Week 13 - Literature Review Topic/Resources

Topic:

How can video games create authentic learning opportunities in school?

Literature Review:

Arnseth, H. (Dec. 2006). Learning to Play or Playing to Learn – A Critical Account of the            Models of Communication Informing Educational Research on Computer Gameplay. Game Studies, 76:1. Retrieved from http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/arnseth

Frossard, F., Barajas, M., & Trifonova, A. (2012). A Learner-Centred Game-Design Approach:    Impacts on Teachers' Creativity. Digital Education Review, (21), 13-22.

Gee, J. (n.d.). Why are video games good for learning?. Informally published manuscript,             Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI.

Lunce, L. (2006). Simulations: Bringing the Benefits of Situated Learning to the Traditional         Classroom. Journal of Applied Educational Technology, 3:1. Retrieved from       http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.93.8969

Simpson, E., & Clem, F. A. (2008). Video Games in the Middle School Classroom. Middle           School Journal, 39(4), 4-11.

Skogen, R. (2012). The Boy Who Learned to Read through Sustained Video Game Play: Considering Systematic Resistance to the use of –New Tests- in the Classroom. Journal of Unschooling & Alternative Learning, 6(12), 53-81.

Week 12

Sorry it's late, I was in a car accident and had to take the weekend off. 

Here is my final project: Balanced Equation Hero
My file was WAY to big so I deleted the music and compressed the project.  The artwork is not as much fun anymore but due to space constraints I didn't have a choice. 

1. What: What is your project? How does it work? How did you come up with the idea?

My project is based on the task of balancing equations in chemistry.  Balancing equations involves making sure there is the same number of each atom on both sides of the equation.  When playing my game you are greeted by a mad scientist who has to choose between levels 1 and 2.  The game is played by selecting the letter (A or B) that indicates the correctly balanced equations.  I am not sure how exactly I arrived at this idea.  I looked at a lot of other Scratch projects and games when I was looking for ideas.  I decided balancing equations is very important and may students could use extra support.  I guess this lead me to my game. 

2. So What: What was your process for developing the project? What was interesting, surprising, or challenging? Why? What did you learn?

I would have to say that developing my project was interesting and challenging.  It was challenging because this is the first major project I have made in Scratch.  The major challenge was developing level 1 because level 2 was a copy with minor edits/changes.  Getting my letters to show-up on every question was one of my biggest challenges.  It would work when I played on my computer but when I uploaded the game to Scratch it no longer worked.  I also had difficulty because my file size was way too big.  I did research to learn how to compress the file which caused my pictures to be less vibrant.  The project was interesting because I had fun with the challenge and learning how to Scratch.  I still have lots of improvements for my Scratching skills, but I feel I am on the way.  While Scratching I faced the challenges of learning how to change backgrounds, having my players show and hide when they should, displaying correct and incorrect, and in general making the game flow smoothly. 

3. Now What: What are you the most proud of about your project? What would your change? What do you want to create next? Why?

 

I can’t pick one thing of my project that I am most proud of.  I am proud of the entire thing.  I have shown my students and my family.  I never thought I could create my own game so the entire experience makes me proud. 

The only thing I would change would be the file size limit.  Because I had to compress my file the art work and backgrounds aren’t as vibrant.  I also deleted my music to help shrink the file size. 

I am not sure what I want to do next.  I plan to play with Scratch more in the future but not until I graduate because I am out of “playtime.” 

4. Principles of Good Games and Good Learning: Provide explicit examples of the principles of good games and learning you applied in your game design. Then provide explicit examples of the principles of good games and good learning you could apply if you had more time and better Scratching skills. 

I have tried to incorporate as many principles of good games as possible with my limited time and Scratching skills.  The first principle is identity.  When the player starts the game they have to become the scientist and balance the equations.  The next principle is interaction.  The student interacts with the game by choosing the correct letter associated with the balanced equation.  They also interact with the game because the teacher (the scientist in the game) asks the players name causing them to “own” the identity.  Customization is also part of my game.  The player decides what level they will play allowing them to customize the game.  The game is also customized when the player enters their name.  The principles of “Just in Time” and “On Demand” are also incorporated in the game.  These are fulfilled by the short and sweet directions.  There is not a lot of detail in the beginning but if the player clicks the wrong answer they are given a brief reminder of how to balance equations.  My game loosely includes well-ordered problems.  When creating the game I tried to start with easy equations and work toward harder ones.  Level 2 contains more complex problems than level 1 which also demonstrates well-ordered problems. 

Creating the game incorporated the principle of pleasantly frustrating.  The final product isn’t frustrating, at least not to me, but it could be for struggling students. 

If given more time and better Scratching skills I would try to incorporate more principles.  One of which would be risk taking.  It would be fun to make the game change depending on the number of correct or incorrect answers.  For example if the player answered so many questions wrong I could create a scene with and explosion to demonstrate the player failing at saving the classroom and/or school.  A fun way to incorporate production would be to have the player choose which door to enter and behind each door could be a different type of chemistry problem.  This would allow the player to write their game as they go because what problems they are faced with depends on the door they choose.  This freedom would lead to the principle of agency.  System thinking could be incorporated by having each level build toward the final level which could contain problems where the player must use all the skills from the previous levels to succeed. 

Double Entry Journal 11

“In my mind, play and learning can and should be intimately linked. Each, at its best, involves a process of experimentation, exploration, and testing the boundaries” (Resnick).

I chose the above quote because I truly believe what it says.  Linking play and learning allows students to be creative when they are thinking.  This allows for thinking outside the box and exploring.  In a classroom setting, many students are scared to think outside the box because they might be ridiculed for their thoughts.  Creating a setting where students are playing leads them to believe they are not going to be judged by their peers.  This allows them to be more creative and explore their ideas. 

When Googling the topic play and learning I came across the following webpage: Play, Creativity, and Lifelong Learning.  I chose this as my additional resource because it contains different short articles about playing. 

Week 11

I feel this is very close to my final project.  I am not sure what else to do unless some bugs are found.  I went through the rubric and feel I have the qualifications.  If anyone finds any bugs or has any final recommendations please tell me!  A specific place the bug occurs is very helpful!  Thanks, all comments are welcome and helpful!

The most noticeable revision I made to my project was completing level 2.  I also added a few more backgrounds/questions.  I fixed the spelling error and the bug that wouldn’t let the game progress.  I added some more detailed instructions about balancing equations but I feel the students/people that would search/play this game would know about balancing equations. 

Once I finally got the project finished my biggest struggle has been making the file small enough to upload on the Scratch site.  After a lot of searching and try this and that, I have made the project small enough to upload.  The images have suffered but still get the point of the project across. 

Here is my project… Draft 2 – Balanced Equation Hero

Double Entry Journal #10

“In any case, the fact that computer games have become a major industry means that in many people’s lives computer gameplay features as a very pleasurable and entertaining, but also at times frustrating and challenging, activity” (Arnseth, 2006).

“The important point to make is that the order of words says something about focus and emphasis. Regarding playing to learn, the emphasis is on learning, which is to say that some content or skill should be the end result of game playing. As such, knowledge and skills are treated as effects or outcomes. In regard to learning to play, on the other hand, the emphasis is on the activity of playing. As such, learning might be regarded as an integrated part of mastering an activity, in this case, gameplay” (Arnseth, 2006).

“According to such a view, the object of study is how people in and through their participation in gaming activities construct social identities, relationships, competencies and languages” (Arnseth, 2006).

I had difficulty choosing three quotes from this article.  I enjoyed reading it and it made a lot of since.  I have always wondered about the distinction between playing to learn and learning to play.  I believe they can go hand-in-hand especially with the right guidance.  I remember learning to spell my middle name by playing a game with my grandfather.  This is a prime example of both playing to learn and learning to play and why I chose the second and third quotes. 

The increasing importance of technology has been discussed several times by everyone in the class.  This is why I chose the first quote. 

For my resource, I chose the following an article from The Journal of Applied Educational Technology.  Simulations: Bringing the benefits ofsituated learning to the traditional classroom is an article written by Les Lunce.  I felt this article is straight from this week’s topic.  It discusses simulations which are useful games for teaching.  I had a science ethics class and one of the assignments was to play an ethics game simulation.  It was a great way to get us, the students, involved and actually in the shoes of someone else. 

Arnseth, H. (Dec. 2006). Learning to Play or Playing to Learn – A Critical Account of the Models of Communication Informing Educational Research on Computer Gameplay. Game Studies, 76:1. Retrieved on April 5, 2013 from http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/arnseth.

Double Entry Journal #9

Why should programming be part of school curriculum?

Based on the article, programming should be part of the school curriculum because it helps bring students together.  Any type of activity that brings students together naturally and allows them to collaborate on their own is a good program. 

“In addition, groups of youth had begun working collaboratively together to create projects with a group name, such as “DGMM,” for the Dang Good Money Makers” (Kafai, Peppler, and Chiu).

What are the barriers to implementing programming in schools? 

Funding is one of the barriers as it is to all programs.  If there is no money there is no program.  Generally if low income areas are provided resources they are the bottom of the barrel resources. 

“If members of low-income and minority communities gain access to new technologies, they are introduced in such a way that neglects to take the local context into consideration, and are often presented in such ways that reinforce rote learning activities rather than cognitively demanding activities” (Kafai, Peppler, and Chiu).

How can barriers to implementing programming in schools be overcome?

Funding, funding, funding!  Funding is the key because it provides the means for buying materials and hiring help. 

“Fortunately, recent legislation has reappropriated funding to further these efforts, thus establishing CTCs as a fixture in the landscape of technology access” (Kafai, Peppler, and Chiu).).

Week 10 Activity #2

This is the draft of my project.  Level 2 has not been worked on but it will be the same format as level 1 with more difficult equations.

I am also planning on adding to the question bank but I wanted to be sure to fix all the bugs before I added more.  Please let me know if you find any bugs or have suggestions.

Week 10 Activity #1

I created my Story Board in Google Docs.  It is titled Jana's Story Board and can be found HERE.  It doesn't really look anything like the example but I included all of the sections as short sentences or explanations. 

Double Entry Journal #8

“Today, literacy can be broadly defined as including any type of communicative interaction involving speaking, reading, listening, and writing with text in print and non-print forms” Kafai, and Peppler.

I chose the above quote because I have talked about literacy many times before in my blogs.  I became aware of the actual definition and how much it matters in a previous class.  I did not consider myself literate but have completely changed my mind since learning more about literacy.  It is very important and includes so much more than just reading a book as I had first thought. 

When looking for my additional source I began to search digital literacy.  I found the following video from the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC) on YouTube, LDC: Literacy Matters.  This video is great for teachers and discusses how to create a LDC lessons from start for finish with an example from a real teachers. 

References:

Kafai, Y., & Peppler, K. (n.d.). Collaboration, computation, and creativity: Media arts practices in urban youth culture. Retrieved from http://download.scratch.mit.edu/CSCL07_peppler.pdf

LDC: Literacy Matters video.  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5EnOVjRPGI

Week 9

Here is a link to a Scratch game that helped inspire my project, it’s called Albert and Sriram'sAmazing Dog Math Game.  I hope to make my game very similar to this but incorporate a different topic.  I am thinking about a game where the player, a scientist from Fairmont State College, has to save the school by balancing chemical equations.  My game will be similar to my example except instead of solving math problems the player will be entering the number that belongs in the chemical equation. 

Just to be sure I didn’t miss any of the questions:

·         What is the academic concept students will be involved in as they play the game?

balancing chemical equations

·         What is the story line?

The player must save the school by balancing equations. 

·         Who is the main character?

A science teacher at FSU

·         What does the main character do to win the game?

The player must enter numbers in the blank to balance the chemical equations and earn points.

·         What challenges will the main character face to move up a level?

The player must get a set number of points in order to change levels.

Double Entry Journal #7

““Literacy” has been defined differently throughout history owing to changes in societal demands. The definition of traditional literacy is the ability to read, write, communicate, and comprehend and has encompassed language skills evolved from writing, vocabulary knowledge, and meaning construction” (Hsu and Wang, 2010).

I enjoyed this week’s article.  It has aspects that apply to me and further enlightened my knowledge of gaming and education.  There are a lot of good ideas in the article which would help incorporate gaming into the classroom.  I have been learning a lot about literacy and this article is no different.  I feel the ideas in the article are very positive and I enjoyed reading it.

For my supporting article I decided to search literacy and gaming.  The video I chose can be found ­here­.  This video is basically and interview from someone from WeroCreative.com and his presentation of the future of gaming and education.  He discusses “blended learning” which is a combination of old and new media and on- and off-line spaces which create a safe learning environment for students.  The article was inspiring and made me do a little more research about WeroCreative.com.
References:

Clare. A. (2010). Games, Gaming, Literacy and Education. AssociationMediaLit. < http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlafLO-VLuQ >

Hsu, H., & Wang, S. (2010). Using gaming literacies to cultivate new literacies. Simulation & Gaming, 41, pp. 400-417. doi:10.1177/1046878109355361

Week 8

This week I created a Pacman project.  It is very simple but I enjoyed SCRATCHing around with it.  So here's my project, I hope you enjoy it!

Double Entry Journal #6

“Not surprisingly and as mentioned earlier, one of the findings that emerged from our research was that students spend a large proportion of their time out-of-school playing digital games” (Spires, Lee, and Lester, 2008).

I chose the above quote from the article because I completely agree with it.  Students spend a lot of time with technology and digital society.  I know most of my high school students carry cell phones many of which are connected to the internet which allows them to “keep in contact.”  By having a phone the students can not only keep in touch through text messages or calls but they can also get on Facebook or Twitter.  There is absolutely no doubt most students spend a large amount of time involved in the digital world. 

For my accompanying resource, I chose a short article from Edutopia.org titled Game-Based Learning to Teachand Assess 21st Century Skills.  The article discusses 21^st century skills and how games can teach and assess these skills. 

Resources:
Miller, A. (2012). Game-Based Learning to Teach and Assess 21st Century Skills. Edutopia.org. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/game-learning-21st-century-skills-andrew-miller>

Spires, H. A., Lee, J. K., & Lester, J. (2008). The 21st century learner and game based learning. Meridian, 11(1), Retrieved from <http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/win2008/21st/03.htm>

 

Week 7

This week’s assignment was fun and challenging.  I really had to learn about timing and how to make the text say what I want when I want it to.  I also played around with the backgrounds. 

Here is my Catlib, enjoy!

I also liked seeing everyone’s About Me projects.

Week 6

I had a lot of fun with this week’s project.   I went through a lot of projects and looked at a lot of script.  Originally I tried to write my own script but I got stuck because it was a lot more difficult then I was ready for.  In the end decided to remix someone else’s.  I found one I liked, Intro to Gaia, and went from there.  I chose this project because I liked the idea of incorporating different pictures that inspire me.   Without much thought I knew I wanted to include my family, my dog, and my career.  In the end I am very proud of my project.  I have already shown it to my boyfriend and parents.  I also plan to share it with some friends.  In the past I haven’t considered myself to be technologically savvy but maybe I should give myself more credit.  J

Here is my About Me!

 

Double Entry Journal #5

I enjoyed this week’s article.  I was never a fan of social studies and found it a boring subject.  The idea of playing a game to learn the content of United States history is very interested.  I can pretty much guarantee students would prefer to play a video game to learn history versus reading a text.  I chose the following quote:

“Approaches to the use of games in education might also be thought of in terms of how the gameplay interacts with specific content learning goals. While some argue that playing games enables learning in academic content areas (Hutchinson, 2007a), other approaches suggest that learning to play a game is equally or even more important” (Lee and Probert, 2010).

I chose this quote because it discusses interactive games being centered around specific content learning goals.  As teachers we know the importance of teaching specific content.  We have guidelines, CSO, that we must follow so a video game that incorporates those guidelines while getting our students attention is a great idea.  I know I would have enjoyed learning US history by playing an interactive game.

The accompanying article I chose is from the charlotteobserver.com.  The article supports and encourages the use of video games in the classroom.  It tells the story of specific encounters that lead to the person’s support of video games.  It also discusses a few specific games including games with specific goals, Angry Algebra.  As it says in the article, “We’ve come a long way since ‘Pac-man.’” 

References:

Lee, J. K., & Probert, J. (2010). Civilization III and Whole-Class Play in High School Social Studies. Journal of Social Studies Research, 33(1), 1-28.

Helms, A.D. (2013). Education and Video Games are No Longer Enemies. Charlotte Observer.com < http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/01/07/3768358/education-and-video-games-are.html>

Week 5

I have both enjoyed and been frustrated with Scratch.  It can be difficulty to navigate, but once I got the hang of it, I seemed to do well.  I enjoyed the tutorial and created this animation.

Next I completed the Scratch Cards.  Here is the card sequence. 

I still am not sure what I want to do for the game I create.  I have been trying a lot of different games on Scratch.  There are so many options and a lot of really neat games already created.  I know the game will be chemistry oriented but that leaves a lot of options.  It would be fun to create some sort of chemistry lab or experiment game. 

 I also like the score counter idea from the Scratch cards.  I may try to incorporate it into my game. 

Double Entry Journal 4

“Video games are a legitimate medium of expression.  They recruit important digital literacy practices” (Steinkuehler, 2010).

            I selected the above quote because I strongly agree with it.  Video games are a way for the player to express themselves.  This is especially true in a virtual world or game that allows the player to create their character.  As a player creates their avatar or character they are putting part of themselves into that character.  They have a say on the characters hair, cloths, face, etc. 

            I learned a lot about digital literacy in a previous class, as with this class, my opinions changed based on the readings from the class.  At the beginning of the class I did not consider myself an avid digital learner but once I truly learned what digital learning was I found I was more literate than I originally thought.  Video games are a major part of digital literacy because as you play the game you are interacting by choosing your character, reading about the game, learning to play, and communicating with other players. 

            Upon searching video games and digital literacy, I ran across the following blog/article.  I chose the article because it is about gaming becoming a part of literacy.  This is very true when you consider the definition of digital literacy.  I enjoyed the article because it focuses on different aspects of video games It also has a section about video games and kids. 

References:

Levassur, A. (2011, Oct. 17). Is Gaming the New Essential Literacy? [MindShift Blog]. Retrieved from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2011/10/can-playing-games-teach-literacy/

Steinkuehler, C. (2010). Digital Literacies. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(1), 61 63. doi:10.1598/JAAL.54.1.7

Double Entry Journal #3

I chose the following quote:
 “Children today grow up in an exciting and changing world of communication and media.  Television, digital technology, the Internet, video games, mobile phones, and personal desktop and wireless devices create novel ways for children to play, express themselves, learn, communicate, and explore texts, ideas, and identities” (Barab et al., 2005).

I decided on this particular quote because I completely agree with it.  Children today grow up with a massive amount of technology.  There are so many new and different things for children to play and learn with.  It amazes me to see my friend’s two-year-old playing matching and coloring games on her IPad.  He actually goes to his Mom and asks to play the shape game.  I have another friend with a four and five-year old who both have their own IPods.  At first I thought this was crazy but I have watched the girls play and realize they are learning while playing.  Since the start of this class I have started viewing video games in new ways, I now see their importance in moderation. 

The following is an article from PBS Parents.  It is about children and media specifically video games and preschoolers.  The article is titled Video Games:Preschoolers.  This article lists 5 ways to make the most of digital games and 4 game qualities that benefit children’s development.  I found it very interesting and thought it was fitting for this class.   

References:

• Barab, S., Thomas, M., Dodge, T., Carteaux, R., and Tuzun, H. (2005). Making Learning Fun: Quest Atlantis, A Game Without Guns. Educational Technology, Research and Development; 53, 1. 86.
• PBS. org Video Games: Preschoolers. Retrieved from:             http://www.pbs.org/parents/childrenandmedia/videogames-preschool.html.

Scratch

I love chemistry and am such a nerd when it comes to chemsitry and games.  I started this assignment by simply searching Scratch for "chemistry games."  There were a few of them (many of which I played) but I decided on one that involved making molecules.  The game is fun and involves the students using their chemistry knowledge to play.  This would be fitting for the high school chemistry classroom.  I don't currently have the resources to let my students play but hopefully one day I will.

The game can be found here.

Week 3 Post 4

How week 3 altered my opinions

After week 3 my opinions have been slightly altered yet again.  My opinions have slowly changed since the start of this class.  The more I learn in this class the more I feel video games are important in moderation.

Video first, Your Brain on Video Games, helped me realize things I had never thought of.  For example action video games help improve the player’s eyesight.  This makes sense because they are spending so much time looking at the screen watching for small changes or shadows.  The fact that action game players have better attention also surprised me at first but after thinking about it I guess it makes sense. 

The second video, Are Video Games Making Kids Smarter, did have as many shocking facts.  But again it has shown me how video games sometimes increase teen’s social activities.  I guess playing online and chatting while you do it is helping social skills.  Actually seeing the numbers of children that play video games were a little shocking.    

The presentation did not hold my attention as well as the videos of the actual speakers.  I think that shows interaction is better.  The presentation did not impact me as much as the videos.  I had not really considered civics when I was thinking about video games.  I am not sure about this one so I will have to do some more research. 

Teens, Games and Civics

Teens, Games and Civics

3 things I learned:

1.      I knew teens played a lot of video games but I had no idea how many varieties.  80% of teens play five or more different game genres, and 40% play eight or more types of games. 

2.      I was surprised to learn the majority of most popular games are not violent. 
3.      I am not sure how I feel about the next thing I learned, “Teens who play games with others in the room exhibit more civic participation.”

 2 things I agree with:

1.      I agree and was not shocked to learn that the industry rating system does not always work.  32% of gaming teens report that at least one of their favorite games is rated mature or adults only. 

2.      I agree that there are many genres of games that are more broadly popular than others, some of which lead themselves to group play. 

 1 question you have

1.      I am not sure my question is a question, but why don’t parents pay more attention to what their children are doing?  I myself don’t have children but when I watch my cousins or friends children I always know what they are watching and/or playing. 

Are Video Games Making Kids Smarter?

Are Video Games Making Kids Smarter?

3 things I learned:

1.      I had never heard of the Flynn affect which is the pattern that human intelligence is actually raising over time.  Peoples IQ’s are rising. 

2.      I was very shocked by the following fact: “50% of all innovation, and 70% of Global 2000’s apps will be gamified by 2015” - Gartner

3.      I learned and agree with the statement get out and go play.  Parent should play with their kids and if it’s video games they choose then parents need to learn the game too. 

2 things I agree with:

1.      I agree that games are wired to produce pleasure.  I had never really thought about it like this but once I heard Mr. Zichermann said it I really feel it makes sense.  Games are produced to make people happy.

2.      I agree that a game based curriculum could be useful.  I feel games are good in moderation.  Students feel games are fun therefore educational games are fun too.   

1 question you have

1.      If gaming is so educational why are we not using it more in the classrooms?  I remember playing math games in elementary but do that do that anymore? 

Your Brain on Video Games

Your Brain on Video Games

3 things I learned:

1.      An action gamer’s vision is better than a non-action gamer’s vision à better at resolving small detail in clutter and resolving different levels of gray

2.      Action video games can increase processing skills (attention)
3.      During her research she can force someone to play an action game and increase their vision

2 things I agree with:

1.      Not all media is created equal

2.      Action game players have better attention for example ability to track objects all around them

1 question I have:

1.      Has the point where action gaming becomes too much been found or studied?  When is enough enough?

Double Entry Journal 2

Once again the assigned article has opened my eyes to new ways of thinking about gaming.  I had never considered many of the principles.  After reading the article it was much easier to relate the principles to Gardens of Time and other games I have played.  This is a different way to compare video games and their content. 

I would have to say Gardens of Time is an interactive game.  If the player isn’t actively completing the quests and searching for the hidden items then they will not get anywhere on the game.  The point is to find the hidden objects.  This leads to completion of the quests along with some minor decorating.  Gardens of Time also requires interaction with other people who play the game.  This is important for completing some of the quests such as visiting neighbors and building the Wonders.

The principle of risk taking is loosely found in Gardens of Times.  The player has the ability to replay scenes as long as they have energy.  This allows them to take risks by using the clues.  Then the next time they play the scene they don’t need the clues because they already know where the hidden objects are.

Gardens of Time also demonstrated well-order problems.  Each new quest builds off of a previous one.  For example one of the first quests is to visit Lulu.  She is the neighbor all players have in common.  This character was created by the inventors in order to demonstrate the helpfulness of having neighbors in the game.  The neighbors can be used for several things including collecting gifts, sending energy, and helping build Wonders.  The next quest in the series could be visiting five neighbors and collecting rewards.

Challenge and consolidation is also one of the principles this game incorporates.  Chapter 1 starts with less difficult searches.  The number of items you must find and the difficulty of finding the items increase with every story and chapter.  The player must master one story in order to reach the next and continue to the next chapter.  Each search is a little more difficult and must be played several times in order to receive the stars required to help the player move on and complete more quests. 

The “Just in Time” and “On Demand” principles are also found in Gardens of Time.  Each time a new quest, chapter, or story is unlocked the player is given a little more information they will need.  For example in Gardens of Time as the first few stories are unlocked a different in-game character is revealed.  This allows the player to slowly learn about the game and its characters.  These characters help throughout the quests and stories.  They are intended to help the player become more familiar with the background story the game presents. 

The principle of “explore, think laterally, rethink goals” defiantly applies to Gardens of Time.  In order to get higher scores and unlock new chapters the player must master the chapters that are available.  This is done by playing the chapter over and over.  The more you repeat a chapter the better you become at finding the hidden clues which leads to higher scores.  Higher scores lead to completing and unlocking new quests.  The entire process allows the player to explore and think before heading to a new chapter. 

Double Entry Journal #1

I would have to say the article “Why are videogames good for learning?” by James Paul Gee made me really think about video games.  The author made a lot of good points that I had not thought of.  For instance the pattern recognition in games such as the one we are playing for class Gardens of Time.  He also mentioned that many games are goal oriented which is something else I had not considered.  In a roundabout way he also mentioned the coordination involved in playing certain games.  These points are defiantly pros for gaming and learning.

I like the author’s analogies because they really hit home to me.  For example the following quote, “So, though video games and scientific simulations are not the same thing, video game can, under the right circumstances, encourage and actually enact a similar “attitude” or “stance” (Gee n.d., p. 6).  I chose this quote because this section intrigued me.  As a scientist I have used a virtual simulator to mimic results I might obtain in the lab.  I had never thought about the relationship between a virtual lab and games.  After reading this article I have a new understanding for gaming.  I can see the usefulness and would love to play a game where I could do science experiments without some of the mess.  I also feel this type of game or simulator would be great for a classroom.  It would allow the students to perform more difficult experiments without the danger they present.  There would also be reduced cost in materials.

The related blog post I chose is from a news blog called Scientific America and is titled Using Virtual Worlds and Video Games to Teach the Lessons of Reality.   This article relates to the assigned article because it discusses a school that uses a “multi-user virtual environment” in its classrooms.  One simulation portrays diseases and simulates how they can be spread.  While another portrays and alien visitation and the students have to work as a team to investigate.  These methods are praised because many low-performing students do well on these assignments because they are able to immerse themselves in the digital world.   

Gee, J.P. (n.d.) Why are video games good for learning? Retrieved from:             http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/MacArthur.pdf

Greenemeier, L. (2009, Jan. 1). Using virtual worlds and video games to teach the lessons of        reality. Retrieved from: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=using-  virtual-worlds-and-video-game-2009-01-01