What I Learned from Gaming

I would like to start off my saying I am not a gamer...or should I say was not a gamer.  That all changed two weeks ago.  For an assignment, I was asked to play Kingdom Rush and analyze how it compares to the process of learning, especially for students.  At first I was a little unsure of the assignment, but I kept an open-mind during the process.  The results surprised me. 

First, I was surprised at the overall learning experience of the game.  In Kingdom Rush, you build towers and place knights/wizards along the road to kill the "bad guys" so they cannot pass.  As with any learning experience, you have a phase of frustration.  I was SOOO frustrated at time, especially when it took multiple times to pass a level.  However, I used my failures as a learning opportunity to prepare me for the next battle.  This directly correlates with classroom experiences.  Students get frustrated when they don't understand material, but its using those mistakes to better prepare you for your future learning experiences.     

Another surprise I had was experiencing flow, which is the state of mind when you loose track of time because you are so involved and engaged with the task at hand.  One night I started playing Kingdom Rush with the intent of stopping about 45 minutes later.  However, when I looked at my clock, almost two hours had passed.  Relating this to students, if they can reach "flow" in their studies, they will be so engaged they don't even realize it.  Through this gaming assignment, I am going to look deeper into educational games, like Minecraft Edu, and possibly implement it second semester.  

Successfully completing each level took problem solving and critical thinking.  Each level was progressively more challenging and it required me to think strategically.  When I did not successfully pass a level, I had to determine what was wrong with my knight and tower placements and if I needed a different combination of each.            

At the time of this posting, I am on level 15.

Finally, I was generally excited and encouraged to continue on the quest when I passed a level.  After I passed a level, I wanted to continue leveling up.  This is another reason I want to investigate gaming in education.  Wouldn't it be amazing if students wanted to "level up" in the classroom?!

Kingdom Rush has been an extremely fun and addicting game to play.  When I was first given the assignment, I intended to complete only the minimum hours required.  However, I completed those hours in the first day and have continued to play in my spare time.

Are you gaming in your classroom?  If so, what are you using?  Has it been effective?