Author Archives: Rob
Serious Games: Making a Difference
Most people are well aware of the violence found in some video games, but less people know about games that can bring about positive change. Serious Games, described as a new movement in gaming whose purpose to “raise awareness, instruct … Continue reading
Posted in General, Learning games
3 Comments
Gender stereotypes and how girls play games
The Sims has sold over 40 million copies, and some reports say that 60-70% of players are women. Girls have frequently been said as enjoying “social” games, games with good storylines, and games that support creativity. “Pink” software titles have … Continue reading
Posted in Gender and gaming
1 Comment
Use of Video Games in the Classroom
John Kirriemuir and Angela McFarlane (2003) wrote a survey-based conference paper on how “pure” computer and video games (that is, games that are not explicitly designed to be educational) tend to be used in classrooms. Kirriemuir and McFarlane report that games … Continue reading
Posted in Games in the classroom, Research and papers
6 Comments
Affinity Spaces and Learning
James Paul Gee (2004) devotes a chapter to “affinity spaces” — online and/or face to face interactive spaces consisting of people held together because of shared activities, interests, and goals — in his book, Situated Language and Learning: A Critique … Continue reading
Nintendo Wii, Ebay Prices, and Learning
Looks like eBay prices on the Nintendo Wii are finally starting to drop to around the $320-$330ish range. As of yet, there aren’t too many software titles to choose from besides Zelda, Madden NFL Football, and the pack-in Wii Sports … Continue reading
Posted in General
3 Comments
Beyond Edutainment: A Dissertation by Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen of the IT-University of Copenhagen wrote a doctoral dissertation entitled Beyond Edutainment: Exploring the Educational Potential of Computer Games. The dissertation consists of five parts: Background. Grounding work towards an inclusive and solid framework for educational use of … Continue reading
Posted in Research and papers
7 Comments
70+ Virtual University Campuses Already in Second Life
Charles Reed, chancellor of the California State University system, has an interesting perspective on the future of education, as described in this recent cnet article. Responsible for over 400,000 students and 46,000 employees over 23 campuses, Reed envisions students becoming … Continue reading
Posted in Games in the classroom, General
Comments Off
Game Authoring and Children’s Narrative Development
In a conference paper presented at the Interaction Design and Children Conference, Robertson and Good (2004) consider the feasibility and benefits of game authoring for children. Ten teenagers created their own stories in the medium of interactive 3D virtual reality … Continue reading
Posted in Games in the classroom, Research and papers
Comments Off
Modding Games to Teach IT Skills
Video games have sometimes been touted as the gateway to increased computer literacy. Students can play games in the classroom, design their own games as a class activity (e.g. Kafai), or mod games — that is, to adapt an existing … Continue reading
Posted in Games in the classroom, Gender and gaming, Research and papers
Comments Off
Kids and Game Design for Learning
Teachers realize that preparing lesson plans and the act of teaching itself causes the teacher to master the subject matter in an in-depth way. What happens when you let the students themselves become the teachers — that is, to let … Continue reading
Posted in Games in the classroom, Gender and gaming, Research and papers
Comments Off