GBL Reflections (Siyun)

After attending the past few sessions on GBL, I do understand the few positive impacts of what games can do to learners. GBL stimulates creativity and perseverance (as they are more willing to keep trying given the "no harm trying consequences"). It can also conduct assessments "unknowingly" when students learn.

Well, after knowing all these benefits of game-based learning, so how is it applicable in our lesson and teaching schools?

I have just read Verinder's blog. Hmm...Well, true enough, I feel that it is the Gee's principles which we may incorporate into our lessons. The discovery principle, Bottom-Up Basic Skills principle, transfer principle, and the Explicit Information On-Demand and Just-In-Time Principle and etc are things we may take into consideration when planning and conducting our lessons.

However, is playing games feasible and fits into our current educational system? It is not that I doubt the benefit's of playing. I am admit that playing games really do help in developing one's mind and perhaps even help in moulding one's character.

What we really need to think of is how we could incorporate GBL into our lessons. I believe allowing students to spend time at home doing GBL may help in stimulating their mind and create a inquiry-based learning. It can also serve as a tool to consolidate learning. However, I am still quite sceptical of how it can be used to conduct and deliver an entire lesson. Or maybe I should ask "Can GBL be used to deliver a whole topic, Metals (Chemistry)?" Or the GBL is used as an additional tool in aiding the lesson just that the ICT tools which we have been working on for the past few weeks.

It will be a great idea if GBL can be used full-scale to teach a particular topic. But I seriously have yet to see the possibilities. Let's face the fact. Teachers are competing with time in school, rushing syllabuses and trying their best to cover the necessities for exam. True enough, some people will say that if we have incorporated effective and meaningful learning into lessons, students would have understood and these cut down on the revision required to prepare them for examinations. However, seriously speaking, there is seriously not much time!

We can't possibly give students ample time in school to play games and let them explore by themselves. However, I think that perhaps asking them to play relevant games before the start of the topic will help students in understanding the lesson better. After learning the concepts, playing games will again help to consolidate their thoughts and reinforce what they have learnt.

I really like the idea of using GBL to deliver our lessons. However, I believe that in order for GBL to really take place in Singapore, there will be some changes to our current system. These include the amount of content to need to cover for each level and the amount of content need to cover to prepare students for the major exam ('O' Level). Given greater flexibility of time and contents, teachers will then have greater opportunity to incorporate GBL into lessons.

All these are what I think till the present stage. Let's see whether the E-learning will help in shaping my thoughts about GBL.