, it can also be dangerous; causing students to think that playing any type of game is educational.

Sources:

Maloy, R., O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dLK9-9sY

www.canva.com