Becta’s recently published ‘Emerging technologies for learning Volume 3 (2008)’ provides a number of excellent articles on the themes we explored during our seminar in January. These articles are particularly valuable in documenting current thinking and proposing benefits and imperatives whilst also indicating the challenges, which we have all been considering. This publication contributes to our thinking on how we adapt to harness the potential of these technologies to improve learning. It is important, particularly with the increasingly challenging capital funding situation, that as key LA facilitators, we input into strategic plans the imperative and capacity to accommodate emerging technologies.

The articles are:

• Growing up with Google:
  Examining the characteristics of ‘net generation’ learners, the possibilities offered by new technologies and the implications for learning and teaching.
• Mobile, wireless, connected:
  Mark van’t Hooft describes some examples of how these technologies are being used to transform learning and discusses the barriers and issues to their effective use.
• Location-based and context-aware education:
  Exploration of the issues and potential of these technologies which could mean ‘nothing less than a reappraisal of what we mean when we say ‘education’.’
• Emerging trends in serious games and virtual worlds:
  Exploring the potential of these technologies and the implications for education more widely.
• ‘If it quacks like a duck…’:
  Exploring some potential solutions to the problem of finding and searching digital content on the web but also indicating a clear role for educators and a need for better information literacy.
• Interactive displays and next-generation interfaces:
  Exploring the potential benefits of some emerging display and interface technologies.

I unashamedly pick out an extract from Mark van’t Hooft’s article on mobile connectivity as it articulates an issue I’ve been raising with LA colleagues at every opportunity;

“The key for education is that these technologies are providing opportunities for learning that don’t really exist without them. Instead of banning these tools and punishing those who try to use them for learning in formal settings, schools should take a serious look at learning more about the digital technologies so prevalent in many areas of our society today.

……. institutions of education should be ready to at least consider using mobile, wireless and connected tools as supplements to what’s happening in the classroom, in an effort to make learning both more personal and connected to the real world. Wireless mobile devices could provide the bridge to make that happen, as long as schools provide the networks and the access, because in the long run, the learners will provide the devices to access their applications and information stored online.

Photo Credit: Becta copyright ©

The games that were available for you to ‘play’ with today were:

1. Phoenix Wright
2. My Word Coach
3. My Spanish Coach
4. My French Coach
5. Endless Ocean
6. Guitar Hero III
7. Viva Pinata
8. Inquizitor
9. Primary Phonics

What were colleagues impressions of the games that they had a go with and how do you think they might be able to be used in classrooms?

Scottish games based learning company called TPLD, have worked in schools in the past and are currently doing so with an application called Eduteams. Jim Pigott from TPLD will tell us about a game that they were working in partnership on with the Scottish Institute for Sport Foundation and a man called Yehuda Shinar. The design of the game is such that it can help create a ‘winning’ attitude where the player/learner can continually self-reflect in order to move forward? This is quite a serious application of a game and one that has the potential to complement and reinforce the Aifl agenda in Scottish schools. Further details on the consolarium blog.

…..computer games as learning tools in the classroom? What may have seemed like a bizarre idea some time ago is now maybe not seen in such a light today due to some of the work that has been happening in Scottish schools over the past year. LTS efforts to explore this field via its Consolarium project was introduced to SICTDG members in December 06. Since this meeting partnerships with a number of local authorities has resulted in some very interesting work taking place. The Consolarium also had the pleasure of welcoming Professor Stephen Heppell who proclaimed that ‘every school should have a Consolarium’. Today’s presentation offers an update of what has happened so far, where we are heading and how we would like to continue the growth of games based learning initiatives throughout as many parts of Scotland as we can.

Any comments on our work so far, our ideas for future projects or any comments in general about games based learning are most welcome.

Please feel free to access the weblinks that I did not show you in my presentation. You can get them from this file: Games presentation