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

Week 5 DQC

After reading From Content to Context: Videogames as Designed Experience,  I am intrigued by what video games may be able to offer educators. According to the authors, “it is critical that researchers examine what players actually do with games, rather than assuming that there is any one ‘game itself’ as it is meant to be played.” This… Read more Week 5 DQC

Week 5 Post: Lack of transfer in learning?

I was drawn by the title “The Benefits of Playing Video Games” since I personally think that video games have more harm than good. After reading the paper, I learned a lot about different benefits video games can bring, but it seems to me that those benefits have an effect only within the scope of the… Read more Week 5 Post: Lack of transfer in learning?

Final Project Idea

Looking at media literacy/digital literacy for pre-teen/teenage girls. Group: Corinne, Jessie, Shelley

Final Project Topic

During my observation I learned about a website that makes current events more accessible to students by adjusting reading level and language. I would like to work on a project to make other topics more accessible to students. I was thinking art history would be interesting.

Week 5 Post: "Chocolate Covered Broccoli"

Brenda Laurel coined the term “chocolate covered broccoli” in her 2001 book, Utopian Entrepreneur. It’s a phrase that gets thrown around so much in educational research that it’s starting to lose its meaning. But I really thought it was the perfect term for Granic, Lobel, and Engels’ approach to exploring the possibilities for serious health… Read more Week 5 Post: "Chocolate Covered Broccoli"

Final Project Topic

We’re interested in exploring the role of parents in supporting a child’s learning and development. We know that co-viewing can support a child’s development but very few parents know this research or know how to act on it. And most toys, games, apps offer limited guidance directed to parents around how they can engage. The design challenge would be… Read more Final Project Topic

Week 5 Post - For whom and In What Context

What is most interesting about the Squire reading was the line: “As videogames mature as a medium, the question becomes not whether they will be used for learning but for whom and in what contexts” (p. 27). The ‘for whom’ part raises a lot of questions around equity. Who will have access to the latest and greatest game… Read more Week 5 Post - For whom and In What Context