TPCK

Case Study 1.5 "Edugaming" + TPCK Model

Context: Kyle Mawer, a EFL teacher based in Barcelona, embarked on a short "Edugaming" programme with a primary class of nine- to ten-year old students from B2 level.

Technology: He decided to use an online game called n° 5 from a company called "3 wish". The reason why he chose it was because the games were easily accessible online, they were free, the graphics were cartoonish and appealing and the content appropriate for his learners.

Pedagogy: When it came to choosing the type of activities this type of technology was useful for, Kyle decided to write a 'walkthrough' of the game, that is to say, a set of instructions (with screenshots) for completing a puzzle game. He also included a screen capture video of someone playing the game and then wrote the walkthrough, down-grading the English appropriately. What is more, he prepared a worksheet  for a pre-game task, identifying language elements within the walkthrough that he considered might pose difficulty for his children. In this task they had to match words and pictures.
He also gave each pair of students key comprehension questions to consider during the game and encourage play dictation.

Content Knowledge:  As regards the content being exploited through this activity we can say that this kind of games are good to involve students in problem-solving activities, to develop reading skills, to encourage learners to use oral language for a shared task, to practice grammar, to focus attention on descriptive language and prepositions of place.


I think this digital games-based learning is an excellent way to create language opportunities among kids! They have grown up with computers and gaming consoles and they feel much more comfortable learning in this atmosphere because it is something they are familiar with and enjoy doing! I will try to apply it with my youngest students!