Chee is an Associate Professor in the Learning Sciences & Technologies Academic Group and the Learning Sciences Lab at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He obtained his BSc (Econ) Hons from the London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, and his PhD from the University of Queensland, Australia.
Chee currently conducts research on learning environments and the learning sciences, focusing especially on the use of distributed multimedia computer technologies in promoting learning and educational goals. Current research efforts focus on simulation-based virtual reality collaborative learning environments, 3D gaming for learning, and learning environments for the development of argumentation skills.
Chee is a member of the Cognitive Science Society, the Association for Computing Machinery, the Australian Computer Society, the American Educational Research Association, the International AI in Education Society, the International Society for the Learning Sciences, and the Jean Piaget Society. He has been an Executive Committee Member of the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education (APSCE) since 1994 and became President of the Society for a two-year term from January 2004.
Chee was an editorial board member of the International Journal of Educational Telecommunications (1995-2001). He is currently an Editorial Board Member of the International Journal of Web Based Communities. He is also the Executive Editor of APSCE's journal, Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning.
In his previous employment at the National University of Singapore, Prof Chee was with the School of Computing where he taught course modules related to Cognitive Science, Human-Computer Interaction, and the Design of Learning Technologies. He also headed research efforts in the Learning Environments & Learning Science Lab. In addition, Prof Chee held the positions of Associate Director, Centre for the Development of Teaching and Learning (February 1999-December 2002) and Deputy Director, Centre for Instructional Technology (February 1999-May 2000).
Abstract
Embodiment, Embeddedness, and Experience: Foundations of Game Play for Identity Construction
Yam San Chee
National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616
[email protected]
There is considerable interest today in the use of computer games for student learning. Researchers, as well as educators, recognize that games can engage students in sustained and focused mental activity for extended periods of time. Indeed, game playing often occurs at the expense of more traditional forms of learning and schoolwork. Should we bemoan this fact, or should we seize the opportunity to harness gaming technology for teaching and learning? Does learning by game playing necessarily contradict what education is all about? For those persuaded about the value of learning by game playing, how can the design and use of computer games be introduced into classroom learning that is carried out in the broader context of school-based practices?
In this keynote address, I explore the dimensions of embodiment, embeddedness, and experience in learning by game playing. I argue that these are productive and powerful elements that can help students establish a sense of being, develop agency and self-directedness in their learning experience, and, ultimately, construct a personal identity. I shall also examine the construct of identityin education and address its importance in the light of New Literacies. The foregoing ideas will be presented in the context of ongoing research into learning by game playing at the Learning Sciences Lab of the National Institute of Education, Singapore. The broader goal of this research endeavor is to investigate and design ways in which game playing might be introduced and used in classroom teaching and learning such that the innovation is pedagogically sound and sustainable.
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