February 2011 – Technolearning

The Lure of the Game

This week’s module focused on gaming. The challenge was to try gaming in two selected online educational games. The conversations in the discussion forums connected to personal gaming experiences, gaming history, the highs and lows of gaming and how it all connects to educational endeavours. As I sit here and write this reflection my son has returned home from college and I am immersed in the fun of the game – Little Big Planet 2 – to be exact. Four participants, four controllers, and I am viewing a dizzying journey through the intricacies of the game. I have admitted I am a ‘fringe’ gamer. I enjoy the thrill through the actions of others.

How does this all connect to my work in learning about technology supported learning environments? This week’s readings and video links introduced me to the ideas by James Paul Gee. Game culture as a semiotic domain allowed me to think differently about literacy. Literacy, according to Gee, is based on recognizing and producing meaning in a particular domain. Being print literate is no longer sufficient. Being literate in one semiotic domain, such as gaming, may provide perspectives on literacy in other domains. Gaming and the culture around game playing gives meaning to many students who may be unconnected or not engaged. By bringing that game conversation and literacy into the classroom we can build the connections with them and link their learning to other areas that may be less interesting or more challenging.

The question remains. Is game playing a waste of time? If so, how does this impact on game playing in educational settings? It’s fun but is it educational? My experiences with Little Big Planet shows educational value in collaboration, problem solving, communication and creativity. I’m not sure these would translate to curricular expectations but who cares when there is yet another costume change to be made, another level to be played and new levels to create.

Hypertext – simply powerful words

Hypertext is something most people don’t even think about. It is just there. Those little blue letters are an invitation to click. The pointer moves over them and instantly turns into a hand that says, “Come see where I’ll take you.” And then the learning adventure begins.

The conventions for using and creating hypertext goes back to the early days of the internet and even before the internet was created. The work of Vannevar Bush, who wrote “As We May Think” inspired the work of Ted Nelson and Douglas Englebart. This led to work done by Tim Berners-Lee who developed the protocols for linking information on the world wide web. This work continues today through the W3C organization.

But what really fascinates me about hypertext is the mystery and magic in linking ideas, concepts and information that would not have been discovered otherwise. It is the unknown path that leads to new, undiscovered learning territory. It is the private and also social construction of my knowledge as I journey that path. It is making critical decisions about what directions I want to go, learning from the gems I find along the path, and knowing when I’ve gone too far. It’s about being in control but slightly out of control. It’s about reflecting on ideas and information that connect, resonate or disturb my thinking.

As I continue into this course on the design of on-line learning I reflect on the power and affordance of the little blue letters. Hypertext is amazing in its simplicity, powerful in its design, the conventions are apparent and the intentions are quickly understood by all. To read more about this topic, link to the Wikispace.