Category Archives: ETEC 544

IP 2 – Annotated Bibliography

Tsai, Y. L., & Tsai, C. C. (2020). A meta‐analysis of research on Digital Game‐based Science Learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 36(3), 280–294. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12430

Tsai & Tsai (2020) performed a meta-analysis of 26 peer-reviewed empirical studies, published between 2000 – 2018, that examined the use of digital games for science learning (including physics, chemistry, biology, and natural science). The study design followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and APA meta-analysis reporting standards. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software was used to calculate the overall effect size of two groups (random-effect model), gameplay design (GD; n = 14) and game-mechanism design (GMD; n = 12), and the subgroup analysis tool (mixed-effects model) to compare education level, single/multiplayer game design, roleplay/no roleplay game type, and learning mechanisms/gaming mechanisms.

In the GD group, the results showed that students’ science knowledge acquisition at all educational levels significantly improved when digital games were used for learning in place of other teaching methods. There was no significant difference observed between single and multiplayer games or games with or without roleplay. In the GMD group, it was found that both added learning mechanisms and gaming mechanisms significantly increased science knowledge acquisition at all educational levels, with no difference between the two. The authors suggest that the results support Piaget’s theories that connect play and cognitive development and note that many children lack motivation to learn science because it is perceived as complex, but digital game-based learning may engage them in the subject matter.

The authors of this meta-analysis provided sound reasoning for their research design and provided relevant connections between the results and learning theories that inform pedagogy. They acknowledged several limitations to their study and presented compelling arguments for further research on topics such as the connections between digital game-based learning and student problem solving and gameplay behavior. This paper is clearly written and provides empirical evidence that students can develop their scientific knowledge through digital gameplay.

 

 

 

Wang, L.-H., Chen, B., Hwang, G.-J., Guan, J.-Q., & Wang, Y.-Q. (2022). Effects of digital game-based STEM education on students’ learning achievement: A meta-analysis. International Journal of STEM Education, 9(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00344-0

Wang et al. (2022) performed a meta-analysis of 33 studies with a total of 36 effect sizes that were published between 2010 – 2020. The studies were selected in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, based on the following: focus on games and STEM (specifically science, math, and engineering/technology) learning of students (K-12 or higher education), presence of a control group, quantity of data, and publication in English. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 software was used to calculate the effect size (expressed as the standard mean of difference using the random-effects model), and variables considered included the control treatment, educational level, subject, intervention duration, game type, and gaming platform.

The results indicate that there is a significant positive effect size of digital game-based learning on STEM students’ achievement. Digital games outperformed non-digital games, but there was no significant difference between subject disciplines, traditional or multimedia instruction of control groups, or the platform that was used. Primary school students showed significantly better learning achievement when learning from digital games, but there was no significant difference between intervention duration. The authors note, however, that intervention duration of less than one week has the highest increase in achievement when compared to each of the longer intervention periods, perhaps due to novelty.

Although the authors provided details about how studies were chosen, I would like to read more about how learning achievement was measured, and whether pre-tests and post-tests were used for assessment. Wang et al. (2022) do acknowledge the limitations of their meta-analysis and indicate that a follow-up study from another perspective (e.g. cognitive skills, affective influences) is warranted. The research methods could have benefitted from some more detail, and a connection to pedagogical practices would create more relevance for practicing educators.

IP 5 – Hegemonic Play: Gatekeeping Game Culture

References

Choi, Y., Slaker, J. S., & Ahmad, N. (2020). Deep strike: Playing gender in the world of Overwatch and the case of Geguri. Feminist Media Studies, 20(8), 1128-1143. DOI.

Gach, E. (2022, July 06). Ubisoft employees have ‘grave concerns’ over Toronto studio’s misconduct allegations. Kotaku.

Hathaway, J. (2014, October 10). What is Gamergate, and why? an explainer for Non-Geeks. Gawker. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.gawker.com/what-is-gamergate-and-why-an-explainer-for-non-geeks-1642909080

Mac, J. (Host). (2021, December 18). How to be an ally [Audio podcast episode]. In Cheat Codes. Women In Games International. https://open.spotify.com/show/7vQBfOKWsdnYVkLrermilu

Tyler, D. (2023, February 2). How women are changing the gaming industry. Video Game Design and Development. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://www.gamedesigning.org/gaming/women/

Witkowski, E. (2018). Doing/Undoing gender with the girl gamer in high-performance play. In K.L Gray, G. Voorhees, & E. Vossen (Eds.), Feminism in play (pp. 185-203). Springer International Publishing.

Intellectual Production 8: Game Design 101

The following post is a selection of exercises from the first three chapters of Fullerton’s Game Design Workshop (2014). I made an effort to choose at least one exercise from each chapter and focused on the ones that I found the most interesting.

1.3 Your Life as a Game

Here are some aspects of my life that could be made into games:

Travelling to work

The travelling to work game has a simple objective: make it to the office on time with the highest number of points. However, there are a number of challenges the player must navigate in order to complete the task.

Firstly, the player must decide at what time to leave the house with a rough estimate of the time required to get from home to work. The more time spent in the home prior to leaving, the more ‘alertness’ points the player will have to spend on the drive, since they will have had more coffee. However, the game takes place in Saskatchewan, and the weather is unpredictable! Sometimes there will be 10 cm of snow on the ground (and the windshield), so it is often wise to sacrifice some coffee time to make sure the vehicle can be sufficiently scraped for maximum visibility.

There will be many obstacles to avoid on the drive, some more important than others. Hitting one of the many potholes will only deplete the vehicle’s condition points, but hitting another vehicle or cyclist is an instant game over.

Once the car is safely parked, the number of alertness points, vehicle condition points, and number of minutes left before the start of the workday are totalled to calculate the player’s daily ranking.

 

Aquarium care

 

The fun of the aquarium care game comes from managing a system with several interconnected variables. The player must select suitable substrate and vegetation and carefully choose inhabitants that are compatible. The bioload, water pH, and hardness must all be carefully monitored to ensure the inhabitants are happy. Some animals, such as snails, can be added to reduce the amount of algae present, but their extra nitrogen production must be taken into consideration. Each new element added will have a trade-off. The overall goal is to create a healthy ecosystem that requires as little input as possible. The player wins the game when the aquarium becomes stable enough that it only requires weekly water top-ups and daily food for the animals.

Grocery shopping

The Grocery shopping game is an exercise in resource management. The player gets a predetermined amount of time and money and must get as many items on the list without running out of either. The score is based on the number of items that were successfully purchased in the allotted time and the number of dollars that remain in the budget at the end of the trip. An experienced player will make a mental map of the grocery store and retrieve items in the order that requires them to traverse the fewest number of aisles.

 

 

Cooking supper

Cooking supper is the sequel to the grocery shopping game. The player must prepare a healthy and delicious meal from the items acquired in the previous game. The goal is to include something from every food group and make it as yummy as possible without adding too much sugar, salt, or fat. Bonus points are awarded based on timing (if all components are still hot when the meal is served), use of cookware (fewer dishes = better), and appropriate volume of food (having just enough left for lunch the next day is awarded a special achievement).

Raising chickens

This game is all about balancing animal care, egg production, and neighbourhood satisfaction. Each chicken will produce a certain number of eggs per year, and the number of eggs will increase as chicken happiness increases. Chicken happiness is based on the amount of space available, the cleanliness of the run, and the variety of feed provided. Neighbour satisfaction is based on the number of gifted eggs and the amount of noise produced by the chickens. The game is never-ending unless chicken happiness decreases to the point that they get sick or neighbour satisfaction decreases to the point where they report the player’s chickens to animal control (because the game takes place in a city with anti-chicken bylaws). Each spring season there is a mini-game where the player has to look at all different kinds of adorable heritage breed chicks and avoid buying too many.

 

2.6 Challenge

The following games are ones that I find particularly challenging:

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

This game requires a lot of precisely timed button presses, which is not one of my strengths. As Donkey Kong flies through a side-scrolling level on a rocket-propelled barrel, the player must repeatedly tap a button to keep the barrel from falling. Increase the speed of the button taps and the barrel rises. If the barrel crashes into any of the many obstacles or touches the bottom of the screen, it explodes, and the level must be restarted at the last checkpoint. Because there is not much time to react between first seeing an obstacle and dodging it, I find that I need to play the same level over and over, which quickly becomes frustrating.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

It is the combat that makes this game very challenging for me. There are a lot of different options for offensive and defensive moves, and each type of enemy requires a unique combination of them to be killed. It can take many attempts and a large amount of trial and error to figure out what works against each new enemy. Once the player gets over the hurdle of determining the correct type of combat, the next challenge is actually executing the moves without losing too much health. During battle, resources are scarce and it can take a long time to save up enough power to do a significant amount of damage to the enemy.

Hollow Knight

I find Hollow Knight challenging because the game map is large and initially very difficult to navigate. The player must work through the world piece by piece and can only access new parts of the map after solving various challenges, many of which cannot be solved without discovering a new power. The challenge would be lessened if the map were laid out in a linear fashion so that one could work through it as they achieved new powers, but as it is designed, the player must remember where the inaccessible places are and return to them later. It almost feels like a maze sometimes!

 

3.2 Three-Player Tic-Tac-Toe

For this exercise, I first tried making a 4×4 grid and proceeded to play against myself with three different symbols. I used X, O, and then arbitrarily added a triangle as my third symbol since it is something that can be drawn from either side of the grid and is recognizable upside-down as well. I decided that with the larger grid, a player should be required to get four in a row to win. However, it quickly became apparent that whichever symbol belonged to the player who went third would never be able to win. I found myself thinking from the perspective of the third player that I should just give up after a couple of turns.

I then changed the rules back to three in a row to win and tried again. This felt more like the classic game of tic-tac-toe where each turn forces the hand of the next player and generally results in no winner (unless someone makes a mistake). I learned at a young age that whoever gets to go first in tic-tac-toe has a greater chance of winning. After playing a few rounds of three player tic-tac-toe, I concluded that the first player advantage exists in this version as well.

 

3.3 Interaction Patterns

The following is a list of my favourite games for each of the seven different interaction patterns:

 

3.6 Rules Restricting Actions

The following is a list of games along with the rules of each game that restrict player actions:

    • Twister
      • Players must place a specific (left or right) hand or foot within a circle of a specific colour when the combination is called out by the person refereeing the game
      • Players cannot remove their hands or feet from the circles they currently occupy until a new colour is called out
    • Pictionary
      • The player who is drawing for their team must communicate a word solely by drawing a picture without giving any verbal hints or writing numbers or letters on the page
    • Scrabble
      • Players may only lay down tiles that spell acceptable words
      • Players may only collect up to 7 letter tiles in their hand
      • Each word that is played must connect to word that is already on the board
    • Operation
      • Players must use the designated tool to remove a specific object from the patient
      • Players may only remove the object that is indicated on the card that is drawn
      • If the player lights up the patient’s nose, they may not continue their turn
    • Pong
      • The only action that players may perform is to move the “paddle” vertically across the screen to stop the ball from touching their side

Reference

Fullerton, T. (2014). Game design workshop: A playcentric approach to creating innovative games. Taylor & Francis (CRS Press).

IP 4: What is a Game?

The following mind map attempts to condense and connect the ideas presented in Chapter 3 of Understanding video games: The essential introduction (Egenfeldt-Nielsen et al., 2019) and was created using Mind Meister’s mind mapping software. If you would like to zoom in or out to read specific sections, you can view it here.

Reference

Egenfeldt-Nielsen, S., Smith, J. H., & Tosca, S. P. (2019). Chapter 3: What is a game? In Understanding video games: The essential introduction (4th ed., pp. 31-59). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429431791

Intellectual Production 1: 3-2-1

Cats and portals: Video games, learning, and play (Gee, 2008)

3…

Gee argues that common forms of play, including video games and popular card games, effectively promote learning of real-world skills (including cooperation, problem-solving, and mastery of jargon) that are applicable to learners’ future endeavors after they leave school. He emphasizes that many of these games provide ‘tools’ that help players discover new ways of engaging with possible worlds beyond the real world. He notes that some of the things we define as play are similar to what is being taught in schools, but because they are not considered work, learners enjoy taking a deep dive into the subject matter and become ‘Pro-Ams’.

2…

Although Gee writes from the perspective of a linguist and makes compelling points about play being a strong motivator for players to master complex language, the paper lacks concrete suggestions for how educators might apply this knowledge to their teaching. He assumes that students are unable or unwilling to learn the terminology required to master school subjects because they view it as work but does not provide an explanation for students who perform well without having developed a passion for each subject.

1…

Gee brings a constructivist perspective to the topic of learning and play, with prior knowledge of the real word informing players’ exploration of the digital world; how does behaviorism fit into his ideas?

 

Games as distributed teaching and learning systems (Gee & Gee, 2017)

3…

In this paper, Gee & Gee suggest that distributed teaching and learning systems, which have only very recently in human history begun to exist in a virtual world, are as effective as the conversations with the world that humans have been having for thousands of years. They argue that digital games, as an interest around which affinity spaces are developed, can initiate deep learning around a myriad of topics related to the game. The authors place an emphasis on learning through social interactions with members of affinity spaces, as both teacher and learner depending on context, and note that the learning ecologies and interests of individuals can lead to different degrees of and areas of learning.

2…

Although they do note that criminals may develop and maintain highly sophisticated affinity spaces, Gee & Gee assume that the individuals interacting in affinity spaces act solely with the intention of communicating ideas about the topic around which the community is built. When interacting with others in a virtual space, there is a risk of engaging with those who purposely spread misinformation or push an agenda; it would be worthwhile to discuss how this could affect learning in the affinity space.

1…

In this paper, Gee & Gee use Portal as an example of the many different topics that can spark interest in learners depending on their learning ecologies; what elements of game design make a game such as this appealing to a wide array of different learners?

 

Bridge

The authors of both articles agree that engaging with digital games and the communities of players can initiate deep learning; however, Gee (2008) focuses on the new tools afforded by the medium and Gee & Gee (2017) focus on the social aspect of learning. Both papers suggest that much of the learning that stems from playing digital games happens outside of the classroom and is informed by each learner’s interests and passions, but there may be a place for the use of digital games in formal learning as well.

 

References

Gee, J. P. (2008). Cats and portals: Video games, learning, and play. American Journal of Play, 1(2), 229.

Gee, E., & Gee, J. P. (2017). Games as distributed teaching and learning systems. Teachers College Record, 119(11).