The Use of Gaming Technology to Enhance Learning in a Traditional College Class Setting

By Wanda C. Parsons-Reygaert and Joann Logue-O’Malley.

Published by The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society

Format	Price
Article: Print	$US10.00
Article: Electronic	$US5.00

Over the past 40 years or so there have been a large variety of technologies developed as a possible means of revolutionizing the educational process. The reason that more of them have not come into widespread usage is that they couldn’t seem to replace traditional education methods for actual learning quality. But each of these newer methods can and are being used in the educational arena; not to replace the traditional methods, but as enhancers to the traditional. The bottom line is that they have improved the educational process by giving instructors and students more resources for potential use in learning. There probably is not a single subject area in education that cannot benefit from the use of at least one of these innovations. In this paper we describe the usage of one type of modern technology, gaming, in a traditional setting, a college level Microbiology Lab class. Two different games were used in this class as a method of reviewing for tests. The students from two of these Lab sections were surveyed as to their experience with these gaming methods, with the results indicating that the students were extremely positive about using the gaming, and felt that the gaming led to increased readiness for the tests.

Keywords:	Gaming, Gaming Technology, Learning Enhancement, Tradtional Classroom

The International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, Volume 4, Issue 5, pp.119-124. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 567.781KB).

Dr. Wanda C. Parsons-Reygaert

Assistant Professor, School of Health Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

I teach Clinical Sciences at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. I have a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a lifelong enjoyment of technology. I am always thinking of ways to utilize technology in my classes. I now use technology like Power Point presentations for most lectures; which include innovative ways to help the students make their note-taking more productive. Currently my focus is on improving the way our students learn in traditional laboratory classes, by utilizing different types of technology applications. I hope to discover the interface where technology and traditional learning meet that provides the optimal learning experience for college students.

Joann Logue-O’Malley

Laboratory Information Technology, William Beaumont Hospitals, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA

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