Signature Pedagogy in Early Years Education: A Role for COTS Game-Based Learning

Miller, David; Robertson, D. M.; Hudson, Alison; Shimi, Jill

doi:10.1080/07380569.2012.651423

Cited by 20 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…However, teachers can use games, if they choose to permit these explorations, to support the child's autonomy in relation to the support and provision of the conditions that contribute to the child's experience of choice. Miller et al (2012), in their study of the off-the-shelf game Nintendogs among 5-7-year-old Scottish school children, found that successful learning outcomes were linked to the level of children's autonomy when they were playing. The importance of using games that were 'familiar' and 'from home' resulted in greater general motivation on learning tasks, group processing and peer interaction.…”

Section: Dimensions Of Autonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(Jonassen & Strobel, 2006, pp. 1-2) The use of children's self-selected affinity spaces, such as games they are familiar with and enjoy (Miller et al, 2012), offer a context for the kind of open-ended, autonomous and situated meaningful learning that should be a key requirement for the use of DGBL. The environment in which this situated learning occurs influences and is influenced by the other dimensions of autonomy, affinity and play (Flinders et al, 1986;Meyer, 2002;Silvia, 2008;Silvia, Henson, & Templin, 2009).…”

Section: Dimensions Of Affinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Miller, Robertson, Hudson, and Shimi (2012) have pointed out that most of the conceptualization and implementation of DGBL have focused primarily on the upperyears, far removed from the sociocultural literacies and experiences of children's 'at home' technology use (Plowman et al, 2010). As de Castell and Jenson (2003a) contend, the true pedagogical and ludic spirit of learning with games 'resides in the engagement itself and not in its extrinsically defined "learning outcomes"' (p. 52).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the context of DGBL, the hidden curriculum pertains not only to the operationalization of games for schooling, but the use of games and game-based structures that serve to reinforce and emphasize the competitive and hierarchical values of institutional education. As Miller et al (2012) note, the freedom, cooperation and open-endedness of early years learning and play are put aside in favour of competition and a reduced set of options for engagement in K-12 education. We contend that the authentic motivation for game-play is not simply an affordance of engaging game features, but resides within the player's lived and embodied sociocultural identity and her own situated contexts for playing a game.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond gamification: reconceptualizing game-based learning in early childhood environments

Nolan

McBride

2013

Information, Communication & Society

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The recent promotion and adoption of digital game-based learning (DGBL) in K-12 education presents compelling opportunities as well as challenges for early childhood educators who seek to critically, equitably and holistically support the learning and play of today's so-called digital natives. However, with most DGBL initiatives focused on the increasingly standardized 'accountability' models found in K-12 educational institutions, the authors ask whose priorities, identities and notions of play this model reinforces or neglects. Drawing on the literatures of early childhood studies, game-based learning, and game studies, they seek to illuminate the informal contexts of play within the 'hidden' and 'null' curricula of DGBL that do not fit within the efficiency models of mainstream education in North America. In the absence of a common critical or theoretical foundation for DGBL, they propose a conceptual framework that challenges what they regard to be the institutionally nullified dimensions of autonomy, play, affinity and space that are essential to DGBL. They contend that these dimensions are ideally situated within the inclusive and play-based curriculum early childhood learning environments, and that the early years constitute a critically significant, yet overlooked, location for more holistic and inclusive thinking on DGBL.Keywords: DGBL; digital game-based learning; early childhood education; videogames; situated learning; hidden and null curriculum; critical pedagogy Introduction Children aged 3-10 represent the largest demographic of the virtual worlds and online games (Kzero, 2011) they themselves choose to engage with and identify as significant to them (de Castell & Jenson, 2004). The recognition that digital games are a critically important dimension of younger children's lives at home and in early years locations presents challenges as well as opportunities for early childhood education. Though there is a growing body of work on the use of technology in the early years, much of the research has focused on multimedia tools and popular culture as pathways to multimodal literacies with relatively little focus on digital games (Marsh, 2010;Marsh, Brooks, Hughes, Ritchie, & Roberts, 2005;Plowman, McPake, & Stephen, 2008;Plowman, Stephen, & McPake, 2010;Wolfe & Flewitt, 2010;Yelland, 2010). , Communication & Society, 2014 Vol. 17, No. 5, 594-608, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013 Though funding and access to resources are often cited as the primary barrier to technology adoption and integration in early learning contexts, the role of negative dispositions towards technology and digital games has not been fully considered as a contributing factor in the relatively slow pace of technology adoption in early childhood education. These negative dispositions towards technology may also reflect more than a century of dominant values informed by the naturalist and romantic beliefs about children, childhood and children's learning. For example, in their study of technology integration in a UK preschool,...

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Section: Dimensions Of Autonomymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dimensions Of Affinitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Beyond gamification: reconceptualizing game-based learning in early childhood environments

Nolan

McBride

2013

Information, Communication & Society

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“…Yet, despite the apps' growth and popularity among young children, limited studies have examined their effects on learning, raising an urgent need for further research in the field (eg, Kabali et al ., ). These studies explored the effects of mobile apps mainly on literacy development (eg, Ihmeideh, 2014), peer communication and engagement (eg, Miller, Robertson, Hudson, & Shimi, ), with mixed findings as to which applications and how should be used by young children. Understanding the impact of apps on learning and development is essential in multiple respects.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mobile games and science learning: A comparative study of 4 and 5 years old playing the game Angry Birds

Herodotou¹

2017

Brit J Educational Tech

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Christothea Herodotou is a Lecturer in Innovating Pedagogy at The Open University, UK. She is interested in the design and use of innovative technologies, in particular web-based technologies, digital games and mobile applications for learning and their relationship to human motivation and cognition. She is also particularly interested in how learning analytics can inform our understanding of the use of technologies and improve the learning experience. She has recently received funding from the British Educational Research Association (BERA) to examine the learning impact of mobile applications on young children under the BERA BJET Fellowship. Address for correspondence: Dr Christothea Herodotou, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK. Email: christothea.herodotou@open.ac.uk Abstract A popular activity among young children is the use of mobile devices and apps. Yet, the impact of mobile devices on learning and development is rather underexplored. The limited studies identified explore effects on literacy development and communication and report on mixed findings. A considerable gap is observed as to how the use of mobile apps relates to young children's understanding in diverse domains including science learning, and to extend, whether and how mobile apps should be used and how in early years' settings. The aim of this paper is to shed light on this area by examining the learning effects of touch screen mobile game applications, in particular the game Angry Birds, on two groups of preschoolers 4 and 5 years old respectively. Evidence from a comparative study with 32 participants reveal significant differences between the two groups in terms of game skills and their understanding of projectile motion. Implications for educational stakeholders, parents and app designers are discussed along with future research directions.

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A scoping review of research on play‐based pedagogies in kindergarten education

Pyle

DeLuca

Danniels

2017

Review of Education

103

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Across a number of countries, play‐based learning is the mandated pedagogy in early years’ curricula. However, a lack of consensus remains both in research and practice regarding the value and role of play in children's learning. This scoping review analyses 168 articles addressing play‐based learning for 4–5 year old children divided into three categories: research on play for developmental learning, research on play for academic learning and factors influencing play in kindergarten classrooms. Much of the research endorsed play as fulfilling an important role in early learning. However, two disparate perspectives concerning the role of play for developmental versus academic learning demonstrate different orientations towards the value and potential benefits of play. Research focused on developmental learning endorsed the use of free play and a passive teacher role, while research focused on academic learning endorsed teacher‐directed and mutually directed play where the teacher fulfills an active play role. A similar lack of consensus was found among research with educators regarding the role and benefits of play. These findings indicate a need to move away from a binary stance regarding play and towards an integration of perspectives and practices, with different types of play perceived as complementary rather than incompatible.

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Signature Pedagogy in Early Years Education: A Role for COTS Game-Based Learning

Cited by 20 publications

References 11 publications

Beyond gamification: reconceptualizing game-based learning in early childhood environments

Beyond gamification: reconceptualizing game-based learning in early childhood environments

Mobile games and science learning: A comparative study of 4 and 5 years old playing the game Angry Birds

A scoping review of research on play‐based pedagogies in kindergarten education

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