Technologies and Gaming | W10 Q2 | Discussion

Salomon and Perkins description of “with” technology suggests that technology allows the user to develop a “partnership,” freeing them to do more higher-order thinking. They support this claim with research to suggest students who uses digital literacies exceed essay-writing abilities then their peers who learned using traditional literacies. However, they assert that technologies make us smarter when they enhance complex cognitive functioning (as not all technologies might).

Gee argues that gaming is not only beneficial for enhancing learning through modeling and goal setting, but suggests that there is a social element that is equally beneficial. Further, they suggest the implications of gaming for “learning, problem solving, and mastery for engagement and pleasure,” allow gamers to experience various motivational outcomes and identitiy development. In their description “of technology,” Salomon and Perkins suggest that dependency of technology is not static as suggested that when users become more comfortable they can function while using adapted skills. The association between gaming and acquiring complex skills suggests a beneficial learning implication. This comes through in the implication of game design as influencing learning theories for future research.

Stevens et al. explains the impact of transfer from “the gaming world” to the “real world.” He suggests that there is an ability to learn from games in a unique way, that otherwise, would not allow for the same kind of transfer. His findings suggest an important linkage that can benefit from greater research.