If we think of gaming for education purposes we think of World of Warcraft or a recreation of a hospital setting and the ability to interact and train in a safe environment. The learner can be immersed in this experience, and with virtual reality increasing in its development the potential is fast approaching for mainstream education opportunities.
Here it is….. the but. Is this method of training too isolated? If we think back to childhood games (maybe go back a generation or so, depending on your age) and the level of team play and interaction that was involved. Today the experience can be recreated but in a potentially isolating setting, and with a loss of real human interaction and managing the relationships that occur in day-to-day life could be missing in gaming. People are just unpredictable and the question is: how is this unpredictability recreated in a gaming situation for healthcare professionals?
“There is no right decision in life, because every decision we make is new and unpredictable.” by M.F. Moonzajer
This need to network and connect for deeper learning must not be forgot in the advance of technology. Tacking in technology to a learning program will likely be a novelty, it needs to be embedded into the pedagogy.
“We’re stupid in dozens and dozens of ways. But human minds are plug-and-play devices; they’re not meant to be used alone. They’re meant to be used in networks” James Gee (Arizona State University). Games allow us to do that – they allow us to use what Gee calls “collective intelligence.” Collectively, we’re not so stupid.”
Keywords: Gaming, gamification, play, learning, networking, human mind
Resources
- World of Warcraft
- Gaming and Learning: Stanford University
- Healthcare Simulation
- ER: Heroic Measures