1. Quest2Teach: The Impact of Games To Bridge Theory and Practice in Teacher Education ANNA ARICI, SASHA BARAB, ANNEMARIE COMES ADAM INGRAM-GOBLE, JULI JAMES, MICHAEL GARCIA SHERRY THURSTON & KAT DUTCHIN CENTER FOR GAMES & IMPACT MARY LOU FULTON TEACHERS COLLEGE ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY 2. Awards and Accolades The Cooney Center (Sesame Workshop) chose Quest2Teach as the first in their documentary series of the Top 5 innovations in Teacher Education. Presidential Award for Innovation at ASU Documentary on the Games & Learning website Featured innovation at New Media Consortium Featured curriculum at Institute of Play Featured curriculum at Game.Play.Learn. Top 3 at Games Learning Societys International game competition 3. www.quest2teach.org Quest2Teach is a series of 3D video game-simulations and a professional network designed for teacher education, to help bridge between educational theory and classroom practice. 4. In Quest2Teach, students create a professional avatar, play out roles, solve complex problems, fail safely, and see the impact of their decisions. They become the protagonist in their own teaching narrative. 5. Protagonist in a nuanced and authentic Narrative 6. Learning by doing isnt new, but technology is giving educators around the world unprecedented access and avenues to engage their students in meaningful ways. a communicative action or activity involving two parties or things that reciprocally affect or influence each other changing both. Transactive Learning John Dewey 7. Transformational Play an experiential state that involves: (a) projection into the role of a character who, (b) is recruited into a partly fantastical problematic context, (c) must apply conceptual understandings, (d) to transform the context, (e) and, ultimately, oneself. It involves positioning Person With Intentionality Content With Legitimacy Context With Consequentiality (Barab, Gresalfi, & Arici, 2009 Barab, Gresalfi, & Ingram-Goble, 2010) 8. Learning scientists Game designers, publishers Donors, domain experts, educators Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration 9. Matriculation: New Students Enter the Nexus 3D Hub 10. One game per semester, embedded in a related MLFTC class, guided by instructor. 11. Small g games Our video games; self-contained and completeable; optimized to engage learners in a particular educational theory in a safe, simulated and structured environment. An open-ended, flexible meta-game structure and affinity spaces that foster locally-driven extensions and adaptations in support of real- world goals and outcomes. Data and Analytics Dashboard Social Communities/Affinity Spaces/Network Learning trajectories and gamification layers Smart/Modding Tools Big G game (A distinction from CGI co-founder Jim Gee) 12. Q2T Social-Professional Network 13. Q2T Scope & Sequence for MLFTC Major Maps Two class periods Day 1: Approx 30 mins, Intro and gameplay Day 2: Approx 10-30 mins, Debrief and reflection Materials Needed: Students registered with Q2T logins, game downloaded on computers, power cords, internet connection. 14. Problem Scenario: Pedagogical Differences with your Mentor 15. Fantastical mentoring, Just-in-time 16. Teachers Lounge 17. Consequences of your Decisions 18. Students get Immediate Feedback 19. In-game tools help learners interrogate and interpret the scenarios and theories No single correct game interpretation Players can flag and question the game scores Means for deeper discussion of the theories 20. Games for Learning arent software, theyre curricula All of the games we create are maximized when driven by an instructor, within a blended course framework, with some elements student-directed and some instructor-guided, and all being applied towards their real world experiences. 21. Teacher Toolkit & Dashboard 22. Quest2Teach International Network for Pre-Service Teachers Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, ASU, Arizona Dublin City University, Ireland University College Copenhagen, Denmark University of Foggia, Italy The Joan Kanz Cooney Center, NYC 23. Research Findings Our Teachers College Demographic data showed: Most common use of computers was for homework or social networks. Only 9% reported that they only played video games 1-5 hours/week. (Compared with 70% nationally, across all majors) 87% of students indicated that they rarely played video games. Only 5% described themselves as a gamer Digital natives are Not always Gamers N= ~800 pre-service undergraduate students 24. Positive Results Significant learning gains and increases in engagement across the board. 62% of students said the game helped them to see themselves more as a professional teacher, not a student. 45% of students reported the game helped increase their level of confidence in their future teaching ability. 52% of students indicated that the games helped increase their commitment to future teaching. 25. Research Findings Comparison study: Control group: I learned a lot about professionalism, and became aware of why its important. Game group: This game allowed me to practice how to be respectful in a disagreement, it gave me skills in interpersonal relationships and how to work better with others. Passive recipients vs Active protagonists 26. Findings: Authentic practice Students felt better equipped to handle difficult interactions in the real world. I like how this game gave us scripts for handling conversations. Sometimes we know what were supposed to say but its hard to find the words. It was great just reading the various options and seeing there are a lot of different ways to approach it. Students said that the game felt more real than the role play they did in class (around student mentoring) because they knew their fellow students would basically follow a supportive and predictive script. 27. Findings: Identity as a Professional Game role supported Identity shift from Student to Teacher This was a significant shift out of not being a student anymore, you know? We are in the professional world now, and we need to see ourselves as teachers. This game was like a shift into the real life, and people can relate to these struggles. 28. Findings: Relevance to Real World I just want to say that I definitely give a lot of points for relevance, because a lot of these situations were like things that Ive already experienced. I was immediately able relate to some of these situations. Unlike the real world, students really appreciate the ability to fail safely, play again to see different outcomes, and gain extra practice and fluency in these ideas before student teaching. 29. Lessons Learned: Ecology of Implementation Some students initially need more support with Technology Reframing gaming as a simulation (instead of a video game) went far in shifting reactions from hesitancy to enthusiasm. We built in explicit supports in the 3D worlds, with tutorials initiated through player inactivity, and guidance from in-game characters, but they quickly became adept. Scope and Sequence in Program: Just-in-Time vs. Just-in-Case Very different reactions from students in their 1st semester vs Student teachers when playing the Professionalism game. First semester student: I would never have a conflict with my mentor. Im just going to roll over and do whatever she says. Student Teacher reaction: I dont think if we played this last semester or last year, any one of us would have taken it as seriously, but now we know, this is for real! 30. Lessons Learned: Ecology of Implementation Network was redundant with their own They already had a (more divergent) network created in Facebook We needed to brainstorm alternative network services we could provide to meet actual needs. Instructor influence Instructors welcomed and embraced the innovation The few with negative attitudes passed those on to students Teacher support and training is essential, and they are eager for it. 31. Lets Play! Log in to Toolkit for all links: http://research.atlantisremixed.org/arx_web Enter Q2T Network: Toggle between Teaching and Learning in right hand corner. In Q2T Network: Accept the Challenge Complete profile Break into small groups to play and look through Unit Guides. Play Game! Return to your Network for Reflection Teacher Toolkit Overview 32. Lets Play! Open the Quest2Teach software on your computer Username/Password: (Your ASURite ID) Both Username and Password are the same! Create an avatar Use the arrows to navigate around Click on people and items to interact 33. Network Reflection Write your Post! Pay it forward with Props! 34. Teacher Toolkit Tabs across top Various data analytics available 35. Teacher Toolkit Registering Students Individually, use the + symbol. Roster Upload: .csv files from blackboard Log in to your MyASU page (Http://www.asu.edu/myasu) Go to the Home tab and your classes will be listed below. Click on the folder icon (see blue arrow in image below) and a grey pop-up box will give you 3 choices. Choose View Class Roster. Click Download. 36. Questions or Guest Accounts? Contact: anna.arici@asu.edu or visit www.quest2teach.org