Pokemon Go has
already had more than 100 million downloads since it was launched
last month.
Despite its
popularity, it has received significant negative media attention,
with reports of people falling off cliffs, crashing cars and
trespassing. The game has even been attacked for turning players
into anti-social zombies.
Yet there
could be more positive aspects to the phenomenon if we look past
its entertainment value and the moral panic some have attached to
it. For instance, how could we potentially harness this app, and
the technology associated with it, to support education?
Pokemon Go is
not the first augmented reality (AR) app, but it is by far the most
popular.
Unlike virtual
reality, which replaces or simulates reality, AR takes reality and
adds something to it. Bar codes, QR codes, Viewa - which allows
readers to watch videos related to magazine content by scanning the
page with their phones - and sound-recognition apps such as Shazam
are all examples of AR that have been embraced by society.
In education,
AR has already been employed to make otherwise difficult concepts,
such as the structure of DNA or the inner workings of the heart,
more accessible.
We know that
effective teaching is more than just a teacher in front of a
whiteboard disseminating information. Learning occurs through
problem-solving, inquiry and by working with teachers and peers in
a student-centred approach.
Experiential
learning pedagogy advocates involving all the senses in hands-on,
practical education, integrating aspects of more than one
discipline in the task and ensuring that learning incorporates
student interest as well as developing skills such as creativity,
communication and digital competence.
All these
factors help students see the relevance of their education and keep
them engaged and motivated. Apps like Pokemon Go could be used to
advance this agenda.
GAMING IN THE CLASSROOM
Game-based
learning is another way popular digital games can be harnessed to
teach 21st-century or enterprise skills in classrooms; even
decisions about in-app purchases address financial literacy.
Minecraft, for
example, is used in classrooms to teach concepts such as
deforestation, sustainability, communication, problem-solving and
teamwork.
Pokemon Go
makes game-based learning even more accessible as it harnesses
technology that the majority of people already have in their
pockets. It is a pedometer, GPS, data collection and journalling
tool, and requires maths skills to play. These features can be used
to link the game with learning and curriculum.
Some potential
curriculum links are:
â˘Photographing
both real insects and virtual Pokemon and then writing up Pokedex
entries for the insects that students have collected (science,
media studies, ICT, English, art)
â˘Designing
classification flowcharts for Pokemon as a lead-up to
classification of animals (science, English, maths)
â˘Assigning
students the job of PokeStop tour guide (Pokestops are often
positioned in front of historical locations), requiring them to
research and report on the history of the area (history, art,
English)
â˘Framing maths
problems around the data available for each Pokemon such as height,
weight and strength. For example: Asha's house is 600m from school.
The only time she plays Pokemon Go is as she walks to and from
school every day. How many days will it take her to hatch a 5km
egg?
Despite media
reports to the contrary, there are many positive outcomes for
Pokemon Go users. As a direct result of their involvement with the
game, they are exercising and often engaging with others,
discussing where to find rare Pokemon and coordinate lures.
While critics
show photos of groups of people each staring at their own devices,
anyone who has encountered a "Pokepatch" (a group of players
standing around a PokeStop) will know that a lot of communication
is taking place, with even "Pokedates" becoming a thing.
The general
capability priorities such as critical and creative thinking,
personal and social capability and, of course, information and
communications technology, could also be taught using Pokemon Go as
students manage their school and social lives, build relationships
with others, work effectively in teams and make responsible
decisions.
As this game
is not played from behind closed doors, it even encourages
conversations about personal safety. Discussions about the
intersection between reality and the virtual world and digital
etiquette are easy to imagine.
There are
already apps such as Blippar that allow people to use phones to
scan their environment. The app recognises objects (such as your
shoe, a phone, the Eiffel Tower) and instantly finds webpages that
can provide more information (such as where you can buy it, how it
works or its history).
Add that to
existing technology such as Google Glass and you can imagine a
world where students visit the zoo on a school excursion and have
been asked to research an animal of their choice for a class
presentation.
As a student
approaches the elephant enclosure, information about what she sees
appears before her eyes. She looks at some carrots and data about
how much food an elephant eats in a day appears. She turns her gaze
to the elephant's tusks, and a video about poaching plays. As she
pulls her focus out to see the whole elephant, an interactive
hologram of the animal floats before her eyes, allowing the student
to explore features such as the elephant's DNA or digestive
system.
Content
becomes immediate and relevant to students as they take charge of
their own learning.
Apps, games
and technologies such as Pokemon Go should be approached with an
open mind as they offer many potential avenues to employ an
engaging, student-centred approach to education.
â˘Amber McLeod is a lecturer in Education at Monash University.
Kelly Carabott is an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Education
at Monash University.
â˘This article first appeared in The Conversation (http://theconversation.com),
a website which carries analyses by academics and
researchers.
