The “Wikipedia problem,” which means children turn to the internet for readymade answers, is a new age Dba Press phenomenon baffling global teachers and mentors. There are almost equal numbers of teachers who consider technology to be a solution as much as a problem. While a common belief is that technology hinders the Kids’ capacity to think and analyze, there is also a strong opinion in favor of video games and digital gadgets’ ability to engage students and enhance learning using multiple sensory stimulators. Despite the growing concern about the students’ deteriorating attention spans, institutions are incorporating them into classroom learning.
Children are inherently inquisitive creatures. They are curious to discover new things and learn by discovering and experimenting even before they are subjected to formal education methods such as reading or writing. Science is a discipline of experiments and discoveries. The National Science Education Standards emphasize that “science education needs to give students three kinds of scientific skills and understandings. Students need to learn the principles and concepts of science, acquire scientists’ reasoning and procedural skills, and understand science’s nature as a particular form of human endeavor.
Therefore, students need to be able to devise and carry out investigations that test their ideas and understand why such explorations are uniquely powerful. Studies show that students are much more likely to understand and retain the concepts they have learned this way “. Hence, engaging children in science education at an early stage is imperative. Digital games are more capable of gaining students’ interests and attention than other conventional means of imparting education in a classroom. However, some educationists regard them as culprits of the exponential decline in children’s attention span. The next sections of this article discuss the involvement of children in games in the tech age, the types of games available in the market, and the impact of digital gaming as learning aids in classrooms.
RELATED ARTICLES :
- Benefits of Vitamin E Oil And Rose Oil For Skin
- Great Search engine optimization Internet And Website Practices
- Google Assistant is coming to older Android phones.
- Super Mario Bros Game For The Classic NES
- Travel And Tour Agents – Are You Being Ripped Off?
Gaming and the New Age Kids
Digital technology has expanded the horizons of video gaming in the modern world. Kids are subjected to a far more complex and challenging technological environment than their counterparts were over half a century ago. Kids’ involvement in digital gaming results from many significant changes in the lifestyle and culture of modern society. Easy accessibility of technology, dispensable income due to dual-income families, and lack of infrastructure for outdoor activities in many cities are major contributors to making screen games an important part of children’s lives. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010) found that only 20 percent of the census blocks are within half a mile of a block boundary. Also, the effect of peer pressure cannot be undermined in these times of social networking.
The digital gaming market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the global entertainment industry. The US is witnessing unprecedented penetration of digital games among youngsters. In the US, 97% of teens play some games regularly. In India, the gaming market has grown manifold in the last few years. Hence, educationists must continuously contemplate using digital gaming as a classroom learning tool. Institutions are also employing innovative ways to leverage digital advantage to enhance the learning experience at schools.
What are Digital Games?
There is no concrete definition of games as it may vary with an individual’s preference and profession. Games are “systems in which players engage in artificial conflict, defined by rules, which result in a quantifiable outcome.” Technology and digitization add new dimensions to games: simulations, interactivity, augmented reality, alternative reality, collective intelligence, and sensory stimulators such as sound and visual effects. Their portability and limitless accessibility also characterize digital games.
Role-playing, simulation, and puzzles are some of the most popular digital games. In role-playing games, the player enacts a particular character’s role in a virtual world, moving from one level to another based on the earlier story’s outcome. RPGs can be single-players, like Dungeons and Dragons from earlier gaming, or multi-player games like Diablo III, Xenoblade, Final Fantasy XIII-2, or Mass Effect 3. MMORPGs, or Massive Multiple Online Role-Playing Games, are an extension of the RPGs where many players interact in an online virtual world. Simulation games create realistic situations in virtual worlds.
The outcome will depend on the player’s decision-making and responsiveness and will be closely similar to what may happen in the real world in the same situation. Widely used for training and analysis, simulation games are also popular due to their unpredictable and personalized outcomes. Flight Simulator X, Live for Speed (LFS), and Need for Speed have been top-rated simulation games for a long time. The puzzle genre of digital games involves problem-solving and analysis with varying degrees of difficulty depending on the game’s nature. Crosswords and treasure hunt games are necessary forms of puzzle games in both physical and digital formats.
All types of digital games involve the social involvement of players. Some need collaborative efforts to play, while others may be discussed or analyzed socially. Despite some games being accused of outright violent visual effects, a well-designed game can accelerate the thinking process by motivating, engaging, involving creativity, and developing a meta-game, i.e., social interactions inspired and enhanced inside or outside the game. Incorporating digital gaming into the basic education framework can augment competitiveness and multi-dimensional growth in children.
Digital Games in Science Education – Why and Why Not?
The 21st Century requires mentors and students to integrate technology into the curriculum. Though the ultimate goal is to benefit the students in learning and experience, unsupervised, unorganized, or irrelevant applications can lead to complete failure or have adverse effects. Some of the negative impacts of digital games in general and in the context of education are listed below:
Digital games have been facing constant rebuke for allegedly enhancing aggression among kids and developing a violent streak at an early stage. In a study by Anderson and Bushman (2001), Children involved in violent video games are likelier to have increased aggressive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and decreased prosocial helping. The use of weapons and being rewarded for being violent is a cause of widespread concern.
Digital games can be addictive for children and make them physically inactive. Digital games, other than social networking, are considered for reduced physical activity leading to obesity in kids and postural and skeletal disorders. Addiction to games is also known to make kids socially secluded. Impulsive behavior, depression, and increased anxiety are largely attributed to excessive gaming in children. Some studies also suggest that children playing games cannot concentrate for a long span and have a reduced attention span.
Children are prone to absorbing socially unacceptable behavior through some digital games, such as using profanities and ill-treating the fairer sex. Parents ‘ lack of adequate knowledge about screening online material is a growing concern.
Digital games are considered a hindrance to better performance in academics. Students are often found to skip homework to play games leading to deteriorated performance at school. However, despite their reputation as promoters of violence and mayhem, digital games have been shown to help children learn skills, content, and vital “21st-century” skills. From digital games, children can learn content (from rich vocabulary to science to history), skills (from literacy to math to complex problem-solving), the creation of artifacts (from videos to software code), and systems thinking (how changing one element affects relationships as a whole). Strong arguments in favor of using digital games as learning aids in secondary education are summarized below:
Digital games involve extreme hand-eye coordination and enhance motor and sensory skills. Sensory stimulation theory proposed by academician Laird (1985) validates that effective learning occurs when the senses are stimulated. While some studies show that digital gaming reduces attention span, there is strong evidence of improved concentration in short intervals. Digital games involve watching every detail, following the rules, and responding proactively to a given situation. Complex digital games help develop problem-solving and decision-making skills. Some games also involve logical analysis of the situation and pattern recognition and improve memorizing, thus assisting in the cognitive process. Playing by the rules teaches children to accept and respect a certain level of discipline.
Multi-player digital games develop a sense of constructive competitive attitude. Collaborative games also improve team-building mood. They develop time management skills in a team and train them to cooperate for the mutually desired goal. They teach the players to accept defeat and strive for better results. Digital games allow hyperactive kids to direct their energy in a constructive system-based game. They also offer an outlet to release aggression and frustration, thus helping diffuse stress. Some games also involve physical activity, such as Nintendo Wii boxing, assisting kids to engage mentally and physically with them. Complex digital games involve a high level of multitasking, thus improving the brain’s natural learning process.
Brain-based learning theory proposes that multitasking is an inherent brain activity, and challenges enhance learning at various levels. Digital games develop efficient situational analysis and strategy-making in children. Since games have specific objectives at every level and a final aim of the game, it teaches players to devise short-term and long-term strategies such as scoring points, retaining energy, and reaching the game’s ultimate goal. Simulation games and role-playing digital games help players gain expertise or learn by experiencing replicas of real-world situations. Experiential learning and action learning theories are based on the premise that individuals learn faster when sharing and participating in the action.
“Games require the thinking we need in the 21st Century because they use actual learning as the basis for assessment. They test current knowledge and skills and prepare for future education. They measure 21st-century skills like collaboration, innovation, production, and design by tracking many different information about a student over time. ”
German Games for Kids
The games listed under are bound to bring in huge amounts of raucous laughter and squealing contests, of that you can be sure. But, my goodness, the kids will have so much fun.
Hit the Pot
This traditional game goes by the name Topfschlagen. A small pot containing chocolates is placed on the floor. A kid is chosen (via chips) and blindfolded. He is then handed a stick and placed in the center of the room. The game aims to crawl on the floor and find and hit the pot using the bar. Once the kid has seen the bank, he can claim the same contents as his own. The game can be continued by re-filling the pool and having others go at it.
Eating Chocolates
This famous German game by the name Schokoladenessen is a relatively fast-paced activity. As the name suggests, it involves eating chocolates, but the fun lies in how it is carried through. A group of kids sit around a table―it has to be ensured that all the kids fit around it. A chocolate bar is wrapped in several layers of newspapers, secured with a ribbon, and placed in the center of the table, along with other items that include a hat, scarf, mittens, fork, knife, and dice.
The kid to roll the first round of dice is picked via hits, and they aim to get a 6. When asix6 is moved, the kid has to wear the scarf, mittens, and hat and start unwrapping the newspapers’ layers to get to the bar. Once they have reached the chocolate bar, they must use the knife and fork and start eating the chocolate. While all this is happening, the other kids around the table must continue rolling the dice counterclockwise. When kids move a 6, they take over from the first kid (including donning the scarf, et al. l) and start eating the chocolate. The game continues till the bar is over. To make this fast-paced game more interesting, you can set up teams across 3-4 tables and time them. Then give away first, second, third, and consolation prizes.
The Number Game
In German, it’s called the ‘Ein, Zwei, Drei … Halt!’ (1, 2, 3… Halt!) game. A person tagged ‘it’ stands at a distance backing the others. Then they say, ‘Ein, Zwei, Drei … in which time the kids must run towards him. When he says ‘Halt,’ he turns around, and all the kids must stop in the statue mode―they aren’t to move. If ‘it’ finds any of them moving, they’re out. The game continues until all have been dismissed or one of the kids crosses the finish line.
Hiding Sardines
This German game is called ‘Sardine.’ A kid is chosen to hide while the others have to find him. They have to count up to 30 when the kid hides. When anyone sees the kid, they have to hide with him. One by one, the others join the first kid in the hiding place. This continues till the last one finds the hiding place. It’s a lot of fun if combined with dim lights so that the hide-and-seek game becomes even more challenging.
The Cat and Mouse
This game is called ‘Katz (cat) and Maus (mouse) in Germany. Here, one of the cat’s players while the other is the mouse, and the rest form a circle. The objective is that the cat has to catch the mouse. The mouse can run anywhere―into and out of the process. An added fun element is introduced because the circle sometimes allows the mouse to enter and blocks him. When the mouse is caught, chits are drawn to decide who the next cat and mouse will be.
Packing a Suitcase
This game is known as Koffer packed in German. Get the kids to sit in a circle. The first kid starts by saying―I packed a suitcase and put a muffler in it. The next kid continues with―I filled a bag and put a damper and a shirt in it. This continues with each kid repeating the previous items on the list and adding one of their own. Those who mess up the sequence or omit any article are disqualified, and the game continues until one kid remains; he is declared the winner.
Traditional German Drinking Games
Beer and Germany are quite synonymous. And there is the concept of beer boots that is very popular in Germany. Beer boots are exactly how they sound―the glasses are shaped like boots. Here are some traditional games you can enjoy with this concept in mind and others without.
Beer Boot Pass
The beer boot pass (Bier Boot) is a popular game in Germany. It is usually played to pin the next round of beers on a person. In this, a beer glass is filled to the brim and passed around in the group―there are some rules for this―it has to be tipped every time before it is given, and not a drop of beer must be spilled. The game’s objective is that the second-to-last person who finishes the beer must pay for the next round (or do an errand). The game becomes all about judgment because you drink the entire beer or have a sip and pass it on. You never know who the second to last person will be, so the suspense and excitement are quite rife.
This traditional game is extremely popular in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, more popularly referred to as Kastenlauf. The game is similar to running a race, where a route is marked, ranging from 5-12 km. Each participant brings a crate of beer (the size and quantity will be specified). The game’s objective is to finish the entire container of beer before getting to the finish line. The first person who completes this feat wins.
Flunkyball
This outdoor game is played with one team being pitted against another, with equal numbers in both. The game’s objective is for the teams to finish all their beers. The teams stand on opposite sides of the ground in a file, with their beers lined before them. An empty bottle (filled with water so that it does not tumble with the wind) or a tin can is placed in the center, and another object (used as an aim) is brought in, something like a tennis ball. Chips are drawn to determine which team will go first. The first team (A) hits the ball onto the target to tumble it. Once the bottle has tumbled, team A will start drinking their beers.
Meanwhile, team B must run to the center, place the bottle upright, find the ball, and cross back into the line before yelling ‘Stop.’ Team A then stops drinking, and Team B commences throwing the ball at the bottle and carrying the game forward. The game continues till one team has finished all their beer, and they are declared winners.
One can make things a little more challenging by introducing rules in the game, like, if a team does not hit the target in the first go, they have to forfeit the round, or no team member can hit the target twice. Drinking Relay Divide the group into two teams and get them to stand in line with beer boots placed in front of each member. The first person lifts the glass and starts drinking the beer as the whistle blow. After he is done, he has to turn the glass over to show no more beer in the mirror. Then, the next person starts drinking, and so on. The next in line can only drink when the first person has emptied his glass. The team whose last member opens the mirror ahead of others wins.
Herman the German
Even though this game seems simple, it is a lot of fun because of the antics that being drunk makes you do. It runs on the lines of ‘Who stole the cookie.’ A person is chosen as ‘Herman the German’ (HTG), and he has to get the game running. The other members sit randomly and are given names; better if they are confusing names like China Port No.1, Rum Master Blaster, Roundy Dundy, etc. The game starts with HTG saying―”HTG dropped a missile on China Port No. 1, sir’ and China Port No. 1 has to reply with―”It wasn’t me, sir.” Then HTG replies―”Who then, sir,” and it continues. The sentence has to end with ‘sir,’ and if it doesn’t, the player has to down a shot or a beer boot.
Similarly, players must do the same if they fumble at any point. The tension makes the players forget things and much beer flows. There’s no single party that won’t be just bursting with fun and enthusiasm with these games. That’s for sure. So choose a good one and get that German-themed party rolling.
