Simulations and Games in Education Research Group

Simulations and Games in Education Research Group Ayşegül Bakar – abakar@metu.edu.tr Göknur Kaplan Akıllı – akilli@metu.edu.tr Computer Education and Instructional Technology Middle East Technical University E-Transformation in Learning Symposium, Sabancı University - April 21, 2005

Outline • About SimGE • Completed studies • Current studies • Further Studies Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

About SimGE • "Simulations and Games in Education (SimGE)" RG • is established in 2004 in METU • is actually a subgroup of a HCI RG in METU • has 10 members (just at the moment) • is coordinated by Kürşat Çağıltay Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Aims of SimGE RG SimGE aims to • conduct research on the use of simulations and games in education • pedagogical & cognitive issues of sims & games • social & technical issuesof sims & games • contribute to the literature • potentials & problems of sims & games • the effects of gaming on Turkish people Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

What have been done? • Historical development of games in Turkey - Erdal Yılmaz • Perceptions of prospective teachers toward the use of computer games - Gülfidan CAN • Students’ game play characteristics at a Turkish university - Pınar Onay Durdu • Factors that affect primary school students’ game preferences - Yavuz İnal • ID Model - Göknur Kaplan Akıllı Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Historical development of games in Turkey by Erdal Yılmaz • Games have entered to our homes in 1980s with • TV • Video • Atari • Gameboys • Personal computers • Commodore 64, • Sinclair ZX Spektrum • Amiga • computers compatible with IBM Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Perceptions of prospective teachers toward the use of computer games by Gülfidan CAN • 116 students from CEIT departments of four different universities • She found that playing computer games • is suitable for every age group • is not just for children • helps developing some useful knowledge and skills • help develop social skills when played with a group of people • requires too much engagement time • leads to addiction • not an important leasure time activity • waste of time Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Perceptions of prospective teachers toward the use of computer games, Gülfidan CAN Results (cont.): • Use of computer games as • teaching aid in courses (98%) • reward (78%) rather than • main instructional tool (60% disagreed) • 83%will use computer games with educational features in their courses in the future • 11% expressed that they will not use such games Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Students’ game play characteristics at a Turkish university by Pınar Onay Durdu • to determine the current situation among Turkish students • what the game preferences of Turkish students are • why they prefer to play games • what determines their game playand game preference • whether gender, mothly income or departments has any affect to game play and game preferences • 225 students taking “Introduction to Information Technologies and Applications” course • Questionnaire - Quantitative data analysis Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Students’ game play characteristics at a Turkish university, Pınar Onay Durdu Results: • 61 out of 225 participants played games • The average game playtime among the 61 game playing participants were 5,66 hours per week. . • the reason for not playing computer games, • first choice= being not interested as a reason, • second choice= waste of time, • third choice= having no time, • fourth and fifth choice =not knowing how to play. Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Students’ game play characteristics at a Turkish university, Pınar Onay Durdu Results (cont.): • The mean time/week for computer play≈ 5 hours • the more favorable game genres were • strategy, • racing, • quiz-trivia, • sports • action-adventure games • Adventure & discovery game themes were more favorable game themes • more students stated diversion for their game play Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Students’ game play characteristics at a Turkish university, Pınar Onay Durdu Results (cont.): • gender makes difference between game play & game preferences • owning a computer affects game play • game players read fewer hours/week than the others • the game players spent more time with their peers and family members in social activities than the others Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Primary school students’ habits of playing computers games and the factors that affect their game preferences – Yavuz İnal to investigate the attitudes of primary school students in Turkey toward playing computer games • 274 (Karabük) and 281 (Ödemiş) → compare and contrast • Gender differences in terms of game playing habits • Socio Economic Status • Social environments in which the school is placed and • Geographic factors Affect students’ attitudes and habits toward playing computer games Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

The FIDGE Model For Game-like Learning Environments, by Göknur KAPLAN AKILLI • the lack of available comprehensive design paradigms & well-designed research studies • “how to” incorporate games into learning environments • despite more than 30 years’ existence of computer games and simulations in the instructional design movement Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

The FIDGE Model For Game-like Learning Environments, by Göknur KAPLAN AKILLI • a formative research study is conducted and it was found that • phases of the IDD process should not be • separate, • strictly bounded, • processing a linear manner. • these results & the inspiration from fuzzy logic , FIDGE model is created Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

What is being done? • Using eye tracking data to analyze a video game learning experience - Serkan Alkan • What is happening in classrooms? - Ayşegül Bakar & Yavuz İnal • Cultural issues and Identification by Avatars, - Göknur Kaplan Akıllı & Yavuz İnal • ADDIE model game, - Memet Üçgül • FP-6 Proposal • A course for prospective teachers: Design, development & evaluation of educational software Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Using eye tracking data to analyze a video game learning experience - Serkan Alkan • to explore how novices learn video games • an eye tracking method was integrated with usability studies’ methods • 17 undergraduate university students • 10 minutes eye tracking recordings were kept while subjects playing a video game • Semi structured posttest for attitudes and reflections Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

What is happening in classrooms? Ayşegül Bakar & Yavuz İnal To investigate • The dynamics among group members • The opinions of prospective teachers about the games in terms of their possibility to be used in teaching/learning process • Individual reports • Demographics • Scenarios • Group interviews Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

What is happening in classrooms? Ayşegül Bakar & Yavuz İnal To investigate • Children’s behaviors when playing a game for the first time • Children’s preferences in terms of game playing • Demographics • Observations • Formal & informal interviews Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

International Researches:FP-6 Project • (coordinator)FH JOANNEUM GMBHDepartment of Information-Design • Middle East Technical UniversitySchool of Education, Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology • UK BusinessLab • DELFT University of Technology • Karl-Franzens-University GrazInstitute of Psychology / Educational Psychology • Amebis d.o.o.AMEB Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

New approaches Situated Learning Cooperative Learning Goal-Based Scenario, etc. ID Model FIDGE Desktop Virtual Reality Game-like Learning Environments Motivation theories A course for prospective teachers: Design, Development & Evaluation Of Educational Software Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

Conclusion • More meaningful learning in more effective learning environments Life is a game, so is learning… …and the GAME is ON!!!! http://www.simge.metu.edu.tr Simulations & Games in Education Research Group

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