Ready, player one: Virtual learning is here to stay — and it’s leveling up how kids learn in the classroom.
Matthew Schmidt of the University of Georgia is working to enhance virtual learning tools across the state through his project, Gaming 4 Good. Designed to engage neurodivergent students, the initiative uses video game-based learning to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, or STEAM.
He believes this innovative approach could have a broader impact on education, especially as virtual learning continues to grow.
“After the pandemic, I became a very popular guy,” Schmidt told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “All of a sudden, people are having conversations about online learning and about tools that you never heard discussed outside of educational technology circles.”
An evolving new normal
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, virtual learning quickly became the new normal. Now, the UGA researcher sees it as more than a temporary fix — as it can be a powerful tool to support students, especially those with disabilities or learning challenges like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Schmidt leads the PIXL Lab at UGA, where his research focuses on understanding emerging technologies effectively and responsibly to support a diverse group of students.
“Teachers already know quite a bit,” he said. “Asking them to then take technology and figure out how to incorporate that, on top of what they already know about teaching, that’s a big ask. Oftentimes the focus seems to be more on getting the technology into the classrooms than supporting the use of technology to really promote good, meaningful, sticky learning.”
According to Schmidt, the pandemic highlighted a profound opportunity for Georgia’s education system to resolve “performance gaps” in virtual learning.
“That’s what we are trying to do, to really think about creating learning experiences as opposed to delivering content over a distance,” Schmidt said.
‘Gaming 4 Good’
One of Schmidt’s active projects is focused on improving the quality of life for students with disabilities and learning challenges.
Neurodivergent students can face challenges inside the classroom related to sensory overload, difficulties with executive function, communication and unwelcoming social environments. However, they can also utilize unique reasoning skills, greater focus and more energy for motivating tasks, according to Brown University’s Harriet W. Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.
One tool that can tap into these strengths while supporting engagement and well-being is video games.
“Video games also play a role there,” Schmidt explained, adding that digital game-based learning can be highly effective in the classroom — especially when kids create their own games — and it can open doors to future careers.
“Gaming 4 Good” tasked students with unlocking their problem-solving skills through an unusual piece of learning tech: the Nintendo Switch. It was simple enough to be approachable for middle-school students, yet complex enough to allow children to craft their own game experiences. Through it all, the kids learn data practices used in computational thinking.
“We were really impressed with the quality of games that you could develop in a very short amount of time using ‘Game Builder Garage,’” he said.
“Although these people may have some challenges in some areas of their life, they also have tremendous abilities that can help not only to set them up for rewarding careers but also contribute to society in meaningful ways.”
Reaching a larger audience
While the ongoing study has focused on middle school-aged neurodiverse students, Schmidt is looking to expand the project, as he believes his work could reach a larger audience of students as well. He hopes to partner with local schools, libraries and other community-led organizations in the future.
“We know that it doesn’t just work for middle schoolers,” he said. “There’s a broader swath of people who it can work for.”
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