Bringing games like Pokemon Go into the classroom may help students
learn and practice multiple modes of communication, from writing to
gestures, a new paper suggests.
The author of the paper, Emily
Howell, is working with teachers to develop new ways to incorporate
digital tools in the classroom. The focus of Howell’s work is
two-fold—to give students equitable access to technology and help them
build multimodal communication skills.
That means not only using technology to consume information or
replace traditional classroom tools, but also experimenting with new
forms of communication, says Howell, an assistant professor in Iowa
State University’s School of Education.
“It’s not just giving students the technology and letting them play, it’s really guiding that interaction…”
Instead
of having students read a book on a tablet or use the computer to type
an assignment, they need to learn how to create and upload videos or
build graphics and maps to convey their message.
Howell’s
suggestion of having students play Pokemon Go to build these skills may
seem a bit unconventional. However, after playing the smartphone game
with her own children, she saw how it could help students with writing
and research in ways that align with Common Core standards.
Howell
says engaging students through Pokemon Go, a game many are already
playing outside the classroom, also generates interest and connects
students to their work.
“It is important to give students
authentic choices that really have meaning in their lives,” Howell says.
“We need to encourage them to develop questions, research the answers
and then share that information in writing.”
For example, a common
assignment is to have elementary students write an essay on how to make
a peanut butter and jelly sandwich—a task students can easily explain,
but not a genuine question many have, Howell says. Pokemon Go, like many
video games, provides players with limited information or what Howell
describes as “just in time learning.” As a result, players have
questions about how to use certain tools or advance to the next level.
Playing
the game with her own children, Howell watched their enthusiasm in
researching and finding the answers to these questions. They were even
more excited to share their knowledge with her and their grandmother,
who was also playing the game.
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In a paper published in the journal The Reading Teacher,
Howell explains how teachers can have students identify questions about
Pokemon Go, find the answers, and present their findings in different
formats.
Beyond writing
Pokemon Go incorporates different
modes of communication—gestures, visuals, and directions—which makes it a
good fit for the classroom, Howell says. Players see the character on
their phone, the character is integrated into a map, and the player
controls catching the character. Pokemon Go illustrates the need to
understand multimodal text, which reflects how we communicate with
others, she says.
“We don’t just send a text or email; we have a
live chat or video conferences. Anytime teachers can find something that
students are already doing, and comes in multimodal form, they can
harness that interest and teach students about the tool’s potential,”
Howell says.
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Even
more than conventional tools such as a paper and pen, teachers must
provide a framework for using digital tools. Howell says students need
to understand conventional literacy skills, but also learn how to upload
files or design elements on a page that are not in a linear
progression.
“It’s not just giving students the technology and
letting them play, it’s really guiding that interaction so they can
express meaning,” Howell says.
Share your work
To make the
assignment even more authentic, Howell suggests giving students an
outlet to share their work with people outside of the classroom. Many
school districts create secure, online platforms where students can
share work with family and friends and receive feedback. Knowing that
others will view their work helps students develop writing styles for
different audiences, not just their teacher, Howell says.
“It
makes the assignment more authentic and helps with motivation and
understanding the purpose for writing,” she says. “It has academic as
well as social benefits.”
Taken
From ValueWalk
