2,275 Matching Annotations
  1. Apr 2016
    1. there's an accumulation of "stuff" (objects or territory) and where players intentionally move around in ways that inhibit or block others.

      Sounds like the broad genre of "strategy" board games is really not your cup of tea!

    2. This is another example of where it is helpful to be assertive in order to get "placed" at an active playing table.

      Given your emphasis of this point, I'm reminded of the classic scene from an elementary school playground: kickball teams are being picked, with children yelling "me, me!"

    3. If I played it with my friends, I would probably have a more positive experience.

      What an important recognition. As a former public school teacher, I read this as a wonderful parallel to so much of what happens in schools today. If K-12 students could learn with their friends, in a less sterile (and often prison-like) environment than schools, they would likely have a more positive experience with disciplinary inquiry.

    4. He not only told me what to do for each turn, but he also moved my pieces around on the board for me

      Wow... so many ways to "read" this situation - the removal of agency, infantilizing your presence and demonstration of skill... or was this welcome on your part? Or a bit of both...?

    5. which contributes to the perception that it's for "grown ups", ie. serious or advanced gamers!

      Interesting how a feature of the built environment has unintended consequences for the social relations among the group. Not insignificant, as you note!

    6. as there are first-timers that come every week.

      As you become more of an insider, what types of shared social practices do these veteran group members share with newcomers? How are newcomers "enculturated" into this space? And in that process - even with a transitory membership - are there opportunities to either a) reinforce offensive behavior or b) promote more accepting social relations? In other words, what - if anything - is the social responsibility of veteran affinity space members to create a more tolerant and affirming environment?

    7. I immediately wondered to myself if he inserted the caveat solely for my benefit as the only woman present.

      Regardless, the offense of this sexist remark does nothing to create a more welcoming environment for all players. On the contrary, it likely reinforces a normative social environment that promotes - and certainly provides tacit consent - for this type of behavior. Silence is complicity.

    8. there was nothing interesting to me about the game at all

      Do you remember what the game was? Despite your assessment of the core mechanics influencing a negative desire to participate in this shared activity, it seems as though your overall feeling of comfort wasn't entirely about the game... but more a reflection of the social environment, yes?

    1. overt competition

      So who won, you or the game?

    2. obliteration

      Like Small World?!

    3. In fact, playing Pandemic allowed me to glimpse into Ben’s brain and see his strategic thinking.

      And can you give us a small glimpse into his strategic thinking?

    4. directed participants to achieve a common goal.

      This is a nice connection that I wouldn't have immediately made - thanks for bringing together your recent play experience with this cycle's readings.

    5. the clerk at the Wizard Chest where I bought the game

      Fantastic! Wonderful to support a local game store. That's where I purchased Small World for our January shared play session.

    6. Players are all in it together.

      There's been a theme recently with some of our blogging and play about the benefits of cooperative games. In our last shared play session, for example, Brian, Lisa, and I collectively attempted to diffuse some bombs through a collaborative - and cross-site/platform - experience. And Susan has also commented recently about the unique insights that arise through collaborative - rather than competitive - game play.

    1. I quickly get side tracked looking at the businesses and people that this group is following.

      Any thoughts about why this might be the case?

    2. their Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook pages

      It likely goes without saying... though the cross-platform strategy for engagement is really intentional, with these different modes of engagement providing both distinct yet complementary means of joining and contributing to this distributed affinity space.

    3. Well that would have made my downtime waiting for DMV or any of my other appointments more productive because I could have played on the app.

      Without a doubt there are benefits to accessing information and participating in conversations and communities anywhere and while "on the go." As a mobile learning researcher, I'm very much in favor of tools, practices, and platforms that help to extend learning across settings. That said, I do appreciate that Hypothesis use requires a computer - as such, it requires me to focus differently than I would if I were at the DMV or waiting at another appointment. Perhaps that's the case with you, too?

    1. importance of learning by doing.

      Amen

    2. as students, teachers, and community members deliberated, worked to under-stand conflicting perspectives, and made shared (albeit not always equal) decisions.

      A necessary skill to develop in civic matters - so many perspectives to consider.

    3. For a student whose family worried about the impact of proposed budget legislation, design work during the Capitol Protest project became an opportunity to share her family’s story.

      Huge educational pull.

    4. easily manipulated by parents or teachers

      Ha! The people who think that haven't met many teens:)

      Also, does the highlighting on this annotation match up for readers? It doesn't look right on my screen...

    5. As he developed an interest in local places he used media design to share his ideas, which in turn further immersed him in his community. This student’s learning trajectory illustrates the potential of place– based design to develop students’ sense of place

      It would be interesting to see if/how this experience impacted the student over time. Did the interest in the local community and local issues "stick"?

    6. . Engaging in ethnographic work at the Capitol provided a unique opportunity for the class to experience the protests from a different perspec-tive.

      Adding back in the personal/human element after the more removed/distancing research. I like the structure of this.

    7. SZJOHUPSFNBJOPCKFDUJWFBOEEFBMJOHXJUITUVGGXIFO*BNTPNFPOFXIPJTNBZCFOPUOFDFTTBSJMZPGUIBUTBNFPQJOJPOPSWJFXQPJOU

      This student is learning to form his own opinions, that's great!

      not sure what happened with my highlight, that's a lot of jumbled letters...

    8. Some focused upon a particular skill or media practice, such as video production or game design, while others were able to study a particular topic or issue they found mean

      I feel this is more learner-centered than the neighborhood project.

    9. She particularly tuned into how the unique constraints of television shaped how the events were being reported

      It's great how they are expanding their learning outside the constraints of the school project.

    10. . With little prompting, the students asked clarifying questions, gathered additional background information, and identified key issues and questions they wanted to explore through fieldwork, documentation, and additional online research.

      I wonder why the students were so interested. Did the budget affect them directly (education cuts, city changes, new buildings)?

    11. centrality of student voice in the design process
    12. place– based design education

      Before the authors explain, what do you think the three core values of this project are?

    13. Makes me think is the design component the key to the balance between purely self-directed learning and instructor-led learning?

    14. This is not to suggest that students always agreed on topics and designs, or that the decision making process was conflict free.

      I like how the authors mention and recognize the challenges for creating/recreating a project like this.

    15. The design of PPS’s classroom environment and curriculum, particularly its emphasis on democratic participation, encouraged choice and ownership to emerge as normative elements of teaching and learning

      Powerful statement

    16. tudents exercised choice about what they learned, which cultivated a sense of ownership over the learning environment

      In our last reading we read about student need more self-directed learning.

      What percentage of this project would you guess is self-directed, group-directed, or instructor-facilitated?

    17. students designed a narrative– centric AR game where players had to survive a week at the protests

      The Product.

    18. research inquiry on the protests, students first constructed a timeline of events, identified key political issues and politicians, developed a set of inquiry questions, and compiled relevant web– based and print resources.

      Methodology explained.

      What are your thoughts thus far on the process of the project?

    19. the protests quickly emerged as a primary concern

      The topic

    20. citizen ethnographers

      How would you define this term?

    21. Dow Day
    22. The Capitol Protests originated from students’ interest in studying a series of protests occurring in and around their state capitol building.
    23. it shows students commitment to representing the debate from multiple perspectives instead of producing a story that was explicitly persuasive

      Here the authors provide their own explanation of why the students chose to include multiple perspectives.

    24. In this interactive story visitors to a local nature conservancy meet a “concerned citizen”

      Who else was curious to see what this actually looked liked?!?

      Also do you feel this was a sufficient explanation of this component of the project?

    25. four interconnecting components of PPS

      The methodology is explained.

      What components do you like the most or are most likely to use in a classroom setting?

    26. Students decided that their final design should present multiple perspectives

      How would you explain this phenomenon. Why did the students want to present multiple perspectives?

    27. Scvngr, MITAR, ARIS)

      Quick Poll: Were you already familiar with these platforms?

    28. mobile media to identify and investigate contested places and issues in their city

      Again, what issues do you think the students might want to investigate?

    29. One of the key goals of PPS is to engage students in identifying and researching cultural and ecological themes and issues in their local community, then designing media and events (e.g., documentaries, photo exhibits, games, community events, and digital stories) to share their findings and personal perspectives on these issues

      The Abstract

    1. musttakerequire-mentsbeforepursuingadvancedtopics

      There is a logical reason for this, but it has nothing to do with the students. Frequently, guidance counselors just dump students into open classes that don't have prerequisites if the student has an open slot in their schedule. Prerequisites (at least in theory) stop counselors from doing this.

      This is happening to some of my colleagues at the high school level. They have advanced performing ensembles, and counselors are just dumping kids in them that have never even picked up an instrument before, just because that class had an open seat at the right time.

    2. E.colicontractedfromswimminginwatercon-taminatedbygoosedroppings,

      Being from Canada I can totally understand this issue. But this is bringing up memories of back home, and it's a warm day in PA (75, sorry you rocky mountain folks have SNOW!) and now I want to go swimming.

    3. thottbot

      Oh the memories of thottbot!

    4. Untilrecently,gamershavebeendepictedinpopularmediaaseitherchildrenorlonemenintheirbasement,hunchedovertheirkeyboards

      The percentage of gamers now is almost a 50 - 50 split between woman and men. Article from the guardian.. This number varies slightly depending on who you speak with.

    5. orwillwecomeupwithpedagogicalmodelsthatleveragestudents’constan

      I believe that we have already achieved this. With all the new education apps out there (LMS apps, testing apps, mobile web conferencing apps) there are so many ways to engage students using a mobile device.

    6. Outsideofschool,termpapersarefreelyavailableonline(orcanbecustomordered),studentsdivvyuphomeworkassignmentsinchat-rooms,andstudentsusetheInternettoexchangeinformation.Meanwhile,inschool,ourreactionhasbeentobanthesetechnologiesorseverelyrestricttheiraccess.

      Is this really that different than before? It's just a different means to the same end.

    7. weseesignsofthe“indigenouscritique”ofschool-ingfromasituatedperspectivearguedbyGee(2004)
    8. Triggeringstudents’identitiesasproblemsolversthroughtechnology-enhancedlearning
    9. Thisexamplewasalsoindicativeofanotherbroadpattern:Moststu-dentshaddifficultyusinggraphs,charts,andquantitativedatatogener-atefindings

      Which is why STEM is so important

    10. Educatorscandesigngamefeaturesthatserveas“chokepoints”forplayers,requiringthemtoconfrontdifficultyetimportantdeficienciesintheirskills
    11. Thetypeofrepresentationstudentsmadetoorganizeinformationcorrelatedhighlywiththeirrelativesuccessinsolvingtheproblem.

      I'm not sure what this statement means..

    12. motivatingaspectsofroleplaytoproduceengage

      Tapping into those theories of intrinsic motivation.

    13. Mr.Simmsattributedthisextrainterestinrevisingtothefactthatstu-dentsperceiveditasauthentic

      Ah the explanation of why it felt organic!

    14. Thisdiscussionandsynthe-sisacrossrolesweretypical

      It sounds like the experience was very organic, and not contrived.

    15. Thistechniquecombinesinterdependentroles(agamestrategy)withjigsawing

      Brilliant!

    16. that’swhenyouknowyou’redoingsomethinggreat

      Great story! Any thoughts?

    17. Student-generatedrepresentationspostedthroughouttheroomfunc-tionedasacognitivescaffoldingtosupporttheirthinkingthroughtheproblemspace.
    18. Ms.Jonescreated“confidentialinfor-mationpackets”forstudent

      Sounds fun. Anyone want to share their best classroom or teacher experience?

    19. Assuch,standardizedorcontrolledmeasuresarenotyetfeasible

      What is your critical evaluation of this statement? Do you think this is true? If so does it effect your opinion of the article?

    20. Theunderlyingtechnologiesareincreasinglystable,althoughthechancesof30PocketPCs,eachequippedwithaGPSdevice,runningflawlesslyisslim,andusingthesedevicesinaclassroomcontextisexplor-ingnewterritory.

      Written in 2010, perhaps he didn't know about the iPhone yet. Thoughts on what the author is trying to say?

    21. StudentscouldnotaccessthesimulationontheirownPDAsorcellphones

      Wait! Wasn't the main purpose of this project to make it mobile?

    22. Thegame,SickatSouthBeach,designedbyJamesMathews,isasciencemysterygameinwhichagroupofkidshavefallenillafteraspendingadayatthebeachalongLakeMichigan.Studentsrole-playaswaterchemists,publichealthdoctors,orwildlifeecologistsworkingonthecase,whichrequiresthemtoinvestigatewaterqualityissuescommoninGreatLakescities

      The game. But notice how the author didn't mention if the kids were a part of the design, as in our Matthews & Holden (2012) reading.

    23. Researchonpeoplewhoself-identifyasgamerssuggeststhatprolongedparticipationingameculturesmayleadtoamoreactive,problem-solv-ingorientationtolearning
    24. Resourcesbecometoolsthatplayersmobilizeintheirpursuitofgoals

      Descirbe how you have used resources as tools in your own gaming experience?

    25. Gamesconsistofcharactersandnarrativeeventstiedtogetherbyunderlyingrulesets
    26. experiential.

      Three of three things needed to design a learning environment.

    27. participatory

      Two of three things needed to design a learning environement

    28. simulation

      One of three things needed to design a learning environment

    29. Squire(inpress)describedthisinteractiveageintermsofbeingbuiltontechnologiesofsimulation,beingdeeplyparticipatory,andbeingbasedontheaestheticsofexperi-ence.
    30. uggestinghowinformationtech-nologiescanbeintegratedintoanenvironmentratherthanbeincompetitionwithclassroomactivities

      To the teachers, this article was written in 2010, now in 2016, how has your classroom or school leveraged this balance?

    31. trivialpursuit”phe-nomena.Schoolsgenerallyrequireandrewardbroad,superficialknowl-edgeoffacts

      Who felt their schooling experience was like this? How did you relate personally as a student?

    32. instantaneousaccesstoinformation,andpersistentaccesstodistributednetworksofexpertise

      This is the authors definition of "disruptive technology"

    33. willstudentshavethenecessaryproblem-identificationskills,technologicalexpertise,underlyingconceptualunderstanding,creativity,andabilitytocommunicateviamultipleformsofmediathattheyneedtostaygloballycompetitive

      I know we've seen this statement made a lot, but are you interested in reading the real reports on how we compete globally? Read here:

    34. dis-ruptivetechnology

      Is there such a thing? How would you define a "disruptive technology" and would iPhones in school fall under that category?

    1. I will continue to investigate long after I complete this course and intend to include videogames in my curriculum.

      Wonderful - and as you do, please share either via this blog or Twitter so that we can follow along!

    2. My Graphite affinity space leans towards the serious, but is not overly serious and some of the community members are a bit playful, and all are quite pleasant and helpful.

      Thanks for including this reference to - and update about - your affinity space participation, that's great for us to learn.

    3. I actually believe that being overly serious hinders one’s ability to produce that which is truly creative.

      Seconded!

    4. I still harbor doubts concerning transfer, as my own experience with typing tutors never transferred, as I always reverted to my unconventional typing style when work resumed.

      Maintain this healthy skepticism! Transfer is a really tricky topic, and as our reading from Young et al demonstrated, the jury is definitely out.

    5. I intend to move onto MOOCs

      Awesome, and what a large and contested literature! There's some rather interesting debate about the importance of MOOCs in education - student persistence, measure of learning, and the "gamification" of MOOCs. I'm eager to read your future posts.

    6. I have now come to understand that both can be wrapped into one entertaining package, not specifically designed as a “serious” game.

      This is a really important insight and I'm glad you've taken this away from the course. I'm especially appreciative of Susannah who has helped to advance this narrative around critiquing notions of "seriousness."

    1. (even if it wasn’t a super hit with our classmates, she and I had a great time putting it together!).

      Isn't that interesting - the act of design may have been more meaningful than the benefit of implementation.

    2.  It’s not as safe an environment to talk about more sensitive issues as it might be if we were having conversations in more closed environments.

      Yes, this is important to recognize and a real tension - thanks for bringing it up.

    3. Annotaruption? Tate-Nix? We could be trend setters…

      Annospate?

    4. And how does this translate over into broader, non-game related issues of agency, such as we’re seeing with (Anno)Tate Gate?

      This is a great question!

    5. agency

      I think about agency a lot, too. I have a forthcoming conclusion to a book that explicitly tackles educator agency. When it's published I'll be sure to share it with you!

    6. that the game or play they’re experiencing is beneficial to them in more ways than one?

      Yes, it's important not to ignore aspects of metacognition just because a particular experience happens to be fun.

    7. that I often felt as though I could easily add to the information being presented.

      This is tremendous for me to learn, wow! What concepts? What aspects of learning? I'm pleased to know that you're feeling more like an expert, particularly with a community outside of our course.

    8. about potential areas of tension

      I'm curious... and this is really important, thanks for noting this right up front.

    1. and I want to redesign gamified elements of my curriculum to make use of these principles.

      And as you do so, I wonder if reaching out to someone like Scott Nicholson would be a valuable means of receiving feedback on initial design work...?

    2. Perhaps I have been far too picky for my own sanity’s sake, but I really only want to review articles that I find interesting or useful.

      As I mentioned in response to your annotation to Susannah's reflection post (if I'm not mistaken), it's important to be a critical consumer of research. Yet that also means that playfulness may, in that context, take a bit of a backseat. That's an important tension for us to grapple with...

    3. The easier ones bored me a little, and I suspect that this would be reflected in the quantity of responses that I made (I haven’t counted, but it may be a fun exercise).

      Thanks for sharing this, very important for me to read!

    4.  It enables us to build or break our ideas in a very constructivist manner.

      Nice! I need to think about this more... I've certainly appreciated the affordances of Hypothesis in building conversation and - to varying degrees - shared understanding. And yet, as you note, there's also value in breaking ideas... gotta chew on that, thanks for sharing.

    5. we will have a much stronger understanding of how different GBL mechanics impact learners in a more concrete way.

      Seems like the Bevelier et al reading really resonated! I know you put considerable effort into your facilitation responsibilities, that likely is informing some of these curiosities, yes?

    6. the inconsistent and unpredictable nature of learning results from GBL make it unlikely that many teachers will adopt such practices

      Yes, my pessimistic self often sees a similar challenge. I have a forthcoming conclusion to a book about teachers as game designers, and I remark upon this challenge at length. When that conclusion is published I'll be sure to share.

    7. you know, "that guy"

      And that's OK, at least you're committed and consistent!

    8. impact players’ motivation

      About a third of our course has noted motivation as a key area of interest related to games and learning.

    1. connecting qualitymedia representations with conceptual insights from disciplinary inquiry

      My argument always, along with learning how to use new literacies and media creation there are Design Literacies. Things like use of fonts, graphics, layout, color, etc. These things make media consumption legible or at least easier. As an instructor communicating this, on top of course requirements as well as game-like exploration is like another layer of new literacy expression that is seldom understood or taught, yet is actually really valuable for the perception of quality.

    2. quality of how pre-service teachers represented theirinquiry-as-play
    3. core set of principles. First, learning can be socially situated in conversation,coordinated in shared action and embedded in specific circumstances (Lave and Wenger,1991); such social relations shape how students-as-players participate in game-basedactivity and, hence, how they learn. Second, learning can also be situated among materialand cultural relations, distributed across tools, physical objects, features of theenvironment and cultural practices (Brownet al., 1989). Third, access to digital resourcesvia mobile devices can mediate learners’ interactions within and across settings viarepertoires of disciplinary practices

      Core set of principles!

    4. As learning moves out of school, our conception of learning will begin to broaden, and we willsee more hybrid experiences that begin in the classroom and move into other contexts

      I wonder if it might be wise to first expose students to a mobile experience outside of school, to improve interest and motivation, and then a return to the classroom to teach the foundation. And then additional experiences outside the school where the students could practice and improve theses skills. Opinions?

    5. Case study
    6. Quests were another feature of MMM

      Quests usually have rewards. What were the rewards for successfully completing the quests?

    7. rote exercises of school study.

      My wife is Korean and was educated in Korea including her first college degree in architectural engineering. She has tutored college algebra at 2 universities here in the U.S. She "often" asks me how these students can be expected to do college math when many are lacking a foundation in mathematics. She argues that some of this foundation must just be memorized through rote learning. Do you teachers agree with this? And she loves math and has even taken courses just for fun!

    8. A total of 24 pre-serviceteachers leave their university classroom. Walking across campus, they carrypersonal mobile devices and maps, as well as concepts like the geometricproperties of shapes and units of measurement. Divided into eight teams, pre-serviceteachers engage in a playful curricular module, their mobile investigation and interpretationconcerning mathematics situated among familiar settings and circumstances

      Who.

    9. Mapping My Math (MMM), agame-based and mobile learning activity, guided pre-service teachers in playfully exploringmathematics featured in the everyday activities of people and places

      A fresh, interesting and pragmatic approach to math, isn't it?

    10. Jeremiah Isaac Holden

      We might ask our professor if we can trust this author and his institution! I understand this is a recent photo of the author at work.

  2. gamesandlearning.files.wordpress.com gamesandlearning.files.wordpress.com
    1. The design studio method of teaching stems from architectural education, but has more recently been applied to a range of disciplines, including game and software design (Kuhn, 1998; Cox, Harrison, & Hoadley, 2009). While there is no single model for organising a design studio, Kuhn (1998, p. 65), a proponent of using a studio pedagogy to teach design, outlines the core components of the studio method as:

      A basis in architectural education. I had no idea of this and yet it seems like a logical outgrowth. Learning this is helpful to me, and what do others think?

    2. These conversations ranged from concerns over the increased ability of mobile service providers to collect personal data to school policies regarding cell phone use

      Yay! I'm glad this was part of the conversation.

    3. Because most of the students adapted quickly to the environment, we were able to spend additional time working with those who needed additional support

      I wonder if they had a back-up strategy for if this had been inverted...

    4. the creative use of constraints

      Not the first place that we've discussed "constraints" in this course, but I like this perspective from a design standpoint. Adding constraints thoughtfully and with purpose in order to give shape to the vision. Which we see in all games that have rules (and that we sometimes adjust to better fit our own visions:)).

    5. engage in a range of new media practices.

      And probably learn some new literacies along the way!

    6. Students were motivated by the fact that others used/played their designs.

      Who wouldn't be psyched about people playing their games?!

    7. Design Order Board.

      Sounds suspiciously like a story board.

    8. ones supplied by the project

      I like how the school took into account the equity factor and allowed everyone in the class to be immersed in the project.

    9. others relied more heavily on their mobile devices

      I feel that this is an important point. The students will be designing a game for mobile devices and are using their mobile devices to take notes. I wonder if there was any difference in the quality of the games produced based on their note taking methods.

    10. Perhaps most importantly, through all of this, the students engaged in and developed the literacy practices required to interact and learn in a participatory design community.

      Discourse!

    1. to see out more papers that relate games to the major theorist in the field of early education. Providing research and links to what my students already know, basic theory, while connecting it to games will help to broaden their ability to be a successful teacher.

      Would you like any recommendations? Sounds like a great plan and I certainly have a few favorites. I would also suggest that some scholars who focus on play - rather than explicitly games - may be useful, too. For example, are you familiar with Vivian Gussin Paley?

    2. Thanks to her views regarding tech I have made changes to my online classroom so that students are completing simple tasks first as assignment instead of making them learn to use the tech on the side and then have an assignment due.

      Interesting... so if I'm following this correctly:

      • You're learning in our games course
      • Your learning has influenced how you speak with colleagues
      • These collegial conversations are then informing how you design and facilitate your own courses?
    3. very set views regarding women/female roles in gaming.

      Or in computer science... or as a research scientist... or...

    4. *I am very glad that I was about to guide the discussion for two of the research papers because I felt that I had greater knowledge this model and could ask better questions of my peers.*

      And did our use of open annotation with Hypothesis contribute to this learning at all? If so, I'd love to learn more!

    5. His focus on scaffolding aligns with what gamer’s experience.

      Yes, particularly as those scaffolds fall away (as they should) leading to more independent and interest-driven learning.

    6. is to keep moving forward in a positive and considerate way

      Which is certainly one of the challenges in the world of Gamer Game - people have no design to be positive or considerate - so depressing and scary!

    1. and am using it as a warehouse for information.

      Nice, it's good to have a curation strategy.

    2. from my first class this past summer, Digital Storytelling

      Wow... I've either forgotten or didn't realize that was your first course. Amazing what's happened in a single year!

    3. could create a playful and meaningful learning experience. 

      Yes, absolutely. It's not - necessarily - about the tools. And reading this, I'm reminded that this course would be ideally complemented by a second semester - a course that focuses on game design. It's taken three months for you to appreciate this insight. And that's fine, it takes time. And now with this insight, a grounding in learning theory and literature, and an appreciation for design possibilities, it would then be possible to launch another course about game design.

    4. in Place Out of Time (POOT) and Playful Possibilities for Assessment 

      It's so nice to see you reading about some of my previous game-based learning projects.

    5. because I’m not simply completing the assignment, I'm carving my own unique, educational pathway.

      Nice! I'd like to learn more about how the specific role of open web annotation helps you to carve these pathways. Because of our collective learning in this course, I've been thinking a lot about playgrids. Still not entirely sure what that even means right now... but it seems to capture what you're describing here - interest driven-pathways, etc. Again, I'd welcome the opportunity to learn more about specifically how annotation affords this type of learning...

    6. Often times a conversation over a reading would lead to my next article to critique

      Nice. That wasn't an explicit goal when choosing to use Hypothesis this semester, so I'm glad that's happened!

    7. able to find most any answer

      So in this respect, community engagement occurs primarily through access to information. This is a nice insight. Can you ever imagine a time when you might contribute that knowledge for others to access?

    8. curating new connections and deepening my understanding of applying play skillfully

      Nicely stated!

    9. I have become quite picky about my articles

      I have the same issue. I now find that I am spending more time searching for an article than I am on the actual reading and writing.

    1. how they are explained, questioned, misunderstood and even abandoned.

      Sounds like life!

    2. motivation

      This is a HUGE area of research within the field of game-based learning. If you're interested in further reading about motivation do let me know I can share various resources.

    3. In the video below

      I like this video a lot - I've returned to it on various occasions.

    4. except to foster an environment where it is acceptable to make mistakes.

      Again, something that seldom happened in my own experience with foreign language learning (specifically) and schooling more generally. I hope we're cultivating a slightly different learning environment in this course!

    5. speaking out loud in front one's peers can be extremely daunting and uncomfortable

      This is one reason why I didn't engage deeply with foreign language learning during middle and high school - something I now deeply regret.

    6. Below you can see the difference

      I really like this side-by-side comparison, thanks for representing and sharing your reflection in this way!

    7. bored, am I right??)

    8. I would guess that most of us write in the margins of our readings anyway, so using an open annotation tool like Hypothesis encourages us to do so in front of and with other readers.

      Yup, that's a key motivation for this aspect of our course design.

    9. Prior to this course, I had no idea that those kinds of games existed.

      Amongst many "take-aways" this semester, I'm pleased to learn this.

    10. These attributes are not antithetical to games or playing, but they do mean that I approach game play differently than other people might.

      Nice recognition

    11. I certainly hoped that learning would happen, but that it would happen was an assumption on my part. 

      If I read between the lines here, might I assume that it is because of your learning in this course that you're better able to reflect upon: a) how you designed those previous teaching experiences and b) how you understand the relationship among design, play, and learning?

    12. my motivation was to disrupt the tedium of learning grammar, to inject lightheartedness and play into classroom time, and to provide opportunities to use speaking skills in a less-structured context

      This is a nice design rationale for game-based learning.

    13. Hint: it's not just facts and figures.

      Indeed, I'm intrigued!

    14. I am learning about designed experiences

      Which, as you certainly know, is an important aspect of game-based learning but not unique to game-based learning. One reason for our grounding in learning theory is the recognition that learning principles (such as those articulated by Gee) leading to particular types of designed experiences are possible beyond the realm of games and game-based learning.

    1. in an online Korean language lesson that I am developing for a CU Denver graduate school project.

      Is this lesson/project for another course? If so, I'd like to learn more about how your learning in this course is informing your activity in another...

    2. And yet the data that are provided, reporting the results of their research, and the vocabulary gains of the test participants are quite encouraging.

      So vocabulary is the primary content-specific learning outcome of this experience, yes?

    3. were indeed learning through the use of this system

      Learning what? I'm a bit confused... and given your critique below, sounds like you weren't impressed either.

    4. the design criteria of their videogame

      I'm glad you're highlighting this. Often the design criteria can be glossed over in a rush to examine (and then "prove") some type of game play outcome.

    5. continuing quest to find creative ways to support language learning through the use of technology

      I really appreciate how your scholarly critiques continue to investigate a very specific interest. I'm pleased that this basic course structure ("go read some research, and review it!") has provided you the opportunity to explore interest-driven learning.

    1. I anticipate this happening in the 2017-2018 academic year.

      Awesome, go for it!

    2. I hope to learn more about this unfortunate dark side of the culture through my affinity space in the next couple of weeks.

      And perhaps from your peers who have experienced similar dynamics in their own experience, unfortunately.

    3. when I read a blog post on Tumblr titled “Tabletop Gaming has a White Male Terrorist Problem”.

      Glad that sharing that previous resource was relevant and a bit unsettling (in a good way!).

    4. and now I’m questioning if this is truly the case, or the way that the woman / girls are depicted is it just the norm now?

      Yeah, I recall reading your previous blog posts and the surprise you expressed around these realizations.

    5. It encouraged me to be a little more lighthearted with my annotations and even to link some non-relevant images, but fun nonetheless in the margins.

      That's really nice to learn - how playful language and approaches to writing inspires subsequent annotation.

    6. The language used in this article was so playful!

      Indeed, it was written by a good crew!

    7. but I didn’t immediately make the connection because of the constraints of using a LMS.

      Ugh... that's really challenging for me to read, particularly because I designed and taught some of those previous courses. Whether that's the LMS, or me, or some combination... goodness, thanks for the wake up call!

    8. It’s a breath of fresh air to get out of a learning management system and “play” and learn out in the world where everyone can see and participate along with us.

      Thanks! That's certainly the intention of his emergent design, and I appreciate that it's resonating with you. And - it should go without saying - thanks for helping to co-construct the experience by playing along!

    9. I appreciate the open honesty in the responses and questions from my peers and I feel that this type of interaction is forcing me to understand the material at a deeper level, and to be a better student and better digital citizen.

      If I'm understanding your reflection accurately, it seems as though this "deeper" understanding is some combination of our tool use (Hypothesis), the course content, and the type of learning community and our practices that we've created over the past few months... something like that? Something else?

    1.  I would love to see if I can find instances where the community and/or the Squad takes the knowledge out of the KSP space to other, “non-KSP” areas.

      Yes, this is really critical, too. And perhaps in a related instance, your external knowledge about libraries, information organization, curation, etc. is very relevant to the knowledge building and accessibility of information and interaction within the affinity space. Perhaps, as you've noted, an opportunity for various knowledge areas and practices to cross settings.

    2. It is also flowing from outside the community to inside as people seek out additional information and bring it back with them.  

      A key characteristic of knowledge building within affinity spaces.

    3. that’s the artful part of cataloging at the library, too!

      Nice connection!

    4. Ah well, I’m happy that it exists, even if it was a challenge to find.

      I wonder if you might suggest changes to community organizers based upon your experience? Do you know if others have experienced similar challenges?

    5. I’m interested in knowing more about how people get shows and time slots; it isn’t clear to me if the programming is set up by staff or by community members.

      We have ILT alum you are deeply connected to Twitch and know a lot about programming and engagement. Let me know if you'd like to be connected.

    6. And I continue to be appreciative of just how much there is to keep me occupied, even without building rockets.

      Learning and community engagement without playing, nice to read that is your current approach to participation.

    1. I would like to take a more in depth look at these users with the most amount of posts and see how they are situated in the space.

      Sounds like a good approach!

    2. Maybe my profile does not indicate enough “status” or credibility for someone to take note?

      Interesting... as you know from our Gee & Hayes reading, status and established credibility can play a big role in affinity space interaction.

    3. This networking, although one sided and observatory, is a big part of understanding game communities and affinity spaces.

      I wonder if/when/how this may become two- (or multi-) sided in the future...

    4. gamers and game developers. Using the hash tag #gamedev and #unity3d has helped me acquire some followers and helped me introduce myself to indie game developers.

      Nice. As you know, that's a key reason why we're using Twitter in class - to prompt interest-driven connections with communities beyond our immediate course.

    5. It’s possible they may face some discrimination or biases based on gender identity. It’s especially important to understand these scenarios as they are likely to come to light at some point in time during game based learning situations.

      This is a really nice analysis, thanks for thinking through these important dynamics.

    6. And as an educator, especially in settings where I may be implementing game based learning scenarios, it’s critical to exemplify fairness and equality and understand gender issues that may come to light during game play and gaming community experiences.

      Of course I agree 100%. Hence the inclusion of various topics, authors, and debates in our graduate course.

    7. I am a white male who is privileged to be positioned in gaming culture as the dominant “norm.”

      I appreciate you naming your positionality, this is important for so many reasons!

    1. Also, if I am working on a project and want to post updates, those updates stay in the appropriate threads of discussion.  Facebook (and likewise Twitter) aren’t optimized for this kind of long-term communication.

      Agreed, and I appreciate these critiques as they related to your specific participation in (what sounds like) a rather nascent community.

    2. but I believe for the better. 

      How much of an affinity space insider do you have to become before you can make these recommendations to others in the community?

    3. centralize more of the resources and communications instead of being spread out amongst 3 platforms (facebook, BreakoutEDU’s webpage, and google drive).

      Interesting... on the other hand, I appreciate that this space is organized around these various platforms (perhaps "settings") - the dedicated website, a Google Drive, and Facebook. Knitting together distributed platforms is key to many affinity spaces, even if disorganization is an unintended consequence. What are the specific affordances of each platform that have led community members to adopt and incorporate these into their group interactions? Would a centralized site/archive achieve the same purposes? Pros/cons?

    1. It seems likely that at some point, video game-playing does become harmful.  Keyes didn’t have enough kids who were playing 10 or 20 hours or more a week in her dataset to make any scholarly conclusions.

      Life balance, perhaps?

    2. Other critics have pointed out that it’s important to know which games kids are playing. Grand Theft Auto could have pernicious effects in a young child that online chess doesn’t. But the researchers were unable to track exactly which games kids were playing. Considering the young age of the children studied, there probably wasn’t a lot of violent gaming content.
    3. Getting a lot of publicity right now is concern from MIT sociologist and psychologist, Sherry Turkle, who worries that all our technology is making us less empathetic and less able to interact with one another.
  3. gamesandlearning.wordpress.com gamesandlearning.wordpress.com
    1. This new research collaboration is supported through the National Science Foundation’s Data Consortium Fellows program.

      Wonderful!

    1. We describe gameful learning in terms of three elements: attitude, identity, and ignorance
    2. it is not the technology but the pedagogy that matters

      This is why I am a little concerned about the current state of research in GBL. The focus seems to be largely on video games, which is not bad in and of itself, but I feel that it is focusing too much on the technology and not enough on the pedagogy. If the pedagogy were the true focus of the research, we would see more diversity in the types of games being used.

    1. In this case games and the culture surrounding them provide an academic homefor play

      This is a really delightful idea to me, and yes it really does "legitimize" games and learning in the academy :)

    2. unifying influence forming partnerships across and beyond campus
    3. they wereunderstandably unclear about how to realize the vision

      Random unrelated side note: this is one of the things that scares me about getting hired after the ILT degree. Even three years from now, ed tech will still be emerging, universities will still be initiating innovations, and jobs will still be new and in the experimental (ie. unstable ) stage.

    4. this article aims to broaden the discussion and provide a startingpoint or platform for others to consider based on their context
    5. context matters
    6. higher education classrooms wherecultural norms and organizational structures, at times, act antithetically to learn throughgames

      Understanding cultural norms is really important. But how do we work with them and not against or around them?

    7. studentsas the biggest challenge to shifting pedagogicalapproaches

      I strongly disagree that students are the biggest challenge to changes in pedagogy. Students are asked to give feedback, and teaching can be altered based on that feedback, but I reject the notion that institutions won't even try to innovate due to the fear of how students might react.

    8. student expectations

      I felt a great deal of pressure 10 years ago at the secondary level to incorporate games in my classroom - I assumed it was to capture students' attention and to make foreign language learning fun. I resisted for a long time because I thought my classes were already fun haha. But the kids I taught are now approaching their 30s, so I can't speak to the attention span and expectations of today's college learners, for example.

    9. it also includes the application oflearning principles and social interactions facilitated by games and used by the community(Squire, 2011)

      I am very interested in the idea that games facilitate social interactions. My first instinct when I sit down to play a game with a group of people is to run away....I need to work on this :)

    1. just as students are not given books and told to learn inde-pendently, games cannot succeed as stand-alone solutions to education; there must be a facilitator present to guide learning and ensure (a) that the information being taught is indeed generalizable outside the context of the game and (b) that deeper, metacognitive gains are attained as a result of socially constructed game play. We recommend combining pedagogical methods to better gather data regarding the effectiveness of video games as teaching tools and examining how gaming combined with instructional facilitation by a master teacher affects engagement, student behavior, and overall academic achievement.

      There it is!

    2. social interactions that make learning “situated” must be accounted for before the educational affordances of games can be fully described

      Although I believe they are closer, I still think that this line of reasoning will lead to a research dead end. As an academic exercise, replace the words "video games" with "books." It very quickly becomes silly because we know that some books are very useful, while other books are less. Ultimately, it comes down to how the books are being used. A great quality book can quickly become useless in bad pedagogical setup, whereas an awful book can still be highly useful if it is used properly (usually as an example of what not to do). I suspect that games can (and will) be understood similarly.

      Simply accounting for social interactions may not be enough.

    3. f work can be fun, games can also be work (consider, e.g., professional sports).

      They are correct, but this is an example of bad logic. (e.g. All cats are animals, therefore all animals are cats).

    4. game play may need to be inves-tigated as situated learning

      Now they're starting on a better track.