World Council for Curriculum & Instruction Presentation
1. Global Social Problems
Local Action & Social Networks for
Change - A “Gameful” Approach
Jason Rosenblum, Bob Strong
St. Edward’s University
jasonr@stedwards.edu
h/p://slidesha.re/rsyQAu
2. What’s a serious game?
• games famously resist definition(Wittgenstein)
• Therefore here’s one perspective:
Serious games are games that
prompt experiential learning through
play, in ways that foster critical
evaluation and participation.
3. Why are they relevant?
• Theoretical models & Research Perspectives
provided by:
Ian Bogost, James Gee, David Shaffer, Constance
Steinkuehler, Sasha Barab, Kurt Squire...
...And Jane McGonigal
4. Gameful Participation
• McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is Broken: Why Games
Make Us Better and How They Can Change the
World: Penguin Press HC.
• Jane McGonigal - Real play to take action to
address large scale probs.
5. Gameful participation via
Superhero Gaming
• Produced World Without Oil (an Alternate Reality Game)
and more recently, Evoke (Alternate Reality/Superhero
Gaming)
• See: http://janemcgonigal.com/
• Look for her Ted Talk: “Gaming can make a better
world”
6. Gameful learning with
serious games
• Strategy that applies “Serious” Games with
Guided Experiential Participation
• To Foster: critical thinking, problem solving,
instructor facilitation & reflection
• To Address: authentic, real-world problems
8. Learner as “Superhero”
Clever use of technology + game design
strategies to motivate players in ways that are
Challenge-Based.
http://www.urgentevoke.com
16. What is Global Social
Problems?
&
Why Pilot this course?
17. Global Social Problems
• Local Action & Social Networks for Change
• Undergrad Cultural Foundations course
• Uses superhero gaming strategies &
challenge-based learning approach.
• Inspired by McGonigal’s idea of gameful
action and her ARG, Evoke.
19. Three Missions
• Research an issue @ Global & Local Levels
• Participate online as well as at local levels
to address the problem
• Imagine a possible way to address the
issue, incorporating perspectives learned
through research and participation.
21. Experiential Components
• Values-driven Superhero Gaming
System: Peer Review + Profile Badges
• Social Media to Research and Act:
Blogs + discussions + Twitter + Evri +
Scoop.it + content aggregation & curation
• Immersive, project-based approach:
Global Social Problem Analysis and Local
Action
• Iterative writing: faculty/peer feedback
22. Values-driven
Peer Review: Students awarded “Experience Points”
by peers on how well they demonstrate Heroic
“Character Traits”
Creativity Tenacity Perspective
Clarity Cooperation Empathy
Credibility Precision Persuasion
Courage
Badges awarded based on individual scores
23. Things to Note
• Class site is 99% “open”, not
within Blackboard
• Based on Drupal “Commons”,
but heavily modified
• Course hash tag = #globsoc
24. Course Design
Course organization: 3
Values-based Approach
Missions
Assessment Course Participation
Research Methods Technologies
Events: Social Good Local Action: 5 course
Summit group
25. What’s worked
• Iterative blog entries
• Guest Lecturer participation: Profs Vicki Totten
and Kay Firth-Butterfield
• The Social Good Summit: a social media
enabled conference
• Twitter participation
• Course values discussions
• Group project planning
26. Challenges
• Unfamiliar with: project-based course
design
• Unfamiliar with : Peer review process
• Learning: Technology components
• Unaccustomed to: Incremental research
tasks (Research Notes) & deadlines
• Requires: Constant Schedule adjustment
• Superhero-oriented theme
Give a broad overview here--no details about WWO\n http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html\n Incorporates problem-solving (how to address the problem through action) and can be described as an example of action learning--i.e. you can't solve a problem alone.  You need to collaborate with experts to come to a greater understanding of the issue. \nMcGonigal focuses on the larger picture of how and why games are relevant.\n \n Asks: How can we capture the positive, emotional qualities of ludic experiences that we get from games? \n The process of leveling through games gives a sense of accomplishment, not because saving a virtual world has “value”, rather the experience of being a part of an ‘epic’ undertaking has meaning.\n By adopting a gameful approach to school (like Q2L), we take some of the best elements of game participation and apply them in ways that make education meaningful and relevant.  It changes the game of education from something that is grade-focused (external reward) to achievement-focused (internal reward).  Gameful approaches to life that involve us in large-scale (epic) pursuits can help to give our lives meaning, particularly if we engage around real-world social problems.  It is us that make the difference—and it is us that benefit from a sense of ‘fiero!’ that comes with knowing that we’ve made a difference\n
Extends McGonigal’s notion of gameful participation into the classroom--Jane doesn’t discuss teaching & learning per se.\n\nTeaching & learning approach that incorporates use of serious games -- computer game & game methodologies to promote experiential & discovery learning around authentic, real-world problems. \n \n--gameful learning is made possible through crit. thinking, instructor facilitation & student reflection\n\nNext: will show how research perspectives can inform *how* computer-based games might help foster gameful learning.\n
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Jason: Values & Social Media\nBob: Project-based learning & Iterative Writing\n
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* Twitter Use--> Social Good Summit --> Reflection #7 (see: Magz entry)---> Twitter use now\n* --> Values --> Blogs --> Peer Review\n* --> Profile --> badges\n* --> From individual to group --> Group Page --> Discussions --> Local Projects (Charity: Water, Scoop.it)\n* Activities: Mindmapping - group “storming”: GSP + Networks (based on Network theory concepts)\n* Expert participation: Non-profits (vickit) and Global Issues (Kay FB)\n