Navta Associates

MovingLearningGamesForward, by Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, and Katie Salen With contributions by Jason Haas, Jennifer Groff and Dan Roy, is one of the most useful reports about games in education that I’ve read in a long time.  This is an Education Arcade paper, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The report intelligently answers questions regarding the use of video games in education, and provides numerous resources for continued investigation. “Educational games” are placed in rich context, including historical background and recommendations for implementation in the “classroom”. Very much a must-read for anyone even vaguely interested in this timely debate.

The Game Education Summit is the only conference where the video game industry and academics from around the world can come together to have meaningful conversations about the future of game development.

The Game Education Summit has a steady focus on the various stages of development of game education programs as well as the latest research in game studies. The aim of the conference is to bring together people from various academic institutions along with video game industry professionals who are interested in finding solutions to the critical shortage of skilled professionals entering the video game industry.

There is a new game development engine, Dinoworms, which provides a toolbox that anyone can use to create games. There are a few other similar tools available, and I haven’t spent a lot of time investigating this one yet. Upon first glance, and poking through the online demos, it looks worthwhile. This product was designed specifically for the education market, to help teachers create educational games to inspire and foster learning in their students.

To continue some ideas from my last entry about having fun with Little Big Planet, I’ve realized that I’ve enjoyed my foray into PS3 gaming, but am definitely not hooked (yet).

In fact, I’m much more hooked on Wurdle, an app on my iPhone. Maybe because it’s more accessible, can be played for short bursts of time, and has words in it. Some of us truly enjoy word games and puzzles, and nothing can quite compete.

I discovered Bananagrams during the holidays, and we put a 2000-piece jigsaw puzzle on the dining room table. Sounds old-fashioned, I know, but I just couldn’t stay away. I’m an avid crossword-puzzle solver, and living in Pittsburgh I’m in heaven because the Post-Gazette and NYT publish different versions of the NYT crossword puzzle, so I have TWO of the best crosswords on the planet to solve per day.

There are puzzle-solving elements of Little Big Planet, and those parts are enjoyable, but still haven’t managed to make an addict out of me.

This is potentially one of my new areas for study–the relationship (or lack thereof) among word games, puzzles, and video games. Any fellow puzzle-solvers out there who can shed some light on this?

p.s.–here is a great video about the family who invented, marketed, and owns Bananagrams

I finally purchased my first video game just for me. It’s tough to get gaming time in my household, with two pre-teen boys and an adult male already in competition for playtime (kids are only allowed on weekends, but who has time during the week nights, anyway?!) At any rate, I’ve now played Little Big Planet a few times, and I’m fascinated mostly by the graphics and the cute and customizable sack people.

It is quite entertaining for everyone else in the house when I sit down to game, because apparently it doesn’t really help to move the controller up, down, and sideways while playing. Why move your hands or arms when the thumbs will suffice? Well, my method works for me, and it’s not all bad to be the center of attention–even if their sentiment is more “amused pity” than anything else.

They watched for a while, we played together a bit, then my 13-yr-old commandeered the game, mastered the full-on level editor that comes with Little Big Planet, and created his own graphics and levels.

It would be a stretch to say that this game has significant educational value. It makes sense that my more artistically inclined son was the one to get interested in creating his own levels, layering rich textures and colors, and approaching the gaming space with a designer’s sensibility. He was the one of the two who spent hours earlier in the school year working on his creations in “Programming with Alice” (see an earlier blog entry for more info on Alice), even above and beyond what his teacher required. Maybe he has an interest in programming? Given his lack of interest in hard math, and preference for the artistic side, it seems highly unlikely that he would be interested in actual coding.

I would summarize the experience he has gained by creating Little Big Planet levels on a par with reading a really good book–one that opens your eyes to wonderful new ideas,  broadens your perspective, and may spark an interest in some future endeavor.

Been saving these, it’s time to share:

A successful game addresses a problem that is aesthetically pleasing to master.

Gaming is pleasureable learning.

A good game will give you good feedback.

Serious (educational) games work best when the game truly matches the curriculum.

Gamers very quickly progress to their highest level of competence.

Games naturally teach decision-making.

Assessment is an integral part of games.

Games for Change (G4C) — home

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This is such a fun and different video game. I love the macabre feel–creating it in black and white was a stroke of pure genius. This is one of the best independent games that I’ve stumbled across. I first saw it online, then at the Wired NextFest in Grant Park in Chicago (fall 2008). Enjoy!

from the Sid Meier Civilization site

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has released some interesting findings in a study titled Teens, Video Games, and Civics (pdf). This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. The survey looks at which teens are playing games, the games and equipment they are using, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring. Though arguments have been made about the civic potential of video gaming, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between specific gaming experiences and teens’ civic activities and commitments.

Perhaps most surprising are a few of the “usage” statistics.
• There are video game play differences between the sexes, but not as significant as most people may think.
• The most popular games span a variety of genres and ratings. Not just violent shoot-em-ups.
• Almost all teens play games. This study found an incredibly high percentage of usage across the socioeconomic spectrum.

One of the most interesting conclusions is that there are civic dimensions to video game play. For instance, teens who take part in social interaction related to a game, such as commenting on websites or contributing to discussion boards, are more engaged civically and politically.

screen capture from TEA

The Education Arcade explores games that promote learning through authentic and engaging play. TEA’s research and development projects focus both on the learning that naturally occurs in popular commercial games, and on the design of games that more vigorously address the educational needs of players.

One of their projects, Cadeuceus, is an online puzzle game for tweens. It looks as if the graphics will be rich and compelling. It’s due to launch sometime in early 2009. This is a fairly targeted, specific game designed to be a key content element of a new pediatric medical research awareness
and fundraising movement called Generation Cures. Founded by Children’s
Hospital Boston, the Generation Cures website offers creative online
stories, games and interactive resources designed to help parents teach
their children to care about others and believe they can make a
difference.