Sunday, May 14, 2017

Twitter chat Reflection 1

This was my first experience with a twitter chat. I don't use twitter usually, other than to see Neil Gaiman's or Amanda Palmer's infrequent tweets, sometimes DeGrasse too. It was an interesting experience for someone that does not text very fast. I was not able to tweet via computer so I had to use my phone. After the first question, I began to experience anxiety. How do I tweet my answers quickly? How do I think that fast? (The questions were far more thought provoking than I anticipated.) How do I synthesize other people's answers and comment on that? It took several minutes for me to reconcile these feelings before I could begin to catch up and actually participate.

The tweet chat I joined was for edtechbridge and on April 12th they were discussing Digital Divide and Edequity. I didn't really have much to say on Question 1 as I was just joining and was trying to figure how to tweet from my phone (I'm only a Luddite when it comes to twitter, really...) , Q1: What are the big questions in equity in edtech right now?
I started to think about it and then answers started to scroll madly along my screen. I saw people designated their answers by A1, so, I chimed in with: A1. How do we sustain or support access to tech outside school hours? I eventually got a reply: Great question. Once kids go home teachers aren't in charge.
Then question 2 fired off:
Q2. Why can't tech alone create the essential forms of change needed to prepare kids for the rapidly changing future?

I answered with: A2. Tech does not replace relationships or address the lack of tech savvy for teachers.
Other answers:
A2: Although tech is incredibly valuable, we must never downplay the importance of 1:1 real-time, face-to-face communication
A2: Teachers are critical to the process.

It became almost like a dialogue...in a crowded bar...with twenty people all talking at once...but all were able to mostly hear you. It was a very strange experience...


Q3. What professional development and tech do teachers need to level the playing field for their students?

This prompted a short firing of answers ranging from Game based learning, hands on PD, exploratory PD... with the words "meaningful, equity in access, engaging, fun" mentioned by several participants.

Then a question from earlier crept up again by question 5, asking how school boards could ensure that every student has equitable access to the highest quality tech experiences. I had asked earlier  A1. How do we sustain or support access to tech outside school hours? Someone retweeted my question, then I answered "Wouldn't it be helpful if tech co's could workout ways for Ss w/o tech access to be able to access tech out of school?" Then I answered both with "Tech centers like neighborhood rec centers?" To which the EdTechBridge responded: This is an excellent idea! Hacking the lack of tech access.


We got through question 8 with no answers for question 8. Afterwards, I was pumped and exhausted. My phone died five minutes later. What a ride.







Saturday, May 13, 2017

Play Journal 1

Play Journal 1:
Initial observations for Dragonsoul:
Dragon Soul: Android driven rpg game. Fantasy based rpg game with quite a bit of built-in geek Easter egg like humor. (Captain's Tight Pants is a hero worn item - Reference to Joss Whedon's sci-fi show Firefly) 

The game is played by selecting a group of heroes to "liberate" other heroes' souls via soulstones from the big bad evil clutches of the the nasty dragon. Guild participation encouraged. Perform tasks, achieve goals, build a team or several teams of heroes to fight your way along the path.

Learning curve: very small. It was pretty easy to pick up, and I was able to answer questions in the forum and in game chat within a couple of days of game play. It is easy to play without viewing rules,  has a very short in game tutorial and really intuitive game play.

Social aspects: Guild membership - easy to join, one click and you are done. Had to wait for being level 20. List of guilds was daunting but overall, guilds are upfront about their purpose, their guild personality, and their overall memberships. I chose one from GB that has a motto of "everyone can join" which made it very open for my husband to join later. They did raise the membership basic level about a day after I joined to 25 due to the leader's level finally being able to do guild wars.

Guild: Interesting mix of people, mostly quiet on the guild boards. Out of the 50 people in the guild, 20 or so are regular helpers. The leader answers questions, but for the most part, this guild doesn't communicate very much.

Regular/global chat: very active, people mostly ignore the trolls and they don't get air time. Very friendly and helpful about setting up teams and answering questions.

Overall, this game is far more engaging than playing Civ6, especially the acceptance of many of the players I’ve interacted. As it is not real-time and you really do need to rely on cooperative play, it is far preferable than Civ6 for online play.


I am one of the few gamers that doesn't get a bit thrill from "winning" a game. For me it is the play, the story-building, the interactions with either online people or with the world I'm playing in. As shown by the games that tend to be my favs: Dragonage Inquisition, Fallout 4, The Sims...I don't play to win, I play to escape or to delve into a story. Not to disparage what I call "twitch" games, I like to occasionally play League of Legends, Starcraft, and Call of Duty, I just prefer the story aspect or the cooperative play aspects of certain styles of games. Dragonsoul really gives me that sense of co-op, the story is ok, could be more involved, but it is entertaining and I am able to really flow with the amount of competitiveness I want.

Monday, April 24, 2017

Affinity Space Culmination

For this aspect of the project, I decided to create the presentation via a tool I'm using for my Art Classes, Voki. There are some really funny things that come about while using this media; however, it is something that I love to use and the kids love to see. It is simple, and they can create their own avatars to interact with. Some of the dialogue may seem stilted, but for me and the students, this is part of the charm of the program; it reminds me of Max Headroom. I know, I'm dating myself again. This media type has some pretty cool quirks, not the least of which is the heads follow your mouse.

I hope you enjoy the presentation!


VTM the Aftermath - An RPG Affinity space presentation





Sunday, April 23, 2017

Affinity Space 2: Sometimes Virtual is better

After trying again to garner a meet up and braving meeting strangers and coordinating efforts in real life, as well as trying to get gamers to agree upon anything including food, I gave up on the face to face aspect and moved on to only the virtual world.

Four players plus myself have begun to weave a story, integrating their own research and history delvings with my own to create something living. Using Facebook, FB messenger, created websites, and Gmail has proven to be a good idea for getting characters and players separated and for trying to push something through in real-time.

Learning opportunities: I bit off more than I thought. I am used to creating stories on the fly, utilizing my abilities to weave new things together in the ether of speech, and counting on others to write things down they find necessary, useful, or interesting. Trying to push people and myself to write rather than speak has been very challenging. Speaking is so much quicker, visuals in real time so much more fluid. It has been difficult to maintain a cohesive story when everyone is not able to respond at the same time. We'll work on that.

Illness has taken a toll too, as has the invasion of RL into my academic and gaming pursuits. Balancing is the key this time around.

Once everyone got their FB and email accounts for their characters up and running, it was necessary to try to push the story along. Harder again since the people are not on at the same time. Some were more involved than others. Also, much turned out to be much more sporadic than I was hoping for in the beginning. Ah well, c'est la vie.

The big take away here is 1) time management and 2) keeping the players involved/interested.

I have learned that distance can really influence your ability to be in touch if people are not really dedicated to what they are taking part in.

Sunday, April 16, 2017

Affinity space 1 - An exercise in distance and frustration

Affinity:  n. 1. a spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something.

Not how I would describe my first Affinity space meeting/get together. I think I may have underestimated RPGer's for this topic. Apologies for the late posting, I thought I already had posted this long ago and far away.

How did your participation in course activities this month contribute to your understanding of games (generally) and the relationship between games and learning?
This month was a time of trial and error and a few disappointments. The affinity space I started did not go as planned. The face to face was unfortunately a fairly typical RPG experience with a niche/non DND game experience. My love of horror games and vampire genres comes under the heading of fringe for some people and those fringe people do not always (rarely) play well with others not of their own personality/degree of dedication type. At the face to face, everything went well until a certain prospective member showed up. I am pretty non-confrontational and easy going when it comes to gaming, preferring to let the potential story unfold and to give basic parameters for players to operate within. After no more than five minutes of others' introductions, this player spent the next 12 minutes expounding on his own gaming virtues and whom he'd gamed with in the past that were veritable celebrities in this gaming genre. For those not savvy with Vampire: the Masquerade, this would be the equivalent of saying you worked with Spielberg or Cameron before they were famous. We call this gamer archetype #1. "I gamed with Gygax's brother's ex-girlfriend" type gamer. It is a gaming nightmare that is all too common and tends to discourage new players from wanting to play. On top of that, this player wanted to rewrite the story listed on the group's page into something completely different and of his own choosing. Bad form if you are not the GM/storyteller. What I learned from this was to be even more specific about LARPers and the desire to not have any and to advocate more for those that are too shy to speak up. Even good coffee wasn't enough. I'm just glad it was held in a neutral place.

What preconceptions about games, play, and learning have you changed because of your course activities so far? I am usually under the impression that when looking at new RPG people in person that they are trying to be on their best behavior. This is not always the case and I need to be more prepared for these situations. As far as learning and play, I rekindled my love of the story, learning about players, and incorporating their ideas into the experience and restored my love of character background research and choices pre-game time.

How have you relied upon networks – with peers, via social media – to advance your learning in our course? This month, I researched new ideas based on a digital version of the game I am trying to promote/participate in via the affinity space. But I am starting to remember why I only played this game with people I knew or those that friends had already vetted. 

What are your ongoing curiosities about games and learning, and how might you pursue these interests? I am still curious how others begin new groups and try to maintain meaningful discourse about the game and inspirations without it devolving into a one-up match. How do I emphasize trying something new and really pulling your own driven character research within the parameters of the story you are given into being a consistent thing? Still trying to drive this more effectively with strangers.

Saturday, April 8, 2017

RPG's and Academic Performance - or My hours spent playing Traveller are vindicated!


Making Learning Fun...putting the Fun back into learning through the use of RPGs.

The premise of this article is that Role Playing Games (RPGs) such as D&D have been around since the mid-70s but they have not had many studies nor been used in such functions as ESL.   This article is about one such study wherein Caribbean Spanish-speakers utilize RPGs in order to facilitate the learning of a foreign language, specifically English.  The author states clearly in the Hypotheses and Study Questions section, (pg 6)

The main hypothesis of this study is that student exposure to tabletop role playing games results in a higher academic performance in part of the students.

The data collection and method of analysis is obtained through standard scientific method.  With that in mind the author uses data from two groups of 5 students each whom are exposed to traditional curriculum in English 101.  The control group has a period of SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) to bolster the curricula.  The experimental group utilizes the same time-period in the form of an RPG.  The final test is a question from each of those two periods.  The control group is asked questions regarding their reading, whereas the RPG group is asked quesitons regarding their RPG.  The formula utilized is basically a percentage delta between a base amount of knowledge gained, quantified through the use of test results, and the base knowledge.  The study takes a test at the beginning of the study for the base, then at the end of the stimulus educational modality utilized.  Finally the two are compared to determine which has a greater delta:  traditional study or RPG study.

The data found shows an increase from RPG studying vs traditional study.  The testing shows a greater delta between the two favoring RPG studying.  This is supported by the increased interactivity and enjoyment factor in RPG studying.  The testing shows an average increase delta approximately twice that of the traditional curricula group.  Another interesting data point is the RPG group started with a base knowledge below the traditional group, however finished with a delta far greater.

I have one major concern and that is the small number of the studies.  I understand that 5 is a better group to manage, and there could have been other factors, but that amount is relatively low and I would like to see a larger study performed as a follow up.

The result should come as little surprise to anyone that has studied gamification.  We could talk about neural pathways and pleasure centers and reward theory, but it is a fairly well-accepted norm that most people learn better when they are enjoying the material, or even just enjoying themselves.  Therefore utilizing RPGs as another tool in the educators tool-box is supported in this article.  There is another element of note - RPGs are merely a codification of existing games that virtually all children, cross-culturally, participate.  Again, we can talk about modelling and other such activities, the benefits and the need for them as a learning tool, but it’s important to note that these “games,” classic “let’s pretend” type games have been in use far longer than RPGs, standard curricula or really most of our society’s history.  Utilizing a tool that closely mimics an existing social modality is just efficient use of societal norms.
Scholarly Critique #5

You mean my gaming books aren't just for fun?

Role-playing Games Used as Educational and Therapeutic Tools for Youth and Adults by W.A. Hawkes-Robinson


The premise of the article regards the therapeutic and psychological benefits of Role Playing Games (RPGs.) The author takes some time in describing the nature and methods involved in RPGs as well as a few examples. The overall thesis is that RPGs are a vastly overlooked and highly beneficial therapeutic and educational tool. It is of note that Role Playing exercises are also mentioned and discussed; however, the author wishes to delineate, or at least expand the class of RP exercises to include RPGs.

The data collection was from both anecdotal evidence, the nature of which is likely first, second and third hand accounts, as well as information gathered from psychological journals and experts. One such expert points out the benefits of RP and by extension the additional benefits of RPGs in that it is not just a therapeutic tool, but also has a level of enjoyment. Further, even though there is universal scorn for those that engage in RPGs, it is rightly pointed out the nature of these activities is inherently social. There is a diagram presented by the author that points to RPGs being not only social and recreational, but educational and therapeutic as well.

The methods of analysis is in utilizing the studies and the anecdotal evidence to draw certain conclusions. The author does a good job of bringing in scientific evidence to support the various premises. As with any scientific paper, it is vitally important to follow rigorous methodology and I believe the author has adhered to this modality. Further, as previously stated, the author invokes some more casual references, however I believe they are frequent enough in our common cultural consciousness, that the elements are fair to bring up. It is important to note the comments point out not only the positive elements, previously discussed, but the negative elements, for example obsessive behavior in relation to RPGs.

The data is laid out in logical sequence, from bringing up the well-known common negative understandings of the society to RPGs, to the positive benefits of the activity. The author follows a standard point, counterpoint methodology throughout. Bringing up something negative, then defeating the argument using studies and evidence is used. Another interesting element is the educational element brought forth in the socializing and use of language. The easy summary is that RPGs are grossly underutilized due to the aforementioned negative implications, the negative stigma and any number of other well-known negative connotations bestowed on RPGs and their participants. This is followed up by positive effects and the studies which support these positive effects. In the end the positive is easily portrayed as outweighing the negative stigma.

I found it interesting the author spent as much time on the negative as they did. I understand this is likely a subject that is personal to the author, and I further understand the need to bring up the most commonly accepted social stigmas around RPGs. However, I feel the author dwelt a bit too long on repeatedly pointing these out. That said, with the advent of video game’s popularity and social acceptance, as well as such activities as fantasy football and other sports-related strategy games, RPGs should be able to easily take a similar place of acceptance in our society. Already we are seeing therapies that include VR and other tech-related endeavors which heretofore would have been entirely considered too “techy, nerdy, or geeky.” Add to this the natural tendency toward gamification we have seen over the last ten years and these are all tools which the therapeutic and educational associations should strongly consider employing.

To put a fine point on it, let’s dispel some of the stigma. The author points out sessions of 6-8 hours for RPGs. I would challenge anyone that feels RPGs are not similar to other, more socially-acceptable games, to analyze in an anthropological modality the vast similarities between this activity and say, a double header wherein the participants root for their team, keep track of scores and statistics and interact the entire time. There is a popular meme that states fantasy football is D&D for sports fans. I believe this article helps support that statement. More importantly, the article points to a more recent trend in education, wherein rpgs are being used to enhance curriculum, provide more cooperative and social opportunities for learning, and hit that ever-present but elusive ideas about critical thinking and 21st century skills for students. I know I am always hitting the internet, books, and other devices to research background on a new character. History, science, reading, math, art, even music (yes, some of my characters have set-lists, quit laughing)...they all get plumbed thoroughly to create this new character. 


Scholarly Critique #4
 

Sunday, February 26, 2017

Affinity Space - Jumping off the Deep End

For years I've played RPG's from DnD & Traveller, to Hero, Gurps, Call of Cthulhu, and Shadowrun; but my favorite has always been World of Darkness, especially Vampire - The Masquerade. I was there in Seattle when it was born, playtesting on the sly with people that had a sneak peek, playing endless weekends and avoiding the LARPers. It's been years since I played. As I tried to mull over what affinity space I should join, I kept returning to the camaraderie I had with fellow players during all the games I was a Storyteller for Vampire, all the fun we had, the in depth philosophical what-if converstations; I want to recreate that for the digital age. 

Inspired by the new text based Prelude game that Whitewolf has released, I decided to create my own space for this. And so was born, VTM-The Aftermath.

I am planning to have the players be both face to face and virtual, incorporating facebook, messenger, the website, blogs, and maybe even twitter, to bring the affinity space alive in multiple ways. It may not be a typical affinity space, but I think it will be something organic and expanding. 

Inspired by my fellow Cthulhuians at the HPLS, I'm hoping to post stories from the games and get the characters/players to really invest both in character and out of character. I'll also add discussion elements to our meetup.com site, Denver Classic VTM as well to really join the disparate platforms together. So far, I already have 6 members via the meetup.com initial site and a face to face meet up scheduled for Friday.

More on how it goes to come. You can email me via the site if you happen to be interested in Classic VTM. 

Happy Gaming!

Reflection #1 - Why I don't like chocolate covered broccoli


As an art teacher, finding that balance between content relevance and engagement is a high-wire act often without a net. I have it better than classroom teachers, but I have my own issues to contend with and creative my way around, not the least of which is integrating things into my content that are decidedly NOT my content, i.e. why I don't like chocolate covered broccoli. One of the things most intriguing within this course content is how to use gaming to integrate or transform one of the more difficult parts of teaching any subject, student buy-in. I am looking forward to learning much more about this and how to tie it in to what I do currently.

This month has been hectic for many reasons, not the least of which is playing games and logging a journal about them. As a gamer, so far, the readings in the course have not really changed the ways I've thought about games, merely validated what I've thought all these years, RPG's, videogames, and board/card games are wonderful ways to engage anyone in learning. There has been more flares of irritation at the public school system for not getting with the times and ditching outdated factory/corporate influenced notions of what people need to live and thrive as they get older. There is still a stigma on gaming in general that I still face when I say I like role-playing games. As the Cheng article I reviewed stated, I tend to say I like interactive storytelling. 

My preconceptions about games, play, and learning have not really changed due to the course activities thus far, with the exception of affinity spaces. As an introvert, I have not really done much more than lurking or the occasional participatory question or answer in the past. This course has really pushed me to be much more interactive with the community of the games I play. It has been uncomfortable as well as informative and fun. In addition, I've made more connections to my Behavioral Science background in Cycle 3 than I have before, especially between gamification and operant conditioning. Maybe this is why I've been reluctant to really incorporate it into my own classroom other than community and table points?

A question I have for myself about play and learning is exactly how important is it to have an affinity space within which to interact? I am still answering this, but I have learned a few things thus far. One, participating in an affinity space within a game instead of merely lurking provides an opportunity for a much deeper understanding of the game being played. For example, I formed a co-op (like a guild) in a resource gathering game I play online on my phone. I didn't anticipate I'd have more than a few people to join; however, as I started finding answers for questions asked by the two people that did join in the beginning, I started to get more requests referred by those that I had helped. I found I could be a more quiet leader, which was a novel concept for me. 

Networking has been the real challenge for me this course. Again - introvert. I had not used Twitter, so I had to learn about using it. I'm still not completely comfortable and the small amount of characters available for use annoys me. I think this is really grooming people to be too short in their thoughts and less thoughtful of what they put out there for public consumption. I'm still used to following when people tweet and have to rely on my email to notify me. 

I have gone off in a deeper direction with the affinity space project. I am forming my own group for a few months of interactive storytelling. I am still hesitant to post it on my professional site due to the flack generated by playing RPG's as an educator, but I am working on that. I will be trying out several new things as I create a totally interactive affinity space for the group from the ground up, including a website, emails, messenger, and a combo of real-time and virtual meetups. I am hoping to really see what it takes to get an affinity group going and keep it going for an extended period of time. This is also the subject of my ongoing curiosity. I'd really like to see how, eventually, I can design a space for students as well. Pursuit of these interests will be through said affinity space/gaming site. More updates to come on this.

Chocolate Covered Broccoli - Critique on The World According to Edu-Larps: The Analog Learning Games

"Kids can see through games that are made for educational purposes, games made for class work." — Ian Harper, game developer

I am a gamer. I have played video-games since Pong (dating myself here), and Tabletop RPG's since the first edition of D & D. What I love about games could fill a novel. If I could have played games in school, I would have been overjoyed; however, I loved learning just as much, reading particularly. I learned, though, because I was expected to learn. It is just what you did. My parents emphasized the importance of school. I didn't question why I was learning what I was learning until high school. Now as a teacher, I find I have to figure out how to create chocolate covered broccoli - hiding learning in something more palatable, something that seems desirable. I am not the only one. 

Something I noticed, though, in the years I've been playing and running analog (tabletop or pen and paper) RPG's, I tend to research, a lot, scads, when I am developing a game or a character. I have to utilize everything I know about organizing, presenting, acting, dreaming, etc. in order to create a believable world or a playable character. I have to know what they know, or at least know where to find that information. Hey, isn't that self-paced learning? Roleplaying Games in this sense are narrative media, interactive simulations that require the highest order of learning, synthesis.

In the article I chose to review, The World According to Edu-Larps: The Analog Learning Games, Sande Chen discusses the use of LARPs, or Live Action Role Playing (games) in an education setting. While this article is more a synthesis of others' research, it struck me as being well organized and researched, as well as well written encompassing the gambit of ideas surrounding improving educational environments through game-play including making them more informal and conducive to creative thinking and problem-solving.

Cheng places an emphasis on the components that take place outside of the game itself and posits a differing experience between analog and digital game experiences for learning based on differing social interaction opportunities with the games. Overall, games provide an environment where the "self-directed drive to learn" or intrinsic motivation, is more easily cultivated by teachers if students are within a non-coercive learning environment, more similar to an after-school program than a classroom. However, there is a missing component in most video-game playing that is present in analog gaming - peer communication and easier access to what she refers to as the meta-game or the "active discussions and social interactions between players outside the game," also known as affinity spaces. 

In addition to the self-directed learning components, Cheng also cites exactly what I have experienced myself as a rpg player, the acquisition and improvement of soft-skills--leadership, teamwork, confidence building, agency, and learning empowerment. While these occur somewhat within video-game play, they are far more engaged within tabletop play and interaction.

The combination of "improv theater with the game mechanics of tabletop rpg's" allows for narrative character progression and interactive storytelling. However, as Cheng discusses, this can be a hard sell to the education system. One of the key problems she discusses is the inability to do hard assessments. Video games are much more conducive to this assessment aspect of the education system. 

Particularly meaningful in this article was the evidence that the edu-larp curriculum seemed particularly beneficial to children with ADHD, Autism, and other challenges. Today's learning world is vastly different from the one I started in. Raw, easily regurgitated and assessed information is not the most important indication of learning, nor is it what is needed in the real world. Rethinking what indicates valuable, meaningful learning and the methods we use to assess needs to change and is the take-away from Cheng and those research sources referenced in this article. Though less dry of a read and more enjoyable to process than the last two articles, this was much harder to really evaluate. 

On a side note: She gives a great resource for card games designed with learning in mind.
Some of these look amazing.

Article Location



Sunday, February 12, 2017

MMORPG's,WOW, and Scientific Habits of Mind

Critique 2: 
Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds by Constance Steinkuehler and Sean Duncan

‘Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more science than a heap of stones is a house' John Dewey

John Dewey lists the Scientific Habits of Mind as:

1) Logical thinking

2) Quantitative analysis

3) Deductive reasoning

4) Proper questioning


5) Reliance on sound evidence

I find this list to be reminiscent of the list I use for teaching Studio Habits of the Mind: Engage/persist, envision, observe, express, reflect, explore. Both of these lists, commonalities and all, are the foundation of critical thinking and inquiry. We would not have science nor the arts without them. For this reason, this article really struck home some of the fundamental ideas I've been struggling with as a teacher. These things cannot be successfully evaluated on a standardized test, we're testing only the heap stones. 


Premise: Constance Steinkuehler and Sean Duncan propose that games-based learning and the communities they stimulate may be a viable alternative to create the scientific citizenry we need. Their research based empirical evidence from studying the MMORPG, World of Warcraft, concerns the potential for video-games and their forums to successfully foster and encourage the in-depth development of Dewey's Scientific Habits of Mind.  

Data Collection: good data sample and data scrubbing (extraneous info removed, with subject specific tags listed on spreadsheet) 1087 different posters.

Methods of Analysis: Steinkuehler and Duncan used a combination of a priori assumptions about the forms of scientific reasoning such virtual spaces ought to generate. Their goal was to focus on the actual scientific processes used not the "stones," hence they eliminated aspects that were content knowledge specific, and concentrated on looking at Scientific discursive practices (social knowledge construction, idea building, counter argument use, data/evidence use, alt explanations of data, and ref outside sources), systems and model-based reasoning (systems based reasoning, understanding feedback, model based reasoning, model testing/prediction, mathematical mod and computation), and tacit epistemology (Absolutist, Relativist, Evaluative knowledge types). From the data graph listed in the article, the most frequently used aspects of discursive thinking were Social knowledge Construction, Building on other's ideas, Use of counter arguments, and the Use of data/evidence. Systems based reasoning & understanding feedback were the most frequently used categories for systems/model based reasoning. Finally, the Evaluative thinking, where knowledge is processed by evaluation and open argument, was the tacit epistemological method most often used by the forum posters. 

Comparing the results of the study to Dewey's list, the forum posters engaged in all of the five habits. From my own forum discussions, it would be impossible to be taken seriously without this. Heated debates are the norm within these groups, mirroring the sort of tenacity and logical debate found in most philosophy debate clubs. 

A look at the data: According to Steinkuehler and Duncan, most conversations in the data set forum begin with a theoretical question (about game mechanics or game play), followed by an offering of evidence and a series of responses to discuss this theory. Often there is also an offering of an alternative hypothesis which is then discussed and debated by the group - the epitome of scientific discovery. Ironically enough, gamers sound a whole lot like scientists when in a heated debate about their content. 

In conclusion, this article gave academic evidence to what I've experienced within the totality of the gaming community, (not just video-gaming): Gamers, on the whole, love to debate and will debate fiercely, with evidence, provide alternative theories with evidence, question, deduce, and give you hours of quantitative as well as qualitative analysis on the latest game they are playing. Gamers can be a very discerning lot, refusing to shell out that wad of cash for a substandard game. These players rely on the forums to not only get better, but to delve as deep as they can to experience a virtual world. Observation is as necessary as breathing within these realms unless you want to be called a newbie for the next month. Evidence is king on the forums or you will be trolled unmercifully. All in all, the article is well written, if a little dry, scientifically evidenced with solid data and data collection methods, and I can see it being easily replicated with another game. A good piece. Even the hubby enjoyed this one. See you in the forums.

Full Article: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.405.1850&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Monday, January 30, 2017

SC: Cycle 1 - Who knew MMORPG's could be fun and useful

Scholarly Critique - Cycle 1

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games or (MMORPG’s) are a passion of mine. I have beta tested many, played some until their servers whirred their last, and escaped into their international worlds on many a weekend night. MMORPG play is different for every game, but what they all share is the potential social space for people to come together. I prefer European servers to American servers, and West Coast of America if that is the only choice, mostly due to the wide variety of languages and cultures I’ve encountered. Hence, the interest in this article.


Isara Kongmee, Rebecca Strachan, Catherine Montgomery, and Alison Pickard from Northumbria University – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, authored an article called Using Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) to Support Second Language Learning: Action Research in the Real and Virtual World. Their premise: to evaluate how the environment within MMORPG’s works as a physical safe environment for English as a Second Language (ESL) students to practice their language skills absent of the controlled aspects of a standard classroom. As a teacher that sees five dedicated ELL classrooms each week and dozens of other students that would fall into this category, I am intrigued by the idea of using an MMORPG to perpetuate a practice space for trying out the language with little pressure to be right as they might feel with a school setting. Also, as a student of Anthropology, I find the potential cultural interactions within MMORPG’s from the perspective of using fellow players as face-to-face practice and cultural immersion in the language to be a useful approach to teaching and learning language.


For this study, Kongmee, et al., performed active research, taking part in the MMORPG’s with the Thai native speakers, using MMORPG’s to facilitate their English language learning in a multitude of ways, both within the games and in the classroom, including having the players use language from the game, including quests and dialogue, as models for their own writing. Socially, the game provided not only a practice place within the game, but also a shared common background of experiences for the students to utilize in their classroom to further reinforce their language acquisition and practice. To me, this seems reminiscent of project based learning, as the learners are immersed within one theme and everything revolves around that set of ideas, the game.


One commonality among many players of MMORPG’s is the concept of using avatars for anonymity. Here “the learners used their avatar names to lower their identity. This helped enhance their confidence and allow them to make mistakes and learn from them,” without fear the mistake would be associated with them personally. (Kongmee et al., p.4) This in turn creates an environment where students have more confidence in utilizing tools, such as game manuals, chat boards, and in game chats with less fear of embarrassment for not having complete command of the language.


Speaking from personal experience, much of the MMORPG community is more than willing to assist novice players as well as non-native speakers in learning a shared passion, the game. Gaming is a universal way to socialize. In that socialization, the students participating in the research project got to experience the best way to learn, pleasure learning. Also, within this method, using MMORPG’s as the teaching tool, students were able to be more self-directed and self-paced, while still having the impetus to work as a team towards in game goals. By doing this, their language skills improved, as evidenced by growth of two levels on the ELLIS language pracment3 test. Each student helping the other ones just by virtue of shared common tasks and language building resulted in more investment in their own learning, better learning engagement, and a system that provides positive reinforcement that differentiates for multiple people.


One thing that struck me as particularly meaningful was how the different characters and character occupations/roles the students chose contributed to their different experiences in language learning. Being the healer in any game requires far more opportunities for player to player rapid communication, while choosing crafting affords a more measured, slower paced opportunity to communicate with buyers. The choice of warrior provided the student more ability to help his language learning peers with real world information pursuit and greater participation through asking questions for his group within the game’s virtual community. As the students changed around the character types they chose as avatars, they expanded their learning and cultural interactions.

There were a few problems I saw within the research study, including small sample size and the researchers being the language teachers as well. Also, there was only one subject’s test scores used as evidence to support their theory. I wonder how the other students performed on the test. Though the evidence is thin, I think their theory, that MMORPG’s are a useful tool for supporting second language learning is sound, though it would benefit from more subject observations and testing. Though I agree with their final conclusion, MMORPG’s are a significant way to facilitate learning used in conjunction with classroom settings, due to insufficient evidence and subject data, I feel they failed to support their theory sufficiently.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Why am I here?

Introduction & History of Play

Why am I here? Well, not here, (that's a whole other discussion for later) here in the INTE5320 graduate class. I am in the course pursuing a graduate degree. The motivation behind the starting the degree is more convoluted, combining both academic, professional, and personal interests towards the future of learning/teaching. 

As to what I am curious to learn about in the course, I have many curiosities, including the OSG (Old School Gaming) and writing applications for hypothes.is, as well as trying to adapt gamification type interactions for my K-5 Art students.

I am a lifelong learner as well as a lifelong gamer. I love all aspects and types of games, from board games, to tabletop RPG's, to video games. Games, especially TTRPG's provide me with a creative outlet, an escape, social interaction, personality experimentation, and a means to come out of an introverted shell and be an extrovert every once in a while through the improv acting aspects of TTRPG's. I enjoy the anonymity of online gaming as well as the entertainment/immersive aspects, and more importantly the social interactions I can have with my family of gamers. Gaming will always have a special place in my life. It's how I met my husband, how I've written many unpublished novels on Nanowrimo, and how I was ultimately able to jump into a character not of my own making and co-write a published philosophical fiction novel. I want to take these gaming experiences, ones that have shaped my life, and use them to engage the increasingly detached set of learners I see every day. There must be a better way to teach and to learn. I'm convinced this is it.