Gamification for the betterment of humanity!!!

No longer can your parents, spouse, significant other, friends, etc. complain that you have been wasting your time playing video games. Join EVE online Project Discovery, and let them know you are working on a cure for cancer.

Again, intrinsic motivation. Ryan, Rigby and Przybylski showed that, "motivation is accounted for by how well the game satisfies our three basic psychological needs - autonomy, competence, and relatedness" How do you think this game meets these needs?

Although the game offers a variety of extrinsic motivation, there is a definite attempt to employ intrinsic motivation by appealing to the player's higher motivations. Become a part of the scientific community working to solve real problems such as cancer, Alzheimers, and other diseases. You don't need a degree in a scientific field in order to contribute.

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Taking advantage of the addictive, repetitive qualities of gaming. Ara Shirinian (game designer) states, "Repetition" is usually a bad word -- and in games, often associated with grinding. Can it be the path to unlocking something more rewarding for players when properly utilized?"

A different take on the perils of playing video games. How do we find a lasting and fulfilling sense of accomplishment? Video games don't typically provide anything but in game satisfaction. Revaz and Szantner found a way to combine community service with playing video games.

"The key to understanding intrinsic motivation lies in developing an understanding of your audience’s values. While extrinsic motivation can create some initial success on its own, humans are pre-disposed to boredom and will move on from tasks that we no longer find personally challenging." Zach Watson (2014)

So often, it seems we are trying to teach them how to memorize facts, not really learn the topic. As a teacher, do you think allowing students to take exams multiple times helps the student learn the subject?

Also known as "Game Master of the Kingdom of Diddorol" "Within my class, when I introduce an assignment, it's embedded within a storyline," he said."I'm making up a story as I go, often strongly influenced by suggestions from the students. They'll create an entire subplot basically, but, basically it's a reason. The reason you need to take this test is because there is a peril in the kingdom and we need people to go up against this

This is also different from traditional education. "Beginning at an early age, mistakes or errors are not embraced as a positive outcome in the current educational system, at least not in the USA." Simpson A., Maltese A. (2016)

By implication, a serious indictment of traditional education (i.e., they don't offer experimentation, problem solving, and quick thinking). Do you agree?

"Every 'multiplayer class' started life as a standard lecture course, so I admit I was somewhat in stealth mode. I did mention the idea to my colleagues at Indiana University, including my chair. Some liked it, some didn’t. But no one told me I couldn’t do it, so I did....My courses were simply taught in a different manner from the sessions taught by colleagues"- Lee Sheldon (2011)

Our K-12 system largely still adheres to the century-old, industrial-age factory model of education...But the factory model of education is the wrong model for the 21st century. Today, our schools must prepare all students for college and careers--and do far more to personalize instruction and employ the smart use of technology. – US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (2010)

Currently at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Lee Sheldon is still active with games and learning, including a best selling book The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game, and developing applied game projects like Secrets: A cyber-culture mystery game.

Do you experience miniature epiphanys when playing games?

The success of The Witness surprised even Blow to a certain extent. His expectations of his audience perhaps lowered by events like Gamergate. "“I of course think it’s a very involved and sophisticated game with a lot of interesting things in it...I didn’t expect that to be as universally seen as it is, especially early on.” Jonathon Blow, 2016.

Blow, as usual, put it in a way that everyone could understand, " I think the mainstream game industry is a fucked-up den of mediocrity,...There are some smart people wallowing in there, but the environment discourages creativity and strength and rigor, so what you get is mostly atrophy.” Jonathan Blow, 2012

How does this enhance the skills that gamers are learning from playing other games? Do you feel these skills are transferable?

Jonathan Blow - an independent game developer. But don't expect a lot of flash. Check out his home page here.

Find our more about Braid here.

“You know, if you watch it being played on Twitch you don’t get the magic of the game at all, really, because the thing that makes the game good doesn’t happen on the screen. It happens in your mind when you figure the things out.”, Jonathan Blow, 2016

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Jonathan Blow thinks that video games have much more to offer than just the "porn" that is out there now. He has a long history of expecting more out of video games, which he harshly criticized as, "juvenile, silly, and intellectually lazy" back in 2012. His standing as a game developer lends credence to his criticisms.