Games, models and real-world complexity
October 24, 2010 in Pedagogy
Stephen Downes recently commented on a critique of the use of Powerpoint for presenting highly complex information. The original critique used the example of a model of the factors involved in the conflict in Afghanistan. Downes comments that:
The reason games change this equation is that you can actually model the relations between the entities.
I agree that games which model interacting factors can be a great way to provide an immersive experience for learning about a complex situation. However:
- The problem is not with the diagram but with how it is used. As a tool to ‘impart information’ it is way too complex to be understood by a passive audience. But the real value of such a diagram is to the understanding of those who develop it. Indeed, developing such a diagram could be seen as an essential step in developing a game or simulation*.
- I don’t believe most games which successfully engage players / learners are anything like as complex as the real-life situation which the diagram attempts to model. Games which don’t provide regular reinforcement for successful progress towards reaching the solution tend to lower the motivation of the learner. I suspect any game which modelled more than just a subset of the diagram would be unplayable by most learners.
- Games tend to lend themselves to simpler situations where decisions result in immediate consequences. Note that the game described in the original article seems to have a strong tactical focus where the diagram seems more concerned with strategic factors.
* Just as developing a PowerPoint resource is often of most value to the presenter as a way of organising their own thoughts in preparing for the presentation.
Recently I’ve been reading Norman Doidge’s fascinating book The Brain that Changes Itself. One of its key themes is the ability of the brain to repair itself, and to compensate for damaged areas. New to me was the idea that areas of the brain could ‘invade’ other areas which were not used – as when sensory stimulus is removed with loss of a limb, for example.