Distributed Knowledge
December 17th, 2006 by trottahe
In Gee’s next to last chapter, The Social Mind, he talks about the social aspect of video games, especially those that are in the online genre. Each player acts as a node in a richly connected network comprised of people, tools, technology and companies. Information is distributed; existing in resources available to all player should they need help or advice. Players belong to groups and those groups make up online gaming communities and clans.
I find it interesting that these multi-player online games actually mimic real life engagement. As we grow more mature, we realize that we can’t possibly know everything and start to allow other people and tools to do some of our thinking for us. In contrast, Gee points out, students are often assessed on what they know in isolation of others, the tools and technologies. We want them to do something by themselves.
In today’s job market, we know that employers are looking for applicants that have the ability to work within a knowledge sharing team. It is not as important that new hires know facts; it is knowing where to find the information that is critical. I often shake my head as faculty stick to more traditional forms of assessment such as tests and quizzes. Most agree on the principles of collaborative learning yet shy away from group projects, stating they are difficult to grade.
Gee continues to explain how Jean Lave’s work in Communities of Practice is reflected in the videogame community. In such affinity groups, people identify with a practice instead of a set of fixed skills or occupation. They take on the norms, values and understandings of those more expert than themselves, combining new identifies with existing. How valuable would it be for students to identify with the habits of mind of a good researcher, scientist or nurse! Identification then becomes a strong learning device.
In closing, I believe that good learning is occurring in videogames and demand close study. They are powerful devices for developing identity and encouraging active learning and exploration. By studying these environments and understanding how they do what they do so well, we can make our classrooms more engaging while helping students become better prepared to succeed and contribute to our global society.
