NITLE workshop Bryn Mawr College March 2008 Gaming and Teaching: Virtual Environments for Liberal Education

Plan of the presentation Gaming overview Gaming and learning (previous image: Straad Players, Second Life) (Viking Quest, BBC 2006)

Gaming overview

Gaming and learning

(previous image: Straad Players, Second Life)

I. Gaming Vexed definitional question “video” “computer” Digital? Networked technologies?

Vexed definitional question

“video”

“computer”

Digital?

Networked technologies?

Long history of gaming Predigital Chess, go, Senet, mancala, backgammon, dice, cards Kriegspiel Cold War games Digital Spacewar Zork to IF boom (1980s) 1990s rebirth

Predigital

Chess, go, Senet, mancala, backgammon, dice, cards

Kriegspiel

Cold War games

Digital

Spacewar

Zork to IF boom (1980s)

1990s rebirth

Gaming in 2008 Physical platforms Console Cell phone PSP Extended forms (DDR) New forms: Wii PC CD, DVD Browser Downloadable … And these can be combined

Physical platforms

Console

Cell phone

PSP

Extended forms (DDR)

New forms: Wii

PC

CD, DVD

Browser

Downloadable

… And these can be combined

Gaming in 2008 Size: huge (WoW: 10 million subscribers, January 2008) Player range: genders, classes, nations Interface, device driver Eve Online, from site

Size: huge

(WoW: 10 million subscribers, January 2008)

Player range: genders, classes, nations

Interface, device driver

Gaming in 2008 Growing content diversity Current events (Kumawar) Political argument (September 12th, FoodForce) Religious gaming (Left Behind: Eternal Forces, 2006) Literary gaming (Kafkamesto, 2006) (BBC Climate Challenge, 2007-present)

Growing content diversity

Current events (Kumawar)

Political argument (September 12th, FoodForce)

Religious gaming (Left Behind: Eternal Forces, 2006)

Literary gaming (Kafkamesto, 2006)

Genres First-person shooter Puzzle Platform jumper Strategy “ Adventure” Sports Minigame (Koster fractals) New forms Katamari Portal Augmented reality games

First-person shooter

Puzzle

Platform jumper

Strategy

“ Adventure”

Sports

Minigame (Koster fractals)

New forms

Katamari

Portal

Augmented reality games

Narrative Where is storytelling in a game? Sequence of activities Cut-scene or cinematic Writerly player Encyclopedia world (Murray, Manovich) Ludology vs. narratology Linearity? Game on rails Branching outcomes Multilinear Open-ended

Where is storytelling in a game?

Sequence of activities

Cut-scene or cinematic

Writerly player

Encyclopedia world (Murray, Manovich)

Ludology vs. narratology

Linearity?

Game on rails

Branching outcomes

Multilinear

Open-ended

Offshoot: machinima Tools Counterstrike, Halo Second Life The Movies Art movement Machinima Academy of Arts and Sciences ( http://www.machinima.org/ )

Tools

Counterstrike, Halo

Second Life

The Movies

Art movement

Machinima Academy of Arts and Sciences ( http://www.machinima.org/ )

Virtual worlds “’ Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts… Antecedents, early digital: science fiction 1984: William Gibson, Neuromancer 1992: Neal Stephenson, Snow Crash

“’ Cyberspace. A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation, by children being taught mathematical concepts…

“’ . . . A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system… Unthinkable complexity…Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding…’” "What's that?" Molly asked, as he flipped the channel selector. [Case replies:] "Kid's show." -William Gibson, Neuromancer (1984)

“’ . . . A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system…

Unthinkable complexity…Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding…’”

"What's that?" Molly asked, as he flipped the channel selector.

[Case replies:] "Kid's show."

Antecedents, digital: the MUD, Adventure (1970s-present) (LambdaMOO, 1990-present)

Antecedents, digital: the MUD, Adventure (1970s-present)

Antecedents, predigital: Theater of Memory (from Philippe Codognet, http://webia.lip6.fr/~codognet/ )

Antecedents, predigital: Theater of Memory

Antecedents, digital (Activeworlds, 1995-present) (image via www.virtualworldlets.net) Avatar spaces -Activeworlds -Atmospheres -There

(Activeworlds, 1995-present)

(image via www.virtualworldlets.net)

2d-3d worlds (Club Penguin, 2005-present) -Habbo Hotel -Cyworld -Runescape -VMK

(Club Penguin, 2005-present)

Google Earth -Keyhole DB -2d: KML -3d: Sketchup -reach -Geotagging photos: videos Mirror worlds

Augmented Reality “ Human Pacman,” Adrian David Cheok, circa 2005 -mobile devices game players general use tools -science fiction explores (Vernor Vinge, Rainbows End )

“ Human Pacman,” Adrian David Cheok, circa 2005

Web 3d? Second Life scene, December 2006 -identity as avatar -platform for experiencing digital media -standards?

Second Life scene, December 2006

Interactive Fiction Speaking of text adventures: 1980s boom: Infocom Ongoing art form Nick Montfort, Twisty Little Passages (“Dead Cities”, from Lovecraft Commonplace Book project 2007 http:// www.illuminatedlantern.com/if/games/lovecraft / )

Speaking of text adventures:

1980s boom: Infocom

Ongoing art form

Nick Montfort, Twisty Little Passages

Interactive Fiction Speaking of text adventures: Inform 7, free IF editor (Richard Liston, Ursinus College, classroom example 2008)

Speaking of text adventures:

Inform 7, free IF editor

Established long enough to be used for political satire…

Established long enough to be used for political satire…

Defective Yeti, January 2006 http://www.defectiveyeti.com/archives/001561.html

Defective Yeti, January 2006 http://www.defectiveyeti.com/archives/001561.html

Alternate reality games Permeability of game boundary (space and time) Focus on distributed, collaborative cognition Increased ephemerality (Perplex City, 2003-2006)

Permeability of game boundary (space and time)

Focus on distributed, collaborative cognition

Increased ephemerality

Political ARGs (ex: World Without Oil , May 2007) ()

Political ARGs (ex: World Without Oil , May 2007)

Example: Chain Factor – casual game, TV show (2007) Combined with other games, media

Example: Chain Factor – casual game, TV show (2007)

New platforms (ex: Myspace, for SilverLadder, 2007-ongoing)

New platforms (ex: Myspace, for SilverLadder, 2007-ongoing)

Most widely played ARGs Art of the Heist, various for Audi, 2005 (500,000 website visitors, on-going players ?); The Beast, Sean Stewart et al for Microsoft & Dreamworks, 2001 (3 mill players worldwide); I Love Bees (aka Haunted Apiary), 42 Entertainment for Microsoft, 2004 (3 mill+ players worldwide); Jamie Kane, BBCi, 2005/..(20,000+ players)

Art of the Heist, various for Audi, 2005 (500,000 website visitors, on-going players ?);

The Beast, Sean Stewart et al for Microsoft & Dreamworks, 2001 (3 mill players worldwide);

I Love Bees (aka Haunted Apiary), 42 Entertainment for Microsoft, 2004 (3 mill+ players worldwide);

Jamie Kane, BBCi, 2005/..(20,000+ players)

Alternate reality games Majestic, Electronic Arts, 2001(800,000 initially registered, 70,000 ongoing players); MetaCortechs, independent [“Project Mu” in credits](1.3 mill, 113 countries); Perplex City, Mind Candy, 2005/.. (100,000s website visits, 14,000+ players worldwide). -Christy Dena, “ARG-stats” (2007-ongoing) http://www.christydena.com/online-essays/arg-stats/

Majestic, Electronic Arts, 2001(800,000 initially registered, 70,000 ongoing players);

MetaCortechs, independent [“Project Mu” in credits](1.3 mill, 113 countries);

Perplex City, Mind Candy, 2005/.. (100,000s website visits, 14,000+ players worldwide).

-Christy Dena, “ARG-stats” (2007-ongoing) http://www.christydena.com/online-essays/arg-stats/

II. Gaming and education “Video games… situate meaning in a multimodal space through embodied experiences to solve problems and reflect on the intricacies of the design of imagined worlds and the design of both real and imagined social relationships and identities in the modern world.”

“Video games… situate meaning in a multimodal space through embodied experiences to solve problems and reflect on the intricacies of the design of imagined worlds and the design of both real and imagined social relationships and identities in the modern world.”

21-century boom James Paul Gee (author of preceding quote) Marc Presnsky Henry Jenkins John Seely Brown Mia Consalvo Constance Steinkuehler Kurt Squire

James Paul Gee (author of preceding quote)

Marc Presnsky

Henry Jenkins

John Seely Brown

Mia Consalvo

Constance Steinkuehler

Kurt Squire

James Paul Gee’s argument Semiotic domains; tranference Embodied action and feedback Projective identity Edging the regime of competence (Vygotsky) Probe-reprobe cycle Social learning (roles; consumption-production)

Semiotic domains; tranference

Embodied action and feedback

Projective identity

Edging the regime of competence (Vygotsky)

Probe-reprobe cycle

Social learning (roles; consumption-production)

Gee on Rise of Nations “Fish tank” tutorial Strategic self-assessment

“Fish tank” tutorial

Strategic self-assessment

Multimedia literacies Gee: multimodal principle Selfe et al : multimodal literacy Bogost: procedural rhetoric Dean for American game (2004) Archived at http://www.deanforamericagame.com/play.html

Gee: multimodal principle

Selfe et al : multimodal literacy

Bogost: procedural rhetoric

Multimedia literacies “… within games, there are in fact multitudes of literacy practices – games are full of text, she asserted, to say nothing of the entirely text-based fandom communities online that take place in forums, blogs and social networks.” Constance Steinkuehler, FuturePlay 2007, Toronto Quoted in http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story =16264

“… within games, there are in fact multitudes of literacy practices – games are full of text, she asserted, to say nothing of the entirely text-based fandom communities online that take place in forums, blogs and social networks.”

Constance Steinkuehler,

FuturePlay 2007, Toronto

Quoted in http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story =16264

Context and immersion James Paul Gee’s argument Semiotic domains Squire: experiential learning Learners prefer immersive environments to targeted scenes

James Paul Gee’s argument

Semiotic domains

Squire: experiential learning

Learners prefer immersive environments to targeted scenes

Which educational theory? Ian Bogost: behaviorist versus constructivist Issues summoned up: Media effect (violence) Transfer across domains, platforms “ Simulation gap” Subjectivity and assessment Image from Scot Osterweil, presentation to Learning from Video Games: Designing Digital Curriculums (NERCOMP SIG , 2007)

Ian Bogost: behaviorist versus constructivist

Issues summoned up:

Media effect (violence)

Transfer across domains, platforms

“ Simulation gap”

Subjectivity and assessment

Approaching digital natives “ It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.” Marc Prensky, “ Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” (2001) (from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp )

“ It is now clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and the sheer volume of their interaction with it, today’s students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors.”

Marc Prensky,

“ Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” (2001)

(from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp )

Net.gen “ Today’s Net Gen college students have grown up with technology. Born around the time the PC was introduced, 20 percent began using computers between the ages of 5 and 8. Virtually all Net Gen students were using computers by the time they were 16 to 18 years of age…”

“ Today’s Net Gen college students have grown up with technology. Born around the time the PC was introduced, 20 percent began using computers between the ages of 5 and 8. Virtually all Net Gen students were using computers by the time they were 16 to 18 years of age…”

… Computer usage is even higher among today’s children. Among children ages 8 to 18, 96 percent have gone online. Seventy-four percent have access at home, and 61 percent use the Internet on a typical day. Diana and James Oblinger, eds., Educating the Net Generation (2005) http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen

… Computer usage is even higher among today’s children. Among children ages 8 to 18, 96 percent have gone online. Seventy-four percent have access at home, and 61 percent use the Internet on a typical day.

Diana and James Oblinger, eds.,

Educating the Net Generation (2005)

http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen

Gap opens in K-12 “Many schools and teachers have not yet recognized - much less responded to – the new ways students communicate and access information over the Internet. Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet during the school day and under teacher direction…”

“Many schools and teachers have not yet recognized - much less responded to – the new ways students communicate and access information over the Internet. Students report that there is a substantial disconnect between how they use the Internet for school and how they use the Internet during the school day and under teacher direction…”

“ Digital disconnect” “… For the most part, students’ educational use of the Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of the school building, outside the direction of their teachers.” Pew study, August 200 2 http://www.pewinternet.org/report_display.asp?r=67

“… For the most part, students’ educational use of the Internet occurs outside of the school day, outside of the school building, outside the direction of their teachers.”

Pew study, August 200 2

http://www.pewinternet.org/report_display.asp?r=67

Pedagogical functions Jason Mittell, Middlebury college: Skills Simulations Politics (criticism, activism) Media studies (psych, cultural studies, media) NITLE brownbag, January 2008

Jason Mittell, Middlebury college:

Skills

Simulations

Politics (criticism, activism)

Media studies (psych, cultural studies, media)

NITLE brownbag, January 2008

Pedagogy: virtual worlds Ancient Spaces project, University of British Columbia Machu Picchu, Arts Metaverse, Open Croquet

Ancient Spaces project, University of British Columbia

Pedagogy: virtual worlds Second Life, Bryan Zelmanov Pedagogy: social software “ Emotional bandwidth” (Linden Labs) Social presence Self-expression

Second Life,

Bryan Zelmanov

Pedagogy: social software

“ Emotional bandwidth” (Linden Labs)

Social presence

Self-expression

Game studies Serious Games Conferences Scholarly articles and books (MIT Press) Games Learning Society conference, http://www.glsconference.org/2008/index.html

Serious Games

Conferences

Scholarly articles and books (MIT Press)

Games Learning Society conference, http://www.glsconference.org/2008/index.html

Game studies Liberal arts instances Jason Mittell, Middlebury Richard Liston, Ursinus Aaron Delwiche, Trinity (image) Christian Spielvogel, Hope Harry Brown, Depauw

Liberal arts instances

Jason Mittell, Middlebury

Richard Liston, Ursinus

Aaron Delwiche, Trinity (image)

Christian Spielvogel, Hope

Harry Brown, Depauw

Strategic options Off the shelf: preexisting games Disc, WWW, download (Rome: Total War)

Off the shelf: preexisting games

Disc, WWW, download

Strategic options Modding Platforms: Unreal, Neverwinter Nights Example: Revolution (MIT) (image credit: Jason Mittell)

Modding

Platforms: Unreal, Neverwinter Nights

Example: Revolution (MIT)

Strategic options DIY Faculty team Arden http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/econ201/ Student project (example: “The Phone”)

DIY

Faculty team

Arden

http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/econ201/

Student project (example: “The Phone”)

Strategic options Campus partnerships Faculty Academic computing IT Library Students Alumni/admissions Community

Campus partnerships

Faculty

Academic computing

IT

Library

Students

Alumni/admissions

Community

Strategic options External partnerships Corporation ex: Brandeis-IBM Innov8 Consortia Ex: NMC+Sun, +Second Life Foundations Ex: Macarthur Digital Media Nonprofits Ex: PETlab (Parsons The New School for Design, Games for Change, MacArthur Foundation)

External partnerships

Corporation

ex: Brandeis-IBM Innov8

Consortia

Ex: NMC+Sun, +Second Life

Foundations

Ex: Macarthur Digital Media

Nonprofits

Ex: PETlab (Parsons The New School for Design, Games for Change, MacArthur Foundation)

Acknowledgements Many NITLE-affiliated campus faculty and staff, as yet unmentioned Brainstorms group: Michael Sellers, Charles Cameron Ruben Puentedura (Hippasus)

Many NITLE-affiliated campus faculty and staff, as yet unmentioned

Brainstorms group: Michael Sellers, Charles Cameron

Ruben Puentedura (Hippasus)

National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE) http://nitle.org Liberal Education Today blog http://b2e.nitle.org