Initial thoughts and concerns regarding game based learning

I am actually quite excited to learn more about game
based learning. I think it is an important area to explore in terms of increasing student engagement and is a way to make learning more interesting. I have not been much of a “gamer” to date so I have a lot to learn in this area. My current gaming experience involves using the Wii and Second Life (if that is considered a game). I would LOVE to figure out a way to use the Wii technology to teach proper body positioning and thrust technique for chiropractic students. Past gaming experience is limited to PacMan- I’m quite challenged using keyboard commands for the online version. I don’t want to date myself but I also remember Pong!

I hope that through this course I can develop the skills to allow me to integrate games into my current online teaching. Our chiropractic students could benefit from simulating patient encounters and situations whether through a virtual world experience or through a game. The Aldrich textbook provided great examples of gaming in education and got me quite interested to explore further. It also gave me some ideas for potential projects. One of my major concerns that I have is the time that it is likely to take to create these games. I’m also concerned about my limited technical skills.

"About Me"

Welcome to my blog. As you can see, it is a continuation of a blog I started during my first term at Boise. This term it will serve two purposes- I will be posting as part of the requirements for the educational Games and Simulations course and I will also use it to model blogging for my students in the Nutrition Master's program at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, MN.

My background is diverse with previous degrees and careers in food service, dietetics, exercise physiology and chiropractic. I am a doctor of chiropractic and currently teach classroom, hybrid, and online courses at NWHSU. I live in a condo in downtown Minneapolis with my dachshund Sachey (short for Salchicha- Spanish for sausage). Several years ago I had never used email or PowerPoint. To learn more about teaching and technology I started with a certificate in Instructional Tchnology from the College of St. Scholastica and transferred to BSU for a more technology oriented program. Apparently I cannot get enough of this topic as I am planning on pursuing doctoral degree once I finish the MET next fall. I am currently a GA for Dr. Dawley and helped her to teach Online Course Design last term.

In a previous life (before school!) I was very active in the sport of rugby, first as a player and then as a team physician. This allowed me to travel extensively across the US and internationally to Canada, England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Australia. Now my travel is limited to professional conferences. Last year I was lucky enough to present in Beijing and Melbourne and supervised a clinical work experience for students in Costa Rica. As a side note, the Great Wall is truly one of the 7 Wonders of the World!

















Educational simulations for the medical and chiropractic professions are a special interest of mine. We are offering a clinical education experience in Second Life at NWHSU for the first time this term. Our students will use their avatars to conduct a patient interview with the avatar of a geriatric patient in Second Life. Below is screen shot of the virtual chiropractic clinic in Second Life.

To learn more about Second Life in Medical education check out this video created as a course project: http://www.youtube.comwatch?v=6RdwqK2di7M