Micro Teaching One

United States Military earliest successful adopters  The United States military has used everything from film strips to high end simulators to train it soldiers.  The U.S. military’s effective use of educational technology is credited by members of the Axis regime with tipping W.W. II in the Allies favor.  The U.S. was so successful with the technology at the time (filmstrips) that one German Chief of Staff stated : “We had everything calculated perfectly except the speed with which America was able to train its people. Our major miscalculation was in underestimating their quick and complete mastery of film education." (Olsen & Bass, 1982, p. 33)

Current Example of a simulator used for training  The simulator to the right can accurately tell a military instructor how long it took the soldier to squeeze the trigger and what movements the weapon made after firing  The aforementioned data can then be used by the military instructor to offer individualized instruction to the soldier.

Why the apprehension to electronic simulations in the classroom? Cost Training Equitable Access How does it help with increasing students scores on standardized tests?  What will people say when they hear their children are “playing video games” in a class?    

Kurt Squire  Squire is a professor at the University of WisconsinMadison  He is one of the foremost experts in the field of educational simulations.  He specializes in the use of “off the shelf” video game(s) as educational tools.

Squire Continued  Some of Dr. Squire’s work surrounds the Sid Meier’s highly successful franchise Civilization.  Civilization is a game that places a player in charge of a civilization from 4000 B.C.E. to a 2100 A.D.  A player can play any of the civilizations that are inset to the right.

Squire continued

 It is his contention that games like Sid Meier’s Civilization can offer students a deeper understanding of topics and ideas being taught in humanities classes.  Squire states the following about using Civilization III in class: “Playing Civilization III seems to be a powerful way of introducing students to concepts such as monotheism or monarchy, but it may be an even better way of helping them tie together the disparate periods of history. A challenge of teaching world history is how to present students with thousands of years of developments across all civilizations without being Western-centric. Civilization III’s scope extends well beyond the Greco-Roman realm and thus invites us to take a global perspective on historical developments.” (Squire, 2003, p.13) .

The What if… scenario  Games like Civilization and Making History allow students to delve into the what if components of history.  What if the Germans would of won W.W. II or the Roman Empire did not fail?  As educators we know that these types of activities are when the students we are charged with teaching truly are thinking and learning.  The computer component adds more realism and can improve the engagement levels of the many different learning styles found in our classes.

Another Positive By-Product  Additionally, in a game like Civilization or SimCity players are exposed to new and different vocabulary.  The game is setup in a manner that a player can not complete tasks until they learn and understand the meaning of the new terms.  For example, in the game SimCity players will be exposed to terms such as zoning, industrial, residential, commercial, and taxation.  If a player does not understand the aforementioned terms then they will not be successful in building a thriving city.

Brain Based Benefits  Dr. Michael Posner from the University of Oregon through his research found that video game play can positively impact the neural pathways influencing numeracy and literacy.

What does the future hold?  As academics like Squire and Posner continue to point out the positive outcomes associated with videogame play it is my contention that electronic simulations will be used by more of a widespread audience in academia.

21st Century  In a world of cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, and iPhone applications schools need to stop banning the use of electronic mediums and they need to embrace the potential learning that can be gleaned from interacting with these devices in a meaningful educationally appropriate way.