Sunday, 8 March 2009

Cognitive Styles - Digital Game-Based Learning By Marc Prensky

Marc Prensky (Photo by Jim Allen)

Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff (here) has described how "pocket professors" (artificial intelligence & informational technologies) are likely to significantly change future world economic processes. He has partly arrived at this conclusion based on his experience with chess (Rogoff is a chess grandmaster) and the development and impact of chess computing.

There are now a generation of chess players who have grown up with computer chess and computer-based chess tuition as well as the myriad of other digital games now available. Certainly the computer chess age appears to have contributed to the increase in highly skilled younger chess players and grandmasters.

Has computer chess also changed cognitively our elite chess players?

Marc Prensky from the book From Digital Game-Based Learning (McGraw-Hill, 2001) [Amazon link] suggests that there have been 10 major cognitive style changes observed in the children, and hence future adults, of the "Games Generation". The implications of these cognitive style changes for education, training, chess, competitive sports and business are likely to be profound.

1. Twitch speed vs. conventional speed

2. Parallel processing vs. linear processing

3. Random access vs. step-by-step

4. Graphics first vs. text first

5. Connected vs. standalone

6. Active vs. passive

7. Play vs. work

8. Payoff vs. patience

9. Fantasy vs. reality

10. Technology-as-friend vs. technology-as-foe

Further detailed explanation of these cognitive style changes can be found - here.
Well worth a read.

Marc Prensky
From Digital Game-Based Learning
McGraw-Hill Inc.,US (1 Jan 2001)
ISBN-10: 0071363440
ISBN-13: 978-0071363440

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