2. Learning theories:
Constructivism: A learner is able to “construct” their own
subjective representations of objective reality (Learning Theories
Knowledgebase, 2012).
The ability to experience all things is ideal in theory, but falls
short in reality. The wealth of information made accessible
through technology has changed the way people live and learn. It
is impossible to know everything, but through the right
connections, information can be secured in seconds. This brings
into focus a new-era learning theory called Connectivism.
Connectivism is a theory based upon sharing the experiences of
others with learners. This is the goal of Holiday Play.
3. The Problem:
The name of my game is HOLIDAY PLAY. I teach 5th
grade in a public school. It seems that celebrating
holidays is becoming increasingly controversial. For
example, in December we have a "winter celebration"
instead of a Christmas party. We can't carve pumpkins
for Halloween, but we can disguise the same activity
as a "fall harvest celebration." I have been thinking of a
way to "play" holidays in a virtual world. This game
would be most appropriate for a geography or social
studies class.
4. The Objectives:
● Players travel the globe, visiting different countries to "celebrate" the local
holiday.
● While in each country, players would be able to speak with residents and
learn about holiday traditions, etc.
● Players will partake in activities such as decorating homes, watching
parades, etc.
● Players will "visit" local libraries and research origins.
● Players will take "digital pictures" using a virtual tablet as evidence and
store them in a holiday photo e-book.
● Players can travel with friends, or solo.
● Each of these (above) will be rewarded with XP.
● To move between countries, player will take an all-terrain hovercraft. The
hovercraft can only be refueled through the answering of questions or
completion of tasks.
5. Who can play?
This game will teach cultural awareness while
reinforcing geography. The audience could
honestly range from early childhood through
adulthood. I hope to see several "levels" of play
available, varying in difficulty. This will allow the
students to progress through the game while
being appropriately challenged.
6. The Toys!
Toy 1: Transcontinental, all-terrain hovercraft
In my game, players will travel to different countries to
experience international holiday festivities. Since they will
be crossing terrain of all sorts, they will need a vehicle to do
so. I thought about oceans, deserts, mountains, cities, etc.
and decided the perfect solution would be an extreme, all-
terrain hovercraft. Similar to possessions in Second Life,
players will be able to "activate" it when they are ready to
travel, Since most of the game is played while exploring a
country on foot, this toy would mainly come out when
moving between locations.
8. The Toys!
Toy 2: Virtual Tablet
Since players will need some way to document their travels, I
thought it would be perfect to give them virtual tablets. Travelers
will be able to use the tablet to take pictures and videos,
download resources, research holiday traditions, download
maps, "purchase" holiday gifts, etc. Using the tablet to organize
all of this will help students compile information for a final
scrapbook. When I envision my fifth graders playing Holiday
Play, I think about how they are already accustomed to
collecting/organizing information using technology. I believe it
would be relatively easy for them to implement the virtual tablet
to be used by the avatar.
10. The Puzzles
One issue I can foresee with this game would
be students rushing through the "quests" in
each country to see more places rather than
learn in depth. As a 5th grade teacher, I can
imagine my students' favorite part would be
traveling in the all-terrain hovercraft. I believe I
have a feasible solution to this problem:
11. "Fuel" for Thought
When the all-terrain hovercraft runs out of fuel, players can
"fill up" by answering trivia questions or completing tasks
about the country they are leaving. This motivates students
to explore each country to the fullest before moving on to
the next. If they are unable to answer, the players can
teleport back to the location where the answer can be
discovered. This promotes inquiry-based learning which
has been proven to be more effective for retention. The
more fuel they have, the farther they can travel. The
questions and tasks to earn fuel will vary in difficulty/fuel
credit. Simple trivia questions may be worth just one point
where more difficult exploratory tasks could be worth ten.
12. Puzzle Treasures
Collect puzzle piece "treasures" at each
stop. These pieces would fit together,
revealing a more complete picture as
pieces are gathered.
13. Ready to Win?
Since there are so many countries to explore, this game is
nearly limitless within the constraints of a semester, year,
etc. It can also be adapted to fit the needs of different
courses. For example, an Italian teacher could limit
students to exploring the Mediterranean, focusing on the
specifics of that culture. In fifth grade we teach American
History. The game could be modified to journey through
America's history and discover how holidays have
developed and changed. Teachers will be able to set XP
benchmarks which earn letter grades, much like EdTech
532 does with 3D GameLab.
14. Assessment
Students will be assessed several ways. For summative
evaluation, instructors will monitor XP gains. As for
formative assessment, teacher can monitor the virtual
tablet for evidence of travel progression. Students will be
able to use the tablet to collect resources and take pictures
from each country they visit. Another way to track progress
would be to perform random "odometer checks" on the
hovercraft. Students who are traveling the furthest are the
ones earning the most fuel credits by answering questions
and completing tasks.
15. Speaking of Assessment...
How did I do? I'd really appreciate
some feedback. Be gentle... I'm not
very good at this stuff.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PZGNV2M
Thanks!!
