LearningTimes Green Room

Susan and Dan tackle a big topic: games. They survey different kinds of games, discuss how games function in learning contexts, cite games that are currently making news in education, share several resources, and interview a LearningTimes member immersed in an interesting game-based approach to learning.




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Show Notes:

Big topic!

Games come in all shapes and sizes, online and offline. Start with taxonomy. One model Susan found listed: action games, strategy games, adventure games, simulation games, puzzle games and educational games which included stand alone games like Carmen Sandiego and immersive multi-player games. Susan thinks we need a new taxonomy. From functional to immersive to massive multiplayer.

Clark Aldrich blogs about games. Might want to check that out at
http://clarkaldrich.blogspot.com/ “A condition where students happily spend more time than necessary with the educational content, often in a flow state.”

Games that are getting a lot of attention: immersive and serious games. Check out what’s happening at the MacArthur Foundation. There is a webcast listeners might be interested in on the topic of games and learning – link on the main page. The Spotlight blog that corresponds also has some very good pieces about games.

Serious games today are immersive and collaborative, require players to make frequent decisions, and have learning goals and outcomes. http://www.seriousgames.org

Some people take off the shelf games and retrofit them.
http://www.socialimpactgames.com…

Dan asks why games are now getting attention when good teachers have always used some kind of a challenge in the classroom?

The pair then turn to a Skype interview with Angelo John Lewis who is doing some innovative work with games and personal coaching with the Game of Games.

Angelo shared his thinking about why games work: trial and error, scoring points, complexity, and the enabling of the player to be engaged in active learning, experiential learning and problem based learning all at the same time. He notes today’s games are more collaborative than competitive.

He then explains the ten week Game of Games and how it works. Listen for details! Interesting to note there are 4 ways to win and that Angelo is using fairly common products (Moodle, teleconferencing, discussion) to accomplish the goal.

Again, Angelo referenced Thiagi, who is doing quite a bit with games in training.

Angelo’s game is catching on big in Australia!

Dan and Susan wrap up. Susan offers 2 more great articles for readers.

Future Lab’s Literature Review [PDF] of Games in Learning

Learning in Immersive Worlds [PDF] by Sara de Freitas

Dan sums up the 4 E’s on why this is important to him. Engagement, Elusive, Expectations, and Excruciating (Susan warns against sucking the fun out of it).

Dan and Susan want to know how people are using games and invite listeners to contribute additional resources.

You can respond using the “Comments” link below or talk to us in LearningTimes. Or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada). Join us!

In this special edition of the LT Green Room, Susan and Dan "shout out" (in German) to a listener across the Atlantic who discussed the LT Green Room in his blog.

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The Google Translator referenced in this special episode is at: http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en.

Susan and Dan talk with Will Richardson, author of the http://www.weblogg-ed.com blog, about politics, web 2.0 tools and what this all might mean for civic participation among young people. The topic came after Will wrote about Barack Obama’s networked site.



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Show Notes:

Will noted that Obama is using social tools for political purpose, giving people a feeling that they are part of a larger conversation and directly linked to the campaign and other supporters. In different examples, John McCain is apparently using YouTube to connect with voters, and Howard Dean began blogging back in 2003-04. Attempts to connect to voters (by way of these tools) are going mainstream.

If Will were in a classroom again, he would get kids engaged. He talks about what that means.

Dan notes that in the American political context it is not always safe to show one’s colors, which leads to a discussion of whether transparency by way of media and tools is shifting how we express ourselves and participate. (In fact, Will says more about this in a blog entry posted after the interview was conducted at http://weblogg-ed.com/2007/the-privacy-gap/.)

Fired up and blogging young people …will they vote? We have lots of questions.

Susan notes the same themes of civic participation and youth culture are being examined by the MacArthur Foundation and were part of Diana Oblinger’s address in the recent Connectivism conference.

How does our interaction on the internet shape our behavior? Dan brings up school contexts and concerns, and Will talks about the echo chamber effect (a danger).

Listeners, we want to know what you’re thinking about the use of these tools and politics, and whether this will make a difference in terms of participation.

You can respond using the “Comments” link below or talk to us in LearningTimes. Or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada). Join us!