Posts published in February, 2016

Week 5

In The Benefits of Playing Video Games by Granic et al., I found the information about cognitive benefits intriguing and especially in the context of gender. Going back to our readings and classroom conversations last week about gendered toys and girls being more open and creative with toys that they viewed as being feminine, this reading left… Read more Week 5

Week 5 Discussion-Gaming and Mental Health

I found the Granic reading to be incredibly interesting. Primarily the idea that video games could be used as a platform to treat mental health problems in youth. This seems like an excellent opportunity area to utilize video games as a platform for social good. Additionally, I believe it would be incredibly interesting to utilize… Read more Week 5 Discussion-Gaming and Mental Health

Final Project Group

Project Group: Megan Faulk, Nicole Hardson-Hurley Interests: Middle school students

Videogames as STEM Gatekeepers

Williams mentioned an interesting theory that I would like to use this post to further explore. That theory is that video games can often serve as a kind of introduction to STEM disciplines for children. The Granic reading points to multiple different area’s, both cognitive and motivational, that support this theory. One finding in Granic… Read more Videogames as STEM Gatekeepers

Week 5 Discussion

When playing video games, there appear to be two major pillars that foster cognitive engagement: representation and interactivity. In The virtual census, Williams et al mentioned that the “absence of portrayals should lead to a feeling of relative unimportance and powerlessness” (820). This comment was powerful. When discussing the sources of stereotype threat for minorities,… Read more Week 5 Discussion

Week 5 Post

While Squire acknowledges a “fetishization and marginalization” of black culture in America, I do not buy into his justification of Grand Theft Auto as an “empowering” game that facilitates an “understanding” of life for blacks in LA in the ’90s (2006, p. 21). In fact, I think its representation of the black experience perpetuates negative… Read more Week 5 Post

Final Project Group

Final project topic: the prosocial video-creating platform WeVideo

Week 5 - Video Games as Designed Experiences

Reading this article made me think back to one of the most influential games in my life, which just happened to be the game I made my first post on: Sim City. The game is even mentioned in this article, and I played a lot of simulation games. I remember their early days, when they… Read more Week 5 - Video Games as Designed Experiences

Week 5 Discussion - Juan G

I do not have a group project and I would love to be part of one. I am willing to work in any area as I am looking to expand my knowledge in different areas. My previous educational experiences involved working with ESL middle and high school students on developing social emotional skills.   As… Read more Week 5 Discussion - Juan G

Play, Violence and Learning

In reading “The Benefits of Playing Video Games,” I began to wonder what the definition of “play” is in the context of developmental psychology, and whether or not it should be used with regard to games. It seems like pretend play or physical play are very different kinds of play from rule-based, system-driven game play,… Read more Play, Violence and Learning