Game-based Learning for Malaysia: July 2012

Saturday, 21 July 2012

Let our children benefit from the advancement of e-learning and game-based learning

(Adapted and translated from my article published by Sin Chew Daily on 23 July 2012)

The Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE) might amend the Ordinance to allow students to bring computers and mobile phones to school. To scholars who actively promote e-learning as well as game-based teaching and learning, this is a positive matter, because this would provide a platform for academics who engage in research related to technology-enabled learning to practice the outcome of their studies. When tablet PCs, laptops and smart phones are appropriately used in schools, they can be powerful tools for students to gain instant information and interactive media that will facilitate autonomous remedial and discovery learning activities. To teachers who are capable of using the electronic devices to promote efficient and effective teaching, teaching would become relaxed and fun. There are voluminous empirical research findings that illustrate the use of e-learning and other technology-enabled teaching and learning strategy in schools. Unfortunately, due to the absence of proper channels to obtain such evidence, the general public could only see the disadvantages instead of potentials of the use of these electronic devices.

In recent years, it would be fairly common to see lecturers and professions in tertiary institutions at home and abroad who can make good use of the blog, Twitter, Youtube video, Facebook and other online social media in conducting their classes. Under the promotion of paperless teaching and learning, college and university students can set up study groups of various subject matters, and submit their assignment to tutors or lecturers through Facebook; while the lecturers could provide learning feedback through such study groups anywhere anytime. In addition, the electronic game-based teaching initiative advocated by the Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI), is showing positive progress, so that future teachers who are undergoing teacher training programmes would know how to make the best use of electronic technology, thereby allowing a new generation of students to achieve learning outcomes efficiently. Nineteen primary and secondary schools which are adopted by UPSI will be invited to participate in a series of game-based learning activities. Once the reaction and effect of the initiative are proven positive via scientific validation, the programme will be rolled out to the whole country.

The Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) is actively promoting student-centered learning (SCL) among public institutions of higher education (IPTAs) to enable students to plan their own learning progress: they choose the courses they intend to take each semester, and decide their learning methodology, which include the use of electronic technology. This, to some extent, guides the students to be responsible for their own decisions, leading to become Malaysian with the sense of responsibility. As a prelude to entering university, the MOE has began to promote SCL in primary and secondary schools, and the amendment of the relevant regulations is just an initiative set to achieve this goal.

Teachers who have negative attitude towards this proposed amendment of Ordinance might be those who have not grasped the knowledge, skills and attitudes of electronic teaching and learning. The Educational Technology Department of MOE is planning and preparing in-service teacher training courses on e-learning and GBL now. Of course, since the strategic plan would have significant impact upon the national educational policies, guidelines and expenses, it would not be appropriate to announce the plan to the public before its completion.

Malaysian parents might not be familiar with the use of electronic technology in teaching, which lead to the nonacceptance of allowing the electronic devices to entre schools. In fact, parents can try to think from a positive perspective, and take advantage of the modification of this Ordinance, making the teaching methods in our primary and secondary schools keep abreast with the advancement of electronic technology. For example, parents may use some of the existing parenting and homeschooling apps to monitor their children's academic performance and school activities. This would promote a new generation of parent-child relationship, and the establishment of a harmonious family that is based on the use of electronic technology.

Technological products per se are not good or bad; the good or bad is determined by how people use them. What the parents and teachers who are well-verse in using electronic technologies should pursue is 'how to form favorable learning situations for children', rather than demanding the children to give up technology. Situations that is beneficial to children's learning are not formed by constraining children's learning methods; instead the situations are formed through the creation of a conducive momentum for learning, and active facilitation of autonomous learning.

Thursday, 19 July 2012

Money matters

I found the info on the salary in Singapore (see Salary.sg), and I pick some game production related jobs to share with my students here (in SGD):

1. Managing director/ Chief executive officer – $29,102 [This is what I want my students to earn to be my boss]

7. Chief operating officer/ General manager – $15,005 [including those in game studios?]

10. Creative director (advertising) – $14,750

11. University lecturer – $14,000 [minimum qualification is PhD, this is what I probably will get]

13. Software and applications manager – $12,280 [digital games are software in a broader sense!]

26. Marketing and sales representative (ICT) – $9,396 [those who sell games]

34. Customer service manager – $8,462 [Online game customer service manager??]

37. Sales and marketing manager – $8,125

38. Management and business consultant – $7,982

39. Quality assurance manager – $7,848

45. Information technology project manager – $7,570

51. Education manager – $6,998

52. Producer (stage, film, television, computer games, video and radio) – $6,970

74. Software, web and multimedia developer – $6,065

76. Artistic director (stage, film, television and radio) – $5,834

99. Information technology testing/ quality assurance specialist – $4,800

For us Malaysian designers to beat these figures, we need to have global mindset. Our clients should no longer be limited to Malaysian. US, China, Japan, Korea and Middle East countries could be our main source of clients. Once the idea of glocalisation becomes a reality, getting salary higher salary than those working in Singapore is no a problem. When this happens, our brothers and sisters who are working in Singapore will return to us--after all, money really matters.

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

How to avoid being addicted by game playing in the game design career

I knew this will happen:

My students who study game design and development misused my saying "I am not playing game, I am doing research".

I think to achieve the status like me: getting paid for playing games, you need to discipline yourself and be professional in game playing. Before starting to play a game, you should set your mind whether you are playing the game for fun, for study (game design), for research (for review) or for other purposes. Once you have your mind set, you should decide up front how much time you should spend on playing this particular game. Then promise to yourself that you will abide the preset time limit, and begin playing according to the limit.

So, it is YOU who decide when you want to study a game, design a game, or even get addicted in a game. And this will lead you to being a professional game designer!

List of my students' blog

Herewith the list of blogs created by my students in Game Design Principle course:

1. Nor A'lia http://sayangaliasam.blogspot.com/

2. Eyma http://isseyma.blogspot.com/

3. Dila http://nuradilasakirani.blogspot.com/

4. Rabiatul Adawiyah Bt Muhammad http://naqiadda.blogspot.com/

5. Nur Syazwani http://wanielovepancake.blogspot.com/

6. Nurul Hazirah http://playgroundforothers.blogspot.com/

7. Norul Husna http://husnahanna.blogspot.com/

8. Nor Amira http://mieyra-ramani.blogspot.com/

9. Deyn http://iamainzuddin.blogspot.com/

10. Syahmi http://syahmi93aiman.blogspot.com/

11. Mohd Firdaus http://mohd-firdauz.blogspot.com/

12. Haidar http://hdrgamerz.blogspot.com/

13. Hanisah http://akubudakgames.blogspot.com/

14. Siti Nur Hanim http://abcgamerz.blogspot.com/

15. Muhammad Arifin http://itsmearifin.blogspot.com/

16. Norhayati http://sesucilavender.blogspot.com/

17. Nor Hazuraine http://aboutfavouritegame.blogspot.com/

18. Ainun Madhiah http://mirmozebangbangboom.blogspot.com/

19. Carolina http://carolina93-carolina.blogspot.com/

20. Mail http://regersugah0507gmail.blogspot.com/-DINA

21. Muhamad Zawawi http://senyumsayamanis.blogspot.com/

to be continue...

Monday, 16 July 2012

Guide for Teacher-less GBL practices

I am developing a guide for student-centred game-based learning (GBL) practice.

	Teacher-less explicit learning	Teacher-less implicit learning
Pre-game playing (off-game)	A meta-game or a paratext is needed to substitute the role of human teacher, either through a non-player character (NPC) like Professor Owl, or an omniscient / omnipotent invisible mentor. The NPC and mentor should inform players the intended learning outcomes (LOs) and the targeted badges in an upcoming game playing session. Players are aware of the LOs but do not know what, when, where and how the content or features link to a particular LO presented to or encountered by them.	Players are aware that they are going to play a game but they do not know whether the game is related to their formal learning or not.
During game playing (in-game and off-game)	Players are aware that they are both players and learners in the game playing session. The NPC could be an in-game or off-game facilitator or coach who supports learners’ in-game performance. Players would realize their attainment of LOs through instant in-game feedback.	Players are not aware that they ought to be learners in the game playing session. No presence of teachers, neither in-game or off-game. Players would not regard in-game achievement and feedback given as attainment of any form of formal learning.
Post-game playing (off-game)	The NPC holds a debriefing discussion for players to review their playing and learning experience. The debriefing session should guide players in analyzing and interpreting their in-game performance. Players should be able to relate specific content or feature of the game to particular LO after the debriefing. The NPC provides guidance for enhancement and remedial measures of learning.	Players are guided by the in-game debriefing session to analyze and interpret their in-game performance. The debriefing mechanism provides guidance for enhancement and remedial measures of playing. The debriefing mechanism informs players how specific achievement in game playing can be transferred to formal learning or other games.

I received requests for advice and consultation on GBL matters from time to time. Thus I think it might be sensible to provide some info about this here. If you are interested to know more about how GBL could be practiced in your institution, you may get in touch with me in person at whtan@fskik.upsi.edu.my. For non-profit organisations, I may offer pro-bono consultation service (as a form of community service as a Malaysian civil servant); whereas other entities may approach my employer, Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) for the rate of consultation fee. Proposal for collaboration (in a group) or cooperation (in a team) from both academic researchers and commercial researchers are welcome, but subject to the approval of UPSI.

My aim is simple: I wish all teachers can teach happily and all learners can learn happily--and game-based learning is the way to be!

Sunday, 15 July 2012

Game-based teaching: A teacher-led approach for using games in classroom

In recent years, when colleagues from other departments or institutions knew that I am doing R&D in games and game-based learning, they ask for guidance on how they can use games in their teaching. With reference to Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction, I proposed the following steps for using games in classroom teaching:

Events of Instruction	How games can be used
a. Gain attention	Pre-game playing briefing. Teachers can do either one or a combination of the following activities to gain learners’ attention: The history about the game to be played The story of the game to be played (if the game has narrative element) The reason behind game-based learning practice or the use of games in the particular lesson (suitable for older children) Introduce the avatars or game characters in the game world (if any) Inform learners the game goal and objectives of particular levels or stages, i.e. what the hero / heroine intends to accomplish at the end of the game Assign specific roles to students and brief them their responsibilities of bearing those roles. (for RPGs) Inform learners the rules teacher set for the specific playing session, probably should highlight the reward (for being obedient) and punishment (for breaking rules).
b. Inform learners of objectives	Depending on teacher’s lesson plan—either to practice implicit or explicit learning (see Tan, Neill & Johnston-Wilder, 2012), teacher may or may not inform learners of the learning objectives (not to be confused by the in-game character’s or avatar’s objectives). If teachers chose to inform learners of objectives, they should elaborate how the game playing experience is related to the attainment of learning objectives. If teachers chose not to inform learners of objectives, they should inform learners that both success and failure in game playing are parts of the learning process, and promise to debrief at the end of the game playing session (before the end of the lesson).
c. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge	If the game is related to knowledge which learners supposed to have constructed in previous lesson(s), teachers should brief learners on how prior knowledge could be applied in winning the game. Or at least, conduct a verbal quiz to stimulate recall of the knowledge, and then explain what kind or which portion of the prior knowledge is related to the game to be played.
d. Present the content	In game-based learning practice, this means letting the learners to become players and start playing. Ideally, teachers should be allowed to play the game in advanced, in order to estimate the possible length of completing a specific game. However, if this is not possible or preferable, the teachers may refer to game developers of the game in advanced, acquiring the normal range of time needed to complete the game.
e. Provide learning guidance	If there were learners who managed to complete the game earlier than the normal range, then teachers may appoint them to act as peer-coaches. Peer-coaches are encouraged to assist their peers—with teacher’s moderation—to complete the end. In the case where no players were managed to complete the game within the normal time range, teachers should provide hints, tips or options of possible solutions to players. If none of the players were capable to complete the game at the supposed pre-planned game debriefing, teachers should demonstrate how the game can be completed, or at least inform the solution to all in-game challenges. It is important to relate how the solutions are linked to learning objectives and game goal / objectives. In the case of open-ended games (e.g. simulation games), the length of the play session should be set in advanced, and then informing the players, probably during the pre-game briefing.
f. Elicit performance (practice)	In most games, the performance elicitation will be done behind the scene through the tracking system. Individual learner’s performance will be recording in the game database (in the form of matrices). Teachers can monitor individual learner’s performance by referring to the metrices.
g. Provide feedback	In-game immediate feedbacks are automated to avoid interference of game flow. Off-game immediate feedback might be provided either by peer-coaches or teacher who physically watch specific learner’s play. The feedback should be constructive and positive, which may scaffold the learner’s completion of the game.
h. Access performance	Teachers can view the overall performance of individual learners at the end of each game session, i.e. through the matrices. A debriefing session should be organized to show how the overall game score, badges, etc are related to the attainment of learning objectives. The debriefing can also be student-led, in which students are given opportunities to discuss among their peers, and then present the output of the discussion (see Tan, Johnston-Wilder & Neill, 2010).
i. Enhance retention and transfer to the job	Learners should be encouraged to blog, chat, video or post their in-game actions in social media websites. Teachers who are interested to game surround can also write a blog post or two, and have it shared with the learners.

Wednesday, 4 July 2012

AURA 2012 for Diploma in Game Design & Development Programme

Two weeks ago, I was entrusted by colleagues in Creative Multimedia Department to chair the organising committee of AURA (Akademik Unggul Raih Anugerah) 2012 for students of Dip in Game Design & Development programme. We had a meeting last Tuesday to plan and distribute tasks to each committee member.

Today, we ran the programme and herewith my quick reflection:

A banner had been designed for the event, but since it contains intellectual property of Nintendo Co., a request for using the IP in the banner was made by sending an email to Nintendo US. Disappointingly, herewith the reply received from Nintendo:

Thanks for writing. I appreciate your interest in Nintendo and all our video game products for your talk session. To us, it represents a great sign of success and recognition of the Nintendo brand.
We are grateful for all the requests we receive for permission to use Nintendo properties; however, we receive thousands of requests and do not have adequate staffing to review them all. Therefore, our general policy is to decline all such requests, no exceptions. I realize this isn’t what you wanted to hear and thank you for understanding.
Although we are unable to grant permission, use of Nintendo properties without our formal permission may still be allowed depending on the circumstances. You are encouraged to seek your own legal counsel if you have any questions about whether your particular proposed use is permitted without Nintendo's authorization. This is not a comment on whether we believe your particular proposed use is permissible—Nintendo cannot provide legal advice.

So the first lesson learnt, we won't be given formal permission to use IPs that belong to established game publishers. Eventually, we could only circulate the banner within UPSI. Nonetheless, the attendance of academics from other faculties showed that the banner actually attracted people to join the talk, so it served its function well anyway.

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Lunch were actually not allowed to be served in AURA 2012. However, donation and offerings made by lecturers of Creative Multimedia Department had turned impossible into possible--where there's a will, there's a way.
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Students were really supportive and enjoying the AURA. I personally felt this before the event when my students from Game Design Principles course eagerly submitted their puzzles to me--wishing to make participants entertained. The MCs, the facilitator of PNGS calculation and the volunteered performers had charmed the event. Other helpers, particularly those who handled food and drinks during tea breaks and lunch time had done an excellent job. Bravo!

So I strongly believe that the students are ready to take over my role as the chair of organising committee in the next AURA.

“Fancy yourself as a Sudoku whizz? Can you complete the tasks faster than all your friends? Well, now comes the ultimate test - the world's most difficult puzzle.” Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ (Designed by Arto Inkala)

You may check the answer here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/9360022/Worlds-hardest-sudoku-the-answer.html

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