Computer learning is no game, but might be

As technology increasingly infiltrates education, educators see many advantages while others worry that it may be a game, or an excuse for gaming at least.

One of those worried was Pottsgrove School Board member Bill Parker — who opposed the program that provided a district iPad or computer for all students when he ran for election last year and raised the gaming question at the Sept. 13 board meeting.

He said he and others were curious about whether the students can use the district-issued technology — which added more than $200,000 to the district’s technology budget — to download and play games.

Technology Director Michael Wagman assured him, however, that the district had foreseen that problem when it initiated the program and planned for it.

“They’re essentially locked out of the app store,” Wagman explained of the iPads issued to middle school and high school students during the 2014-2015 school year.

“And we gave a lot of thought to attempts to circumvent the restrictions,” Wagman said. “There have been a couple of attempts, none of them successful.”

After the meeting, Wagman told The Mercury “really, it’s a non-issue for us,” he said, explaining that the latest Apple operating system forces students to the district’s app store, where only approved programs and applications can be installed.

However, Wagman also warned against knee-jerk opposition to computer games.

“We don’t rule out gaming as an instruction tool,” said Wagman, noting that many of today’s parents learned lessons with games — just maybe not on a computer.

“We’re aware of concerns about the gamification of education, and it’s part of our conversation as we continue to discuss where we want this initiative to go,” said Wagman.

He pointed out that math games are a long-established way to teach mathematical principles.

Even games like the ubiquitous “Minecraft,” have some teaching value if put into the right context. “It includes decision-making, collaboration, simulation and consequences for poor decisions,” said Wagman. “Not unlike the old ‘Sim City’ game.”

Wagman said the district is aware of, and shares, parent concerns about children being on computers too long, and said the new Apple system allows parents to use settings that “dim the blue light in the background” of the screen in an effort to prevent students being kept awake at night by the light.

As for the computers themselves, the Pottsgrove administration gave a report on their impact to the school board during the last school year, but noted that not enough time had passed to give an accurate accounting of the impact.

It’s still early, but Wagman said a recent survey “did show an uptick in some measures. Understand, you will never hear me say that there is a direct one-to-one link between the use of computers and improved scores. There are simply too many factors at play.”

The primary benefit to having the computers in the students’ hands, said Wagman, “is it affords greater options and can lead to higher levels of student engagement.”

Currently, the district is focused on using the computers to focus on improving “communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity,” according to an update recently prepared by the district.

“The use of the technology tools to foster these habits consistently and at high levels remains our highest priority,” according to the report.

“We will administer the full assessment next spring to measure growth in this direction,” the report concluded. “Our goal is to reach exemplary practice in both schools.”