Digital Literacy and ICT

Today we were visited from four of Fife’s ICT education advisors.  They were extremely enthusiastic, knowledgeable and up-to-date with how digital literacy and ICT can be developed in the primary classroom.  It was an insightful experience and I am excited to try out some of the software they shared with us today.  They talked about: Comic Life, Pivot, Sequal, Skoog and games based learning.  My friend Nicole talks about Sequal and Skoog in great detail and my friend Susan talks about Comic Life in more depth.  Today I am going to focus on digital literacy in games based learning (GBL).

Many people believe digital literacy is simply being able to use a computer or some software packages, however digital literacy is much more than that:

“Digital literacy is the skills, knowledge and understanding that enables critical, creative discerning and safe practices when engaging with digital technologies in all areas of life” Futurelab (2010).  The diagram below helps us understand digital literacy more fully.  It is a wide range of components that overlap each other.

A few years ago there was a lot of bad publicity in regard to GBL.  One of the gentleman from Fife said that if children were to play a violent game (e.g. grand theft auto), which presents a violent context; only violent learning will take place.  He then went on to say that if children were to play a non violent game then positive learning can take place.  However Prensky disagrees:

“For whenever one plays a game, and  whatever game one plays, learning happens constantly, whether the players want it to, and are aware of it, or not.  And the players are learning “about life,” which is one of the great positive consequences of all game playing” Prensky (2002, p.1).  I understand what the gentleman from Fife was saying, however I agree with Prensky as I believe learning always takes place when using games technology.  I no not believe violent games are the best form of GBL nor should be encouraged as they do not represent good values or the ‘real world’ in it’s true form.  Nevertheless, I believe learning does still take place.  For example: hand eye coordination and problem solving, (e.g. learning the rules of the game and the controls to play the game).  Yet I do believe that much richer and fuller learning can take place through positive contexts in GBL.

Our main focus when using ICT should always be to improve the digital literacy of our children.  GBL can motivate children and provide many opportunities to develop literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills.  When using GBL it is very important that we apply it in a context that can be used for a range of learning across the curriculum.  I believe this meets the curriculum for excellence (CfE) principle breadth.  (Examples further down).

“Research is beginning to suggest that computer games can help to stimulate a successful learning environment and provide motivational learning contexts that suit many learners” Scottish Government (undated)”. 

One of Fife’s ICT education advisors introduced us to an open sourced web game called Super Tux.  I was absolutely amazed!  It is such a fantastic resource for creating a context to develop digital literacy through GBL.  The game Super Tux is very similar to Super Mario, but because it’s an open source web game there are no copyright infringements attached to it.  The main advantage however is that you can edit the game (name of the game, background, character, level design) meaning that you can make the context relevant to your children’s age or class topic.  This meets the CfE principle relevance.  For example, if your class is doing a topic on castles then you could change the game to make it a more visually relevant context, so the children can be more inspired.

When using Super Tux to develop digital literacy, you would first let the children explore the game themselves.  This would draw on the CfE principle challenge and enjoyment.  Learning would take place as the children develop their hand eye coordination, problem solving skills and communication skills.  For example: they would perhaps need problem solving and communication skills to work out the controls to play the game and they may do this by talking to their friends.

Once the children had thoroughly explored the game, you would then issue them with a task.  It is very important that the children play the game before they do the task as the game is a key element in helping the children visualise a context.  For example: if the children’s task was to write a story about a penguin who went on a skiing holiday – many children may find this very difficult as they may never have seen a skiing slope before, so you must give them that experience through a visual context.  Also, by allowing the children to play the game first, they can then use contextual clues from the game for writing the setting of their own story.  A relevant visual context focuses the children’s thinking, allowing a better piece of work to be produced by the child.

I believe there is huge scope across the curriculum in what you could do to develop digital literacy through Super Tux, which fulfils the CfE principle breadth.  For example, you could allow the children to play the game, ask them to write a review of the game, ask them to create ideas for a new level, ask them to make a new level (which will obviously need a lot of preparation and guidance) and ask them to write a set of instructions explaining how to play the game Super Tux and their new level.

I have grown up in a world of ICT and games technology, as have all of the children I will go on to teach.  I feel confident and competent to engage in GBL with children and a lot more so now after listening to Fife’s inspiring ideas.  I know that if I engage in GBL it will help my teaching, thus having a great impact on the children I teach:

“For many students, using technology is inherently motivating: it’s part of their culture.  Engagement is a necessary component in learning” Green T., Brown A., Robinson L. (2008, p.13). 

This again meets the CfE principle relevance, as children today are being born into a world of technology therefore learning through games technology would somewhat seem natural to them.  I look forward to having the opportunity to implement GBL in the primary school as I know so much learning and enjoyment can be gained from it.

References

Futurelab (2010).   Digital literacy across the curriculum.

Prensky, M (2002). What Kids Learn That’s POSITIVE From Playing Video Games.  Marc Prensky.

Available:http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky%20%20what%20kids%20learn%20thats%20positive%20from%20playing%20video%20games.pdf  [Last accessed: 15.2.12]

Scottish Government (2008). Curriculum for Excellence: Principles for curriculum design. Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Available:http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/understandingthecurriculum/howisthecurriculumstructured/principles/index.asp  [Last accessed: 15.2.12]

Scottish Government (undated). About game based learning.  Edinburgh: Scottish Government.

Available:http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/usingglowandict/gamesbasedlearning/about/aboutgamebasedlearning.asp [Last accessed: 15.2.12]

Green T., Brown A., Robinson L. (2008). Making the most of the web in your classroom: A teachers guide to blogs, podcasts, wikis, pages, and sites. London: Corwin Press.