11.127x Unit 2 is now live! This week we’ll think about how games can mean something. How can a game convey a concept? How do players learn from games? You’ll hear about characteristics and qualities of games and recognize some of the ways games are special. For this unit, you will create a pitch for your learning game and of course, provide feedback on other pitches.
The pitch is a very important assignment. You will be sharing your thoughts regarding the learning game you’ll be developing over the rest of the course. Just like in Unit 1, you’ll post in the forum for the assignment. However, we’d also like you to consider engaging with your working group (survey-based) and/or affinity group for the purpose of providing and receiving additional feedback. Don’t worry if you haven’t been active with a group yet; now is a great time to get involved! Complete the working group survey or check out the affinity groups.
Thank you for participating in the live Reddit event. Eric appreciated your thoughtful questions. The archive of the event is still available, and if you search for "profklopfer" you can easily find his responses. Our next live event will happen on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 2:30 PM UTC. Course staff will critique selected prototypes.
http://youtu.be/4gQX6eEom6w
Welcome to Unit 2!
A digital game is often much more than just a game. In Unit 2, we’re going to attempt to outline how and why.
- Lenses: Dr. Ian Bogost introduces the concept of procedural rhetoric and Prof. Eric Zimmerman talks about games and instrumentality. These are both perspectives that will help you consider the meaning of games in new ways.
- Unexpected Lessons: Prof. Kurt Squire explains to Prof. Eric Klopfer how players can sometimes learn unexpected, unplanned things from games, even from games designed for entertainment. He considers how this impacts game design and implementation.
- Frameworks for Educational Games: Scot Osterweil and Eric present frameworks that they find to be valuable when thinking about educational games.
- Learning in a Gaming Environment: Prof. Constance Steinkuehler discusses how massively multiplayer online game (MMO) players learn in and around the gamespace. Joel Levin describes ways players learn in the game Minecraft and also how the game has inspired interesting projects in the educational sphere.
We will be reading excerpts of Quest to Learn: Developing the School for Digital Kids by Katie Salen, et al. and those who wish to dive deeper can read Ian Bogost’s “The Rhetoric of Video Games."
Presentations : Dr. Ian Bogost (a 2011 ScriptaLab taped event originally presented February 17, 2011), Prof. Eric Zimmerman (taped at the Sandbox Summit in 2012) - Note: This content was not produced by edX, The Education Arcade, or Scheller Teacher Education Program.
Appearances by: Kurt Squire, Scot Osterweil, Constance Steinkuehler, Joel Levin
Welcome to Unit 2! A digital game is often much more than just a game. In Unit 2, we’re going to attempt to outline how and why. Lenses: Dr. Ian Bogost introduces the concept of procedural rhetoric and Prof. Eric Zimmerman talks about games and instrumentality. These are both perspectives that will help you consider the meaning of games in new ways. Unexpected Lessons: Prof. Kurt Squire explains to Prof. Eric Klopfer how players can sometimes learn unexpected, unplanned things from games, even from games designed for entertainment. He considers how this impacts game design and implementation. Frameworks for Educational Games: Scot Osterweil and Eric present frameworks that they find to be valuable when thinking about educational games. Learning in a Gaming Environment: Prof. Constance Steinkuehler discusses how massively multiplayer online game (MMO) players learn in and around the gamespace. Joel Levin describes ways players learn in the game Minecraft and also how the game has inspired interesting projects in the educational sphere. We will be reading excerpts of Quest to Learn: Developing the School for Digital Kids by Katie Salen, et al. and those who wish to dive deeper can read Ian Bogost’s “The Rhetoric of Video Games." Presentations : Dr. Ian Bogost (a 2011 ScriptaLab taped event originally presented February 17, 2011), Prof. Eric Zimmerman (taped at the Sandbox Summit in 2012) - Note: This content was not produced by edX, The Education Arcade, or Scheller Teacher Education Program. Appearances by: Kurt Squire, Scot Osterweil, Constance Steinkuehler, Joel Levin
http://youtu.be/Qe4poKsy9lw
In this video, Dr. Ian Bogost addresses one way we might look at how games mean. He addresses his idea of “procedural rhetoric,” whereby the rules of a system create a model of reality, and that model is a kind of argument about the world. As Dr. Bogost describes, the game Animal Crossing enabled a key insight about how that game’s mechanic of house decorating enables a window to examine capitalism. While it can, at times, be a demanding talk to understand if you are new to these ideas, we promise that we assigned it because a) Dr. Bogost is a highly entertaining public speaker and b) we believe that his analysis and ideas are an important way to understand how a game can mean something - through its rules. (If you find it challenging, we suggest reading the transcript and/or reading the associated "Dive Deeper" chapter in this unit.) Think about this argument as you watch the other videos in this Unit - how does this perspective differ from Eric Zimmerman’s or Scot Osterweil’s, say? What is similar? Dr. Ian Bogost is an award-winning videogame designer and media philosopher and director of the Georgia Institute of Technology digital media graduate program. This is a recording of one of the 2011 ScriptaLab events originally presented February 17, 2011.
http://youtu.be/mReVUr_bvI8
In this talk, The New Art of Gaming (Presented at Sandbox Summit, 2012), Prof. Eric Zimmerman talks about the concept of “instrumentality.” This is a long talk, but a compelling one as Prof. Zimmerman cautions against treating games as mere vehicles for learning, but instead treating them as cultural objects in their own right. He asserts that this can be even more educational (and a better education!) than treating games as a content delivery mechanism. What do you think? How might his ideas be considered in light of the ideas of others in this unit? Are they at odds? Are they complementary? Prof. Eric Zimmerman is a founder of the NYU Game Center and, "a game designer, entrepreneur, author, and academic who has been working in the game industry for 15 years." Sandbox Summit is an annual idea forum at MIT that addresses how technology affects the ways kids play, learn and connect. For more information, visit sandboxsummit.org.
http://youtu.be/iVfFkIYXRHA
Prof. Kurt Squire talks about learning from his own early gaming experiences and how this has influenced his understanding of how games can foster learning, as well as how games can be utilized in the classroom. As you think about your project, consider things learners might take away from your game that may not be related to the subject matter.
http://youtu.be/iVfFkIYXRHA
Now that you have had the opportunity to hear Kurt Squire talk about how games can spark unintended learning, take a moment to reflect on your own game-playing experiences. Have you played a game that taught you things you didn't expect? What did you learn? Why was it unexpected? You are welcome to share your reflections with your classmates in the forum.
Scot Osterweil and Eric Klopfer speak about the nature of play and discuss what makes a good game. Scot breaks down these factors into his Four Freedoms of Play and provides illustrative examples. Remember the concept of "hard fun" as you work on your course project.
http://youtu.be/tuFRWwI-yxg
Eric and Scot's conversation continues and Eric identifies characteristics and qualities that make games "gamey." What do you think about the principles Eric talks about? As you go through this unit, think about whether certain ones are more important to you than others.
http://youtu.be/bemLRevyBKI
Play a game for about 15 minutes; it doesn't necessarily have to be digital. As you play, think about it in terms of the Four Freedoms of Play and the Five Principles for Games that Scot and Eric discussed. Did you have the freedom to explore? Did the game offer you interesting choices? These questions are just an example of the kinds of the things you might think about. Feel free to write your thoughts in the forum and discuss other participants' experiences.
Prof. Constance Steinkuehler describes a few ways learning occurs in and around massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like World of Warcraft. She explains that spaces around MMOs, like forums, are fertile ground for discussion and analysis regarding social interaction and learning. It is important to consider the context in which games exist and the context they can generate for learning; don't forget about context as you work on your project.
https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:MITx+11.127x+1T2015/courseware/ac7f69bfecde48198dfaa58ae1cb40b6/74a8e323054c4877b4f196e43145ab42/
Constance and Eric continue their discussion. Eric talks about some of his own experiences playing World of Warcraft and getting help in and around the game.
http://youtu.be/ujJ3gRPZcuI
Joel Levin discusses how learning in Minecraft has inspired implementation in the classroom.
http://youtu.be/DaFvvxEDkL4
http://youtu.be/Fb9M0bFpD4s
QUEST TO LEARN This book is a research and development document outlining the learning framework for the school Quest to Learn in New York. Read the "Game Based-Learning and Knowing Section," and browse through the "Curriculum and Instruction" section if you are interested. Salen, Katie, et al. 2011. Quest to Learn: Developing the School for Digital Kids. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. DIVE DEEPER: THE RHETORIC OF VIDEO GAMES Peruse this article to enhance your understanding of the video presentation. Bogost, Ian. "The Rhetoric of Video Games." The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning. Edited by Katie Salen. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2008. 117–140. doi: 10.1162/dmal.9780262693646.117
http://q2l.org
http://dmlcentral.net/sites/dmlcentral/files/resource_files/Quest_to_LearnMacfoundReport.pdf
http://www.cogsci.rpi.edu/public_html/ruiz/EGDFall2013/readings/RhetoricVideoGames_Bogost.pdf
https://courses.edx.org/courses/course-v1:MITx+11.127x+1T2015/courseware/ac7f69bfecde48198dfaa58ae1cb40b6/25bedf9b46aa4dbfa9eaf5a0a27d4f4e/
For this week, we’re asking you to develop a pitch for a learning game you want to make over the duration of the rest of the course. Prof. Klopfer has addressed this in the introductory video, and Jason explains more above. Present the other members of the class with a brief explanation of a game you’d like to make (in the forums). You can do this in any form - text, video, slide presentation - just remember to make your links public before you share. Below are some important things to consider when making your pitch: Go With What You Know: For creating your first learning game, it’s probably a good idea to teach something you have some familiarity with. This will make it easier to generate content and come up with good ideas. Of course - this can backfire. If you’re too expert in your topic, it may be difficult to understand what might be challenging for novices to understand. Scope It Down: As Jason mentions in the video, don’t try to make a simulation of every aspect of a trip to Mars. Make as simple and small a game as you can to start. Make a simulator that will help understand climate on Mars instead. Focus Up: Make sure you get the most important details into your pitch: - Who is your audience? - What is your topic? Why is that interesting? - Briefly explain your game. What is the fun in your topic/game? - Where/how do you propose the game will be played? - Think about the curriculum assignment from Unit 1 - how do you think someone would use your game to teach? Remember, we encourage collaboration in this class, so be on the look out for people with similar interests - you might be able to team up and make an even more impressive project than you could make on your own. Guidance for Peer Feedback Provide feedback to at least three participants whose posts appear below yours. If those participants have already received feedback, look for participants who have not received any. Follow the Peer Review Feedback guidelines and consider the following: Do you think the game serves its purpose, meaning it is appropriate to the topic, audience, and how it will be used to teach? How can you help the participant improve his or game? You might suggest a change/addition (Ex.: Consider covering pre-alegra skills.) or a question (Ex.: Do you think this game could be used to assess learners' progress later in the year?). Did a participant's pitch prompt a change in your own thinking? If so, comment on it.
The goal of this assignment is for you to become more comfortable with Gameblox. We recommend that you pick a project and modify it in some way. You can pick a project from the demos page or any other Gameblox project you have seen.
demo link
Alternatively, if you have a simple game in mind, think of one small aspect of that game, and go ahead and build it in Gameblox. Don't make it fancy and don't make it elaborate. Just get it working and running so that you, the game designer, understand how that mechanic works and how your player will interact with it. If you are choosing to work in a different digital tool, do the same thing: get a very basic mechanic up and working.
Post your game in the forums, and describe what changes you have made, and what challenges you ran into.
The goal of this assignment is for you to become more comfortable with Gameblox. We recommend that you pick a project and modify it in some way. You can pick a project from the demos page or any other Gameblox project you have seen.
demo link
Alternatively, if you have a simple game in mind, think of one small aspect of that game, and go ahead and build it in Gameblox. Don't make it fancy and don't make it elaborate. Just get it working and running so that you, the game designer, understand how that mechanic works and how your player will interact with it. If you are choosing to work in a different digital tool, do the same thing: get a very basic mechanic up and working.
Post your game in the forums, and describe what changes you have made, and what challenges you ran into.
Posts
