Our
group chose a game that was produced in part by the Nobel Peace Prize
educational website. With that fact established, I naturally had high
expectations of the game before I even tried it. The game is called “The Blood
Typing Game.” I think that the idea of using games in the classroom is a
pertinent one and demands more attention from community leaders. Ostenson
(2013) states that video games offer students a new middle-ground where complex
literary thoughts can be extracted (p. 71). I highly agree with Ostenson’s
position.
However, “The Blood Typing Game” does not initially encourage any deep, purposeful outro or introspection that could lead to any literary thought. The game is quite simple, not to say that simplicity is equivalent to mediocre. However, it is because of its simplicity that our group was able to create a solid rubric to grade the game. I did not have any difficulty offering insight on what the rubric should cover because the game itself was not complex. A simple rubric for a simple game seemed the most logical to me.
The Blood Typing Game is a game that engages pre-existing knowledge about blood types. The game play is very simple and requires only the player’s mouse. The player moves things around and accomplishes tasks. In the game, the two main tasks are 1) Blood typing and 2) Blood transfusions.
Because the game is geared toward a Science class, it poses no real use in my content area, which is English. However, the game does have elements of a narrative in it. For example, the game mode that our group focused on offered a background story for the patients being operated on. The use of a background story in the game set the precedence for the actual gameplay and attempted to infuse the gameplay with purpose beyond playing for playing’s sake. Though I have no use for this game in my content area, a Science teacher who assigned the game to their student may be able to capitalize on the game’s narrative element to include a little English in the lesson.
A way that the Science teacher could do this would be by having students create a fictional short story about one of their patients depending on the results of their games. The students will be engaging their knowledge of Biology and English at the same time. This type of infusion promotes cross-subject learning and comes at the benefit of the students. The students utilizing technology in the classroom is also helping them with their digital literacy. According to Hicks and Turner (2013) “students need to critically consume digital information, create and share across time and space, collaborate to solve problems, and maintain flexibility” (p. 59) Digital literacies provide opportunities for students to acquire and master these skills.
In conclusion, I think The Blood Typing Game is a very good game for a type of Science or Biology class. It’s important to note that the subject matter of the game means it is most appropriate for higher grade levels such as junior or senior in the high school. Overall, the game is engaging, easy to use, and offers room for cross-subject learning.
However, “The Blood Typing Game” does not initially encourage any deep, purposeful outro or introspection that could lead to any literary thought. The game is quite simple, not to say that simplicity is equivalent to mediocre. However, it is because of its simplicity that our group was able to create a solid rubric to grade the game. I did not have any difficulty offering insight on what the rubric should cover because the game itself was not complex. A simple rubric for a simple game seemed the most logical to me.
The Blood Typing Game is a game that engages pre-existing knowledge about blood types. The game play is very simple and requires only the player’s mouse. The player moves things around and accomplishes tasks. In the game, the two main tasks are 1) Blood typing and 2) Blood transfusions.
Because the game is geared toward a Science class, it poses no real use in my content area, which is English. However, the game does have elements of a narrative in it. For example, the game mode that our group focused on offered a background story for the patients being operated on. The use of a background story in the game set the precedence for the actual gameplay and attempted to infuse the gameplay with purpose beyond playing for playing’s sake. Though I have no use for this game in my content area, a Science teacher who assigned the game to their student may be able to capitalize on the game’s narrative element to include a little English in the lesson.
A way that the Science teacher could do this would be by having students create a fictional short story about one of their patients depending on the results of their games. The students will be engaging their knowledge of Biology and English at the same time. This type of infusion promotes cross-subject learning and comes at the benefit of the students. The students utilizing technology in the classroom is also helping them with their digital literacy. According to Hicks and Turner (2013) “students need to critically consume digital information, create and share across time and space, collaborate to solve problems, and maintain flexibility” (p. 59) Digital literacies provide opportunities for students to acquire and master these skills.
In conclusion, I think The Blood Typing Game is a very good game for a type of Science or Biology class. It’s important to note that the subject matter of the game means it is most appropriate for higher grade levels such as junior or senior in the high school. Overall, the game is engaging, easy to use, and offers room for cross-subject learning.
References
Hicks , T., & Turner, K. (2013). No longer a
luxury: Digital literacy can’t wait. English
Journal, 102(6), 58-65.
Journal, 102(6), 58-65.
Ostenson, J. (2013). Exploring the boundaries of the
narrative: Video games in the english
classroom. English Journal, 102(6), 71-78.
classroom. English Journal, 102(6), 71-78.
Hi:
ReplyDeleteNot only do you have an awful essay title, but you have written it twice!
-j-