Task: Write a short summary of each two "Big Picture" paper on games and learning using the “3-2-1” method, then write a 2-sentence “bridge” that identifies common ground or linkages, disagreements or differences, between these two sets of ideas.
Readings:
De Castell, S. & Jenson, J. (2003). Serious Play. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35, 6, 649-666.
Squire, K. Video game literacy: A literacy of expertise.
To help you engage with these two”Big Picture” papers on games and learning, write a short, (6-sentence) summary of each, using the “3-2-1” method described HERE, then write a 2-sentence “bridge” that identifies common ground or linkages, disagreements or differences, between these two sets of ideas.
Your task?
3. Write 3 descriptive sentences – Make sure you overview the article/chapter
(i.e. Linderoth argues aabbcc that xxyyzz)
2. Write 2 analytical sentences (i.e. Burwell & Miller focus on eeffgg, however,
they assume llmmnn). The point here is to analyze and not describe.
1. Write 1 burning question (i.e. Linderoth deploys a ecological psychological
approach to learning from games, what is the role of affordances in his model
and in relation to games?)
Serious Play
“ Educational game development has generally overlooked what recreational-commercial games exploit, foster, and understand.”
3 descriptive sentences
De Castell and Jenson argue that...
So called “edutainment” games fail to capitalize on the inherent learning possibilities that recreational-commercial games exploit, foster, and understand.
Both in the classroom and in educational video games students receive information in a way that is rigid and explicit with little application to real-life application, whereas well designed video games offer the opportunity to put learners in control as they learn via “stealth” in an immersive environment.
Most gaming research is not conducted through a socio-cultural lens, and more often than not the researchers do not play the games themselves, missing out on important understandings about the games and how they both reflect and affect culture.
2 analytical sentences
De Castell and Jenson talk about teachers offering learning in ways that are “rigid and explicit” however as a teacher “on the ground” I would argue that many teachers and districts are pushing to move away from that type of instruction.
De Castell and Jenson talk about how educational content games should be “remodeled to resemble recreational commercial games” however I would argue that commercial games have much to improve on (even though they may have high playability) and should not be taken blindly as a model without thought towards their own shortcomings.
1 burning question
De Castell and Jenson talk about how games are a "lived culture", how can that be incorporated into an educational context in revolutionary ways when games are often still demonized in the eyes of the general public?
Video Game Literacy
“ As games become more culturally entrenched, the idea of using games in education may be passing from an opportunity to an imperative, if we are to create an educational system that adequately prepares students for life in an information/ knowledge rich economy.”
3 descriptive sentences
Squire argues that...
Games are a part of culture that is growing increasingly important, contributing to the emergency of new digital literacies.
Games are more than just fun, they offer cultural, community and learning spaces that are just as real as physical ones, each with its own unique set of digital literacies.
Schools have struggled to implement video games as a tool for learning, because of the traditional “mastery” based model for literacy, but also because employing game based literacies to their true potential would require large systemic changes.
2 analytical sentences
Squire focuses on…
The emerging models of digital literacies, how people interact within the spaces created inside games, but also by communities of players... however they touch only once (and very briefly) on the fact that many of these spaces are utterly hostile towards women and BIPOC.
Many popular games, however (and this was written in 2005, so it could be an issue of being out of date) almost all of the games they focus most heavily on could be considered “boy” games. The original Sims game was released in 2000, and would already have become very popular among girls, so it’s interesting to me that Sims City is mentioned, but not The Sims, nor other massively popular games from the era such as Neopets.
1 burning question
Squire posits that implementing game system and design literacies in the classroom would require systemic changes that give teachers and students more freedom in choosing what they study and more flexibility within the curriculum. What is the role of parents in this systemic change?
Bridge
Write a 2-sentence “bridge” that identifies common ground or linkages, disagreements or differences, between these two sets of ideas.
Both De Castell & Jenson and Squire acknowledge the glaring fact that educational games are not living up to their potential, and a big part of that difficulty in merging educational goals with games is that many (researchers, game designers, players, etc) see learning and play as separate things, when in fact, play is an integral part of learning. De Castell and Jenson talk about the "stealth" learning that occurs in video games, which ties in beautifully with Squire's games as dynamic systems (just challenging enough) , the role of choice and consequence, and the potent social value of games as liminal spaces to try on new identities as well as community hubs where norms and values are passed from player to player.
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