How games can teach students 10 times faster, with more sweeping hand gestures
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In order to ensure mankind's future as the dominant super-race on this planet, we must activate our youth through education -- and video games.
Atari founder Nolan Bushnell has been testing education software for years and says he has created a method of teaching a full high school career in less than a year, using, in large part, cloud systems. "In cloud gaming you disconnect the system's administration from the computer to the cloud," Bushnell told GamesIndustry.biz. "It's going to be an important step for allowing technology into the classroom." Bushnell says his program teaches students 10 times faster than traditional methods, and his shortened high-school-span plan could be ready for implementation by the end of 2011.
Not to be outdone, the Kinect-based education-resource blog KinectEDucation advocates using Kinect to augment learning environments, and is currently holding its Kinect in Education Contest, challenging hackers to create Kinect apps for use in classrooms. Two $500 prizes will be awarded, one for the most innovative and adaptable classroom software, and one for the "best" in-class video showcasing a Kinect classroom experience. The contest runs now through November 30.
Reader Comments (24)
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 9:39PM Andrew12h said
I really hope they aren't taking cues for plumbing from Mario.
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 9:41PM Red Runner said
What can't Kinect do? Waiting for the "it cures cancer and world hunger" post.
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 9:50PM spin cycle said
Learning has nothing to do with hand gestures, or anything for that matter.
I strongly believe we can use computers to teach our kids a lot more effectively than we do right now. But this is true whether we use keyboards, d-pads or waving your hands. If anything, Kinect is the least suited of these three to a classroom since it requires the most space and two people jumping around on adjacent computers doesn't confuse a keyboard or d-pad, but Kinect will have a bit of a problem.
I strongly believe we can use computers to teach our kids a lot more effectively than we do right now. But this is true whether we use keyboards, d-pads or waving your hands. If anything, Kinect is the least suited of these three to a classroom since it requires the most space and two people jumping around on adjacent computers doesn't confuse a keyboard or d-pad, but Kinect will have a bit of a problem.
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 9:52PM Gooblechev said
10 times faster?
Snort! Good luck with retention.
Snort! Good luck with retention.
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 12:08AM MimosaVendetta said
@Gooblechev
Pick up a video game you haven't played in years. Do you remember how? Sure, maybe you have to start a new character/game/whatever, but it all comes back to you as you play. That can't be said as often about scholastic subjects.
I think the retention comes from being involved in what you're learning. There's a lot taught in schools that is just shown/told. The retention of that information...just isn't there!
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Pick up a video game you haven't played in years. Do you remember how? Sure, maybe you have to start a new character/game/whatever, but it all comes back to you as you play. That can't be said as often about scholastic subjects.
I think the retention comes from being involved in what you're learning. There's a lot taught in schools that is just shown/told. The retention of that information...just isn't there!
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 10:17PM pluupy said
Uh yeah I dunno. Most of them seem a bit too much hassle and some, (like the robotics one) MIGHT be good in a lab. It must be a very specific subject one must be studying for any of these to be used efficiently in education or...anything. For now, they're just 'nifty things'.
One thing I think actual instructors would use would be the presentation one. It certainly could use refining, but that's the best idea there that can be used legitimately in a learning environment.
One thing I think actual instructors would use would be the presentation one. It certainly could use refining, but that's the best idea there that can be used legitimately in a learning environment.
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 10:30PM Shadowbender said
How wonderful.
And it's so logical. Odds are, if you associate learning with a fun, MEMORABLE experience, then hey, they're going to REMEMBER it, because it was fun, and therefore, forever REMEMBERING the what was to be learned in the first place.
And it's so logical. Odds are, if you associate learning with a fun, MEMORABLE experience, then hey, they're going to REMEMBER it, because it was fun, and therefore, forever REMEMBERING the what was to be learned in the first place.
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 12:15AM Shadowbender said
@pluupy The day I became a man was the day I flipped my school desk over and broke my pencil off my teacher's throat and said enough is fargin' enough! That put them in their place.
...So yeah, I learned nothing.
But of course, I jest, as I'm a rather gentle fellow
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...So yeah, I learned nothing.
But of course, I jest, as I'm a rather gentle fellow
Posted: Sep 10th 2011 10:56PM JimmySkinny said
Am I the only one thinking that this video did nothing to show how it can educate faster than traditional schooling? I have to ask myself how much of this is about the finacial motivation of having a kinect in every classroom instead of educating our youth.
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 2:08AM isotrex said
LOL@Augmented Reality with Twitter.
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 3:41AM xiLeShadow said
Interesting. The problem that I see with the US educational system (Public) is that there too many regulations inplaced upon the classroom and how things "have to be" taught. People are different. We are raised differently, have different abilities, have different interests, have different things going through our lives. It is illogical to think that one system will work for everyone.
We need to have more choices in schools, to fit the different amout of learning styles that fit students.
I personally did pretty bad in High School because the system didn't work at all for me. I almost didn't graudate. Now I'm in my last year of college, have a 3.7 gpa, and will graduate with honors. College is more liberal, in the sense that there aren't as much regulations put on the classroom.
Just my thoughts...
We need to have more choices in schools, to fit the different amout of learning styles that fit students.
I personally did pretty bad in High School because the system didn't work at all for me. I almost didn't graudate. Now I'm in my last year of college, have a 3.7 gpa, and will graduate with honors. College is more liberal, in the sense that there aren't as much regulations put on the classroom.
Just my thoughts...
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 5:10AM Vagn Henning said
Why only ten times faster? When you've already lost connection with reality, why not allow yourself to dream REALLY big...? I'm sure as the system improves over time it will become so efficient that it can teach you whatever you want to know in NEGATIVE time: You will be fully taught before you even sign up! (Only advance payment accepted.)
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 5:19AM Faceless Troll said
Okay, but how well do they actually retain that knowledge in the long term?
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 10:29AM EliminatorZigma said
@Faceless Troll
Their memory is also cloud-shared. It's called "The Internet."
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Their memory is also cloud-shared. It's called "The Internet."
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 10:28AM EliminatorZigma said
And of course, this happens when I'm on my last year of highschool.
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 2:15PM johnnyeducation said
Thank you for the write-up. The idea of KinectEDucation is to promote active engagement with content. One of the best quotes I've ever read relating to the need for education reform was by John Medina in his "Brain Rules" book:
"If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom."
Kinect technology may be the catalyst that spurs additional reform. Time will tell; regardless, it's exciting to see schools embrace innovation.
"If you wanted to create an education environment that was directly opposed to what the brain was good at doing, you would probably design something like a classroom."
Kinect technology may be the catalyst that spurs additional reform. Time will tell; regardless, it's exciting to see schools embrace innovation.
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 5:38PM Fridgist said
Microsoft paying a pittance for the hard work of a whole community. I wonder how much they would be charging schools for the software?
Posted: Sep 11th 2011 11:33PM DVecc said
Well that now makes both of Microsoft's platforms able to play old school Nintendo games xD







