tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4453770698497483833.post1532953894877813592..comments2019-11-24T18:26:07.408-08:00Comments on Mr D. - Teacher-Gamer Blog: 3D Game Lab Camp on the horizonMarc DeArmondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06470494983430457563noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4453770698497483833.post-19250440657509335812012-07-22T08:32:24.752-07:002012-07-22T08:32:24.752-07:00This is pure genius. I wish this program had been ...This is pure genius. I wish this program had been developed back when I went through school. I think I might have done a lot better seeing as I'm one of those types who likes to dig into something that grabs my attention and by making it like and by making it like a video game with XP and Lvls my brain could totally see the over all picture of a school year,semester,quarter vs you got an A+ or a C- which doesnt really translate to well to a kid in school. <br /><br />Have there been any case studies done with this yet and if so what was the out come on the kids.<br /><br />Keep up the good work MarcOliverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14157565933843739361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4453770698497483833.post-8468354954003352992012-07-22T00:05:43.454-07:002012-07-22T00:05:43.454-07:00Stephanie,
You've touched on one of the possi...Stephanie,<br /> You've touched on one of the possible big problems. There are a few solutions embedded in the software. <br /><br /> First off, a student can go further into an area of interest. Imagine a 6th grade social studies class in which there are five major topics. Students are required to complete 100 experience points in each of the following areas: Geography, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient India, and Ancient China. The student who falls in love with Ancient India could conceivably earn their next 500 points focused only in India assuming a teacher had content that went that deep. If the first 100 points in each area managed to cover the basic standards then everything should work out fine.<br /><br /> Some of this can be covered with effective course design in which the completion requirements can match with the standards across the board. I can't imagine a class in which there is no specific goals that are required. But the choice enters in when students pick which lesson they will do today. If you're feeling crappy, it's probably not time to write an essay, but reading a story or watching a video might fit your needs that day. These assignments can be given different XP rewards to match their difficulty and time commitment.<br /><br /> But what happens when a teacher is trying to cram 360 days of curriculum into a 180 day school year. Then they need 2000 exp and none of it becomes student choice. I'm not sure of the solution here. However, I trust teachers to figure it out. Even if the teacher talks twice as fast the students still won't learn twice as much. So either way if the expectations placed upon the teachers aren't realistic, then adjustments have to be made. I believe (along with the creators of 3D Game Lab, Lisa Dawley and Chris Haskell) that given some control over their learning and with available teacher oversight, students will end up learning more. They couldn't possibly end up learning less.<br /><br /> I suppose in the end it isn't very different than a student who spends an extra week working on their regular assignment. Only, going forward before they're ready won't help their learning; so you're better off with them actually learning half as many complete lessons than a full class worth of lessons they don't understand.Marc DeArmondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06470494983430457563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4453770698497483833.post-73295320660607512822012-07-21T23:35:32.297-07:002012-07-21T23:35:32.297-07:00I am so excited about the future of education afte...I am so excited about the future of education after reading this. You are doing some very neat things, Marc. I'm really looking forward to following how this all works in the classroom.<br /><br />As I read, I found myself wondering about the pacing. This is what stuck out to me: <br /><br />"If you fail to show mastery you are punished with a bad grade and the class moves on to a new subject. If you succeed, you are rewarded with a good grade and are forced to move on to a new subject, regardless of your interest in the area you've just completed."<br /><br />Students individually pacing their learning? That's amazing! However, I know that the standards can keep teachers on a pretty tight schedule. So, I'm curious: how much leeway does the system provide for allowing students to stay on the current subject rather than moving on? Is the experience point system spread out across multiple units? I'm curious about the mechanics of how the system compensates for more time spent on a subject of particular interest or difficulty. <br /><br />In other words, if a student takes an extra week to work on a unit, how do you mathematically compensate to make sure they don't take an extra week on every unit and will still meet the standards?Stephaniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17518749789084234759noreply@blogger.com