Do you need a Wii?
Richard Hirstwood

Shock, horror! Computer games make it into schools for the purpose of education! The very term ‘game’ seems to bar this type of computer technology being used in the educational field. But in today’s world computer games outsell DVD films. There are classic computer games, just as there are classic films. (‘Space Invaders’ has almost achieved that accolade.) In 20 years’ time, we may well be talking about the ‘Sports Pack’ on the Wii or the ‘Super Mario Cart’ for the DS Lite as classics.

Take it from me, there is a new generation of teachers and assistants in our schools who will do just that – not a bunch of computer geeks either, but real people who live next door or around the corner. There are millions of game players worldwide, some regular and some not, who use game platforms like the Sony Playstation, the Xbox and the Nintendo Wii for recreation, just like watching films or going out for a walk. (They probably do those things as well!) We only hear about the geeks in the queue to get the latest game platform on its first day of release and, granted, game platforms are not a big topic of conversation in the staffroom. But that’s just because, for some people, gaming is such a normal activity that it would be like going into the staffroom and telling people what a wonderful walk you had with your dog last night. Technology behind computer gaming, which started in the 70s, is developing exponentially. Equipment that five years ago was restricted to university virtual reality labs costing hundreds of thousands of pounds is now mainstream. Now Nintendo have come up with an entirely new concept in gaming and launched Wii. Despite a name that conjures up thoughts of... well, let's not get into that... Wii has suddenly made gaming both kinesthetic and social. Then comes the killer blow – it's cheap.
Nintendo Wii is a wonderful idea and a solution to many problems. It comes with a ‘Sports Pack’ which allows you to play a selection of games, including tenpin bowling, tennis and even boxing, with your family and friends. For the first time, I am meeting lots of older people – like myself – who think a new computer game is just great. It’s also a wonderful tool for bridging the age and education gap between the tech-haves and tech-have nots.
Wii is easy to play. You simply stand with your controller strapped firmly to your hand and bowl away, or whack that tennis ball to an opponent, who, because it’s a computer game, is standing right next to you. It’s not about sitting down pressing buttons. It’s about getting stuck in! I am sure the people across the road from our house wondered what on earth my wife and I where doing the first night we got the Wii. We had no lounge curtains at the time so were in full view of the street – with a bottle of Rioja on the table, late on a Saturday night, while we ran round the lounge shouting ‘STRIKE!’, trying not to wake the kids and bowling imaginary balls at the screen. Watching your neighbours play few games of tennis on the Wii, when you don’t know what’s going on, would look equally hilarious.
We assumed that everybody on the street would think we were totally mad. But when we met the people across the road, who are about our age, a few days later they simply said ‘We see you got one of those Nintendo Wii's, then. We're trying to get hold of one too.’ So, has gaming reached the masses? I’d say ‘Yes’, because this is a new type of gaming that requires some social skills. Your stereotypical geeks tend not to have good social skills or be good intrapersonal learners as the educationalists put it. Wii involves real movement and real co-ordination and it is also ‘competitive’ a word which seems to have lost favour at our primary schools sports days. It’s fun but there are victorious winners and unfortunate losers. Welcome to the real world of sports.
We all know that sport has great benefits and I am not for one moment saying that we should replace our sports or exercise sessions with a computer game. It’s just another way of doing it. Many sports, even sports like darts, have wonderful curriculum benefits. After all, if I had played darts at school I would have probably been really good at subtraction. But I didn’t and I’m not.

So, Wii is great for developing communication, social and curriculum skills but it is a tool which will need to be managed. Letting a bunch of kids run riot on the Wii may offer some benefits but not many. A little thought about what’s going on in the game and which skills beyond the kinesthetic are required can honestly make for a great fun numeracy or literacy lesson. I seriously believe that this is a tool which kids and grown-ups can enjoy equally and a great opportunity to make this learning thing fun for those who need a little kick of excitement to help them learn.
And Wii has a big secret, which will please those of you having problems differentiating your football match to make it inclusive, rather than favouring the stronger and more agile students. With the Wii console you don't actually have to run round the front room like a mad thing to return a tennis ball. A little flick of the wrist can send it hurtling down the court. It's more about technique than power.
Whilst it can be fun lunging to return a serve, with Wii you don't need to do it and, for some students, this is a revelation. For example, take my recent class at a secondary school for children with moderate learning difficulties, a sensory studio, a big screen and a Wii. The students came into the sensory studio for their games lesson. We decided to bowl and many students had a go with great success. There were students who didn’t want to join in initially, but because it was a big screen and a Wii they just had to have a go. Then there was the student in a wheelchair with very limited arm movement. Could he also play? Yes, but I have to admit it was nerve-racking trying to teach him the technique. I wanted him to succeed as much as he did. But after about five tries he got the hang of it and was bowling the ball just as fast as the hyperactive kids.

©2008 Richard Hirstwood
richardhirstwood@gmail.com