Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds for Learning
Week 1: Why Games for Learning
Learning content vs. systems, projected identity, learning by/through design, theory of fun
Readings:
- Chen. Leet noobs (pp. 1-10).
- Chen. A statement on games and expert gaming and the tl;dr version. [blog posts]
- Floyd. Video games and learning.
- Gee. Learning and identity: What does it mean to be a half-elf? What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy (pp. 51-71).
- Resnick. Computer as paint brush.
- Squire. From content to context.
Optional Readings:
- Koster. A theory of fun for game design.
Activities:
- Set up Guild Wars 2 account and guild.
- Create a Steam account.
- Browse the Hot List on Board Game Geek. Read reviews.
- Introduce yourself and gaming history in the forums.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Think of a tabletop game idea that addresses an area of interest for you and write a one-paragraph pitch.
Week 2: Genres and Mechanics and Survey of Games and Learning
Definitions, categories, narrative
Readings:
- Kirriermuir and McFarlane. Literature review in games and learning.
- Hung. Serious games and education. The work of play (pp. 10-30).
- MIT Education Arcade. Moving learning games forward and Using the technology of today, in the classroom today.
- Salen and Zimmerman. Rules of play: Game design fundamentals (pp. 1-27, 71-83).
- Check out the ways to categorize games on Board Game Geek using Adv. Search.
Activities:
- Meet up with someone else in Guild Wars 2 and get to level 10.
- Explore Steam’s library.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Form into groups of 4 or 5 to work on one of the tabletop game ideas for the rest of the course, first prototype due on Week 5. Scope out theme, genre, mechanics, number of players, details, etc. for a 2-page document.
Week 3: Game design process
Readings:
- Crawford. Chapter 5: The game design sequence. The art of computer game design.
- Dunnigan. Simulation game design. Tabletop.
- Kuittinen and Holopainen. Some notes on the nature of game design.
- Rogers. Level 4. Level up! (pp. 57-82).
Optional Readings:
- Selinker. Kobold guide to board game design.
Activities:
- Work on tabletop game.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Go to Games for Change and select one of the games to review. Write up brief thoughts due Week 6, then a full review due Week 10.
- Play games. Try crafting in GW2.
Week 4: Game design process, cont.
Readings:
- Aldrich. Using serious games and simulations.
- Barab, Gresalfi, Dodge, and Ingram-Goble. Narratizing disciplines and disciplinizing narratives.
- Kultima. IDE cards.
- Schell. The art of game design: A deck of lenses.
Activities:
- Work on tabletop game.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Check out Pox: Save the People, PhET, and BrainPOP.
- Play games. Try PvP in GW2.
Week 5: More Topics
Computational thinking, civics, virtual worlds, the market, mods
Readings:
- Duncan and Berland. Uncovering play through collaboration and computation in tabletop gaming.
- Kahne, Middaugh, and Evans. The civic potential of video games.
- Nolan and Weiss. Learning cyberspace.
- Richards, Stebbins, and Moellering. Games for a digital age: K-12 market map and investment analysis.
- Squire, DeVane, and Durga. Designing centers of expertise for academic learning through video games.
Activities:
- Set up Minecraft account and join server.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Prototype tabletop game due. Publish prototypes to class site and do a write-up.
- Write a one-paragraph pitch for a game mod or digital game.
- Check out Steam Workshop and Skyrim Nexus
- Play GW2 and Minecraft.
Week 6: Playtesting
Game user research, usability, user experience, engagement, flow, etc.
Readings:
- Chen, Kolko, Cuddihy, and Medina. Modeling but *not* measuring engagement in games.
- Falstein. Evolution of storytelling. (last few slides on flow)
- Fullteron. Chapter 9: Playtesting. Game design workshop (pp. 248-276).
- Leone. Data entry, risk management, and tacos: Inside Halo 4’s playtest labs.
Activities:
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Provide feedback on game reviews.
- Playtest tabletop games. Provide feedback.
- Check out Legend of Grimrock and Refraction.
- Form teams to work on one of the mod or digital game ideas for rest of course.
Week 7: Games Learning Society conference
Activities:
- As prep, check out what’s happened at GLS before, especially with the Hall of Failure sessions.
- Group notes for GLS.
- Playtest tabletop games and scope out work to finish them.
- Concretize vision for mod or digital game.
Week 8: Assessment, Gamification, and Connected Learning, Oh My!
Readings:
- Chen. The mangle of gaming to socially create meaningful experiences.
- DML’s Connected Learning movement and Mozilla’s Open Badges
- Deterding. 9.5 theses on gamification.
- Malone. Toward a theory of intrinsically motivating instruction.
- Nicholson. Meaningful gamification.
- Reynolds and Chiu. Formal and informal context factors as contributors to student engagement in a guided discovery-based program of game design learning.
Activities:
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Finish up tabletop game.
- Work on game mod or digital game.
- Play stuff! Chore Wars, Minecraft.
Week 9: Innovative Games and Learning Projects
Gaming for/as science, alternate reality games, games in schools and business
Readings:
- Chen, Horstman, and Bell. Playing science with Foldit. [draft]
- Kim et al. Storytelling in new media.
- McGonigal. Gaming can make a better world. [TED Talk]
- Steinkuehler and Duncan. Scientific habits of mind in VWs.
- Check out Quest to Learn, WoW in Schools, MinecraftEdu, Teach with Portals.
- Check out info about Total Engagement.
Activities:
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Prototype mod or digital game mockup due. Again, post files to class site and do a little write-up.
- Play stuff! Find cool games and share!
Week 10: Intro to Game Studies and New Games Journalism
Ludology vs. narratology, the magic circle, etc.
Readings:
- always_black. Bow nigger.
- Castronova. The Horde is evil.
- Flood. Playing Assassin’s Creed 3 on the Pine Ridge Rez.
- Murray. The last word on ludology vs. narratology in game studies.
- Rodriguez. The playful and the serious.
- Simons. Narrative, games, and theory.
- Sutton-Smith. The ambiguity of play. Intro.
- Zimmerman. Jerked around by the magic circle.
- Browse Game Studies.
- Check out Rock Paper Shotgun, Killscreen, and Quarter to Three.
Activities:
- Game reviews due.
- Half the class writes reviews or synopses of readings and/or games. The other half responds.
- Playtest mods and digital games. Provide feedback.
Week 11: Gaming Culture and Research
Qualitative vs. quantitative research, ecology of games, cultural production
Readings:
- Boellstorff et al. Ethnography and virtual worlds.[?]
- Chen. Leet noobs.
- Fields and Kafai. Stealing from grandma or generating knowledge?
- Morningstar and Farmer. The lessons of Lucasfilm’s Habitat.
- Stevens, Satwicz, and McCarthy. In-game, in-room, in-world.
- Check out The Daedalus Project.
- Browse Games and Culture.
- Also, Elitist Jerks, Machinima, WoWWiki, Game Rankings, Tabletop.
Activities:
- Work on mod or digital game.
- Play stuff!
Week 12: Outstanding Issues
Violence, addiction, gender, sexuality, future of learning
Readings:
- JSB. Play and innovation.
- Cover. Gaming (ad)diction: Discourse, identity, time and play in the production of the gamer addiction myth.
- Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, and Gee. Videogames and the future of learning.
- Sarkeesian. Tropes vs Women. Feminist Frequency.
- A Closed World, Dys4ia, Depression Quest, Lim, etc.
Activities:
- Post final games and mods. Play them. Provide feedback.
Final draft of Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds syllabus http://t.co/607ppdhp3H
RT @mcdanger: Final draft of Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds syllabus http://t.co/607ppdhp3H
Can I audit this class? RT @mcdanger Final draft of Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds syllabus http://t.co/rSMLt4fKZs
Mark, this looks amazing! Two things that I think would really help C18 on this. Doesn’t have to be here, but definitely in the final syllabus:
1. Clear descriptions of the desired projects (tabletop games, game synopses, etc). Rubrics would be especially appreciated.
2. Could you assign dates to the weeks? I know some of us are concerned about starting class the day after we get back from China. If there’s any way to lessen the burden on that first week, it would be greatly appreciated.
Ray Kimball, C18
Draft 3 of Games, Simulations, and Virtu… http://t.co/YDWccpiJh5