Have you ever been so caught up in a project or activity that time flies by? I first knew that I wanted to be a video editor in Hollywood when I sat down at a computer to edit a yearbook video in high school. I love video editing - I can spend hours editing together a video late into the night without a need for breaks, or food, or distractions. We all know that my career as a video editor didn't pan out, but my passion for video editing (and graphic design) did lead me to pursue a M.A. in Educational Technology.
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi (try to say that name three times fast) describes the idea of being caught up in the moment as the concept of "
Flow." When you are in your "flow channel" you are at the perfect intersection of challenge and skills (e.g., you are challenged just enough, but still capable of completing the task). When you meet a task that is too challenging or you do not have the skills to complete a task, you face anxiety or boredom.
Video and computer games excel at providing tasks that keep people in the zone (or "flow channel"). If you have ever been sucked into a game (angry birds...anyone?), it's because the game has just the right level of challenge for your skills and as your skills progress, so does the level of difficulty of the game.
In class this week, we will be talking about the principles of game design. I wanted to introduce you to the idea of flow to get you thinking about how you can use game design principles to create more effective and engaging learning activities.
Finding the flow is definitely key! That right balance between challenge and skill, is difficult when you have a classroom full of different students, however, when it happens, it's a beautiful thing. My dad actually thought I should become a computer program because when I took a digital computing class back in 1999 and was learning Basic I was kind of obsessed, however I found it obsessed in kind of an unhealthy way! I had a crying breakdown in the middle of the 12 hour final that I had where I was not allowed to leave the building because I couldn't get my hotel program to run just right... Foreign language has been a happier path, but there is something oddly engaging about technology sometimes, I cannot deny it!
ReplyDeleteHi Torrey, this idea of the "flow channel" is really interesting. I think the lack of ability to find that flow is one of the biggest reasons students don't study, because, like you say, it really is groovy and fun when you do. Since every student is different and probably requires a different level of challenge, I wonder how we can design homework that will be flexible enough to meet the variation of students' needs. Of course, this is an age old question, but it seems especially important with regards to the flow. I also wonder how much it has to do with deadlines. I mean, if I have a deadline looming, I find it is much easier to get into the flow--you just bulldoze through and do the best you can. You don't get distracted because you can't get distracted!
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