Sheena's MET Blog

Please click on the file below to access my game log for Fantasian.

Game-Log-Form-SheenaChan

I have attached the screenshots from my three sessions below:

Session 1: This is the scene that both captured my interest with the art and filled me with dread because I knew I would get lost. How do you get to the walkway below? How do you get back up? How will I know which direction I should run?

Session 2: I love how the tutorials are the size of index cards and not filled with text. Bite-sized information that pops up when you need them.

Session 3: Avenyet spent a lot of time pointing out the time and attention the game creators put into their work. Here he is commenting on the dust on the bottles.

Exercise 1.1 Become a game tester

Puzzles and Dragons Playing Experience

My Playing Experience	My Friend’s Playing Experience
Entered dungeons and started playing upon opening game	First checked inbox for promotions and quests
Moved the orb within the given time limit	Moved the orb until the time limit was over
Relied heavily on player power-ups for knock-outs	Used power-ups to enhance team’s abilities
Spent most time in dungeons powering-up	Spent time in quests completing challenges, such as getting 25-game win streaks
Doesn’t sell any monsters obtained from playing	Examines and sells selected monsters upon acquisition
Bought multiple normal eggs with pal points	Used magic stones to buy rare, limited-edition eggs

To borrow Fullerton’s (2014) analogy, game designers don’t know how players will engage with a game until dinner is served (p. 3). Because of this game’s similarity to games like Bejeweled, I ignored many of the extra features such as evolution and the egg machines. Focusing on one aspect of the game was not enough to keep me interested. My friend has been playing this game for a while; he was the one who introduced me to this game when I asked him to help me with this exercise. I felt overall his game time was spent more effectively than mine. The first action he did was to open his inbox and check any new messages he received so he would know about any new limited-time promotions and quests as well as know what bonuses he received while he was away. I didn’t check my inbox because I want to avoid promotions and avoid succumbing to in-app purchases. While I did go through the tutorial, I didn’t spend much time becoming more familiar with the game world, such as learning which monsters can be used for evolution material and which monsters have useful leadership skills that can be used to increase the team’s defense or attack skills. One of the reasons I didn’t initially bother reading up on all of this was I found the text lengthy–it was an information overload for someone new to the game. Another reason is when I did try to evolve my monsters, I was greeted with flashing purchase signs for all the materials I had not yet acquired.  After watching my friend play, I have tried to play more mindfully, moving the orbs to get as many points as possible instead of trying to move them as quickly as possible. For some reason, I thought I’d be penalized if I took too long to move the orbs. I wonder now why I did not experiment and test limits instead of blindly following rules. Now that I’m playing the game with more purpose, I am finding this game more interesting. I wonder if a more detailed tutorial or a tutorial that was introduced in pieces at certain points of the game would have increased my initial engagement.

 

Exercise 2.2: Players describe how players might join or start a game of Go Fish versus single-player Quake.

Go Fish	Quake
The game needs to have at least one interested player approach other potential players and ask them to play with them.	A single player can play without taking any social step.   But if the game is being played by someone else, an interested player would need to ask if they can have a turn after the current player. The players would then need to negotiate how much time each player will have.
To start a game, a player who understands the rules can explain how to play, or new players can read over the gameplay instructions together   Trial and error could be used here, but most likely the other player(s) would become annoyed and stop playing or kick the person out of the game. This reaction is due to the player attitude. Fullerton (2014) notes agreeing to play a game involves the “voluntary acceptance of the rules of a game” (p. 33).	The player can go through a tutorial, find a walkthrough online, read the instruction manual that came with the game or use trial and error
New players can learn how to play by watching people play the game
A deck of playing cards and a flat surface to lay the extra cards.	A PC or game console is needed If you use a game console, a controller and TV screen are also needed The actual game is needed Electricity and memory card, because the game must be saved at every level

There is a social aspect to both games. Despite being a single-player game, Quake feels like a more social game because there are different tournaments, demos and livestreams so people can watch other players play. Go Fish does have a couple instructional videos, but due to the simplicity of the game, there does not seem to be a need for various videos on strategy.

 

Exercise 2.4: Rules Can you think of a game that has no rules? If so, describe it. How about one rule? Why is this exercise difficult?

I can’t think of any game with no rules. The closest game I can think of with one rule is driving in some cities. The rule is no contact, in other words, don’t hit anyone and don’t get hit. This exercise was difficult because rules tie the player and game together. Fullerton (2014) notes that players respect the rules of the game with the understanding that they are a necessary component if the game is to function as a game (p. 35). Rules can limit our actions, which determines the parameters for winning. For example, when playing charades, if students are allowed an unlimited number of guesses, the challenge lessens which affects the sense of accomplishment at the end of the game.

Exercise 3.2: Three-Player Tic-Tac-Toe Create a version of tic-tac-toe that works for three players. You might need to change the size of the board or other elements of the game to do this.

I designed this version of tic-tac-toe so I could use it in a classroom setting. I thought a combination of cooperative and team competition would work best.

Objective: To get more points than any other player or team.

This three-team game of tic-tac-toe requires a tic-tac-toe player board as illustrated below, a tic-tac-toe scoreboard, a deck of question cards from any subject (e.g. mathematics, history, science, English). The three teams will elect a representative to start the game by playing rock-paper-scissors to determine the playing order. The first team can choose which tic-tac-toe score can be used.

The first team sends their first representative to select a question card. The player has 30 seconds to answer the question. Team members may assist the representative, but the representative must be the one to vocalize or write down the answer. If the representative is unable to answer the question correctly or within the allotted time, the next team has a chance to answer the question. If that team is unable to answer, then the next team can try. Each team has one chance to answer the question before it is placed at the bottom of the deck.

If a question is answered correctly at the first opportunity, that team can get one point and a chance to place either an ‘x’ or an ‘o’ on the player board. Teams that answer questions dropped by other teams may collect a point, but not a chance to place an ‘x’ or an ‘o’ on the player board.

Teams take turns sending different representatives to pick and answer question cards.

A team cannot send the same representative until each team member has had a chance to be a representative. Turns representing their team should be fairly allocated.

Teams can switch between using an ‘x’ or an ‘o’ on the player board. When a team gets three in a row, bonus points are given. The last spot marked to get the three in a row is found on the scoreboard. The flap is lifted the points are awarded accordingly.

When the player board is filled, a new player board and scoreboard can be started by the next team that answers their question correctly. The game ends after all question cards have been answered.

Tic-Tac-Toe Player Board

	A	B	C
1
2
3

 

Example Tic-Tac-Toe Scoreboard

	A	B	C
1	X2	10	5
2	100	-10	25
3	15	X10	Switch points

 

Exercise 3.3: Interaction Patterns For each of the interaction patterns, create a list of your favorite games in each pattern. If you can’t think of any games in a particular pattern, research games in that area and play several of them.

This exercise was good because I had to challenge myself to research different games to fill out this list. I did try a couple of the games new to me.

1. Single player versus game
   1. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
   2. Kingdom Hearts
   3. Final Fantasy VII and VIII

 

1. Multiple individual players versus game
   1. HomeScape
   2. Pokemon Go
   3. Puzzles and Dragons

I took a while to decide if I should include games like HomeScape and Puzzles and Dragons. In HomeScape there are team events where you can form teams and solve puzzles to get points, but outside of the team events, you can solve the puzzles by yourself and get prizes based on how you score on the leaderboard. You can also ask friends for lives, kind of how one might ask to borrow a BINGO dabber from a neighbour in a BINGO hall. Puzzles and Dragons has the option of borrowing a helper player from a “friend” but otherwise, you don’t have to interact with the player.

Player versus player

1. 1. Chess
   2. Street Fighter
   3. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Unilateral competition

1. 1. Mafia
   2. Mysterium – players are psychic investigators on the hunt for a murderer
   3. Among Us

These games feel similar to each other. Mafia is probably the most requested game in my upper primary classes. I think its cooperative and competitive interaction patterns make it engaging for students.

Multilateral competition

1. 1. Words with Friends
   2. Scrabble
   3. Mario Kart Tour

Cooperative play

1. 1. Overcooked 2
   2. Don’t Starve Together
   3. Sea of Thieves

Team competition

1. 1. League of Legends
   2. Awesomenauts
   3. Arena of Heroes

References

Fullerton, T. (2014). Game Design Workshop: A Playcentric Approach to Creating Innovative Games, NY: Taylor & Francis (CRS Press)/ Chapters 1, 2, 3.

1. To prize freedom and freedom of choice.

2. They want to customize things and make them their own.

3. They are natural collaborators, who enjoy a conversation, not a lecture.

4. They’ll scrutinize you and your organization.

5. They insist on integrity.

6. They want to have fun, even at work and at school.

7. Speed is normal

8. Innovation is part of life.

• Select one of Tapscott’s 8 Cultural Attributes of a Net-Generation and drawing on your own personal experiences discuss how this attribute either extends or limits your ability to understand the ‘net-generation’.

Customization

Haven’t people always wanted to customize things so that it resembles what they know? One of the first missionaries to China adopted Chinese customs and dress to build relations with the locals so he could have the chance to share his beliefs with them. A lot of the traditions surrounding Christian holidays like Christmas originated from pagan traditions. Surely the Easter Bunny’s roots predate Christianity? As someone who grew up in a Protestant household, I find it interesting that at some point in history religion, or at least Christianity was open enough to accommodate local traditions. While there have been some changes in Christianity such as some denominations will recognize and officiate LGBTQ+ marriages, that same openness that was present at the beginning, doesn’t seem so strong today. I think if we’re not careful, the ability to customize will be dictated by a privileged set of people. Cancel culture is a threat to our ability to customize. If a person doesn’t want to be ostracized, they need to follow the trends and what is politically correct. At first I thought freedom and customization were bascially the same; however, being able to customize does not mean there is freedom. Afterall, who decides what options and features are available for customization?

• Using a personal example regarding the arts and humanities reflect on how language systems have been used to ascribe meanings and values to particular words within the contexts of signifying practices. (e.g., ballet – high art; break dance – low art).

I can remember when manga (Japanese graphic novels) were just beginning to be officially translated and sold in English-language markets. Before this, there were lots of illegal translations online. When translated manga became available in English, there was a divide between people who preferred the illegal translations over the official translations because they felt the illegal translations were closer to the original work’s intentions/meanings. I remember some people being a bit snobbish about it. I do think a lot of the illegal translations kept the parts of Japanese culture within their translations, explaining these points through lengthy sidenotes and/or hyperlinks, but the official English-language translations were more accessible to a wider group of people because the cultural parts were translated to the closest English equivalent.

• JR is an example of a visual artist working beyond an exhibition in a gallery, how is his art technologically relevant to a contemporary classroom? And how might Subhani, K. (2015) Photos as Witness: Teaching visual literacy for research and social action, help us in unpacking his work in the classroom?

JR’s art is relevant to the time and human emotions. Subhani (2015) notes the average person spends less than a second looking at an image. JR’s art can change, for example the moving train exhibition and the vinyl photos that were used as roofs. The impermanence of the art motivates the viewer to take a close look since they don’t know if the art will still be there in that place and form later on. Despite the shortness of a human lifespan and attention, Skloot in Subhani’s (2015) article draws his students to the common thread linking their chosen photos together: human emotions. The emotions conveyed in the photos are framed to either express the photographer’s feelings at that moment or to express the subject matter’s feelings. I thought this intention in storytelling was most evident in Jessica Hill’s response, she lets her photos do the talking. She doesn’t do interviews out of respect for the people in her photos. It is up to the viewer to bridge that gap in time and experience from the present to the past.

• How does Lloyd’s (2013) Trouble Comes to Me: The Mediated Place of the Urban Citizen, helps us understand & talk to this idea of a “meaningful knowledge of self identity and community.”

Perhaps this is an oversimplification, but I think Lloyd’s (2013) redistribution of marginalized stories is about exposure to other perspectives. I think this is one of the reasons why there are digital cameras made for young children or the little lightweight ones that can be attached to a collar. These spaces that children and pets inhabit are the same urban area, but seen from a different perspective.

References

JR. (2011). Use art to turn the world inside out. Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PAy1zBtTbw (Links to an external site.)

Lloyd, J. (2013). Trouble comes to me: The mediated place of the urban citizen. Space and Culture, 16(3), 306-322.

Subhani, K. (2015). Photos as Witness: Teaching visual literacy for research and social action. English Journal 105(2), 34-40.

Tapscott, D. (2008). Net Geners Relate to News in New Ways. Nieman Reports; Winter2008 62(4) 18-19.

1. How you have used educational technologies and pedagogic strategies, self-directed learning, critical inquiry, or intercultural communication specifically within the context of your area of employment.
2. Identify three (3) possible future goals for using technology in the arts and humanities classroom (or in your own context if it is different) and discuss one of these goals in greater depth (paragraph).
3. Speculate on how this course might help you reach your goal.
4. Post your response in the Discussion Forum WEEK 1 – Thoughts on Technology & Teaching – Week One.
5. Read the introductory statements posted by your classmates and post a response to at least one of them. Remember when posting a response you should click on reply, while inside the thread for the other person’s message. This way your message is “nested” under their entry. It is useful to remember that everyone likes to feel included so try to spread your responses amongst the class

As a primary homeroom teacher, I don’t always teach art, it depends on whether there’s an art specialist teacher at the school I work in. I do think taking a cross-curricular approach to learning and teaching is important. When I was looking at the instructions for the tasks, I remember looking at the titles of the projects to consider and thinking how this doesn’t really make sense. Once I clicked on the link and found the projects, I was able to move from just words to a sense of understanding. I can’t help but feel that this is how my students might feel if I introduce content without additional visuals. I have used educational technologies such as iPads to give students choices/self-directed learning. For example, when sketching and labeling the different layers of the earth, I provided 3 different sources (2 videos, one website) for the students to look through. They had the option of looking through as many of those sources as they wanted to. I’ve also used apps like BugClub and Epic! for their read-aloud options for some books. Many of my students postively reviewed Epic!, letting me know that they used it at home to read too because of the quality and quantity of books available. One part of learning is opening up a new world, so hearing students are using an app beyond the classroom is rewarding. I did that too after I finished going through Daito Manabe’s projects to consider for this task.

Three possible goals for using technology in the arts and humanities classroom are: deeper understanding of digital literacy, alleviating anxiety around art for those students who believe they can’t “do art” and creating a space where students feel safe to make mistakes (the undo function).

Lessons where students can digitally manipulate photos, could help them gain a better understanding of how content online can be manipulated by anyone and that it can be altered to fit the intention of the creator. Students can alter their own photos using the lasso tool to crop their heads onto the bodies of other people or animals. It can be a fun lesson and at the same time, students can experience firsthand how their own image can be altered. I think this lesson could also be taken a step further so students can consider the importance of respecting people’s wishes and copyrights. After experiencing all the fun and sometimes silly edits they can use on their own photos, they might have a deeper understanding of why some people are not comfortable having their photos taken and posted online. Which could lead to students considering their own comfort level with posting their photos online. They could then explore what options are available to post photos and what rights they have when they post their photos online. My students are too young to open their own social media accounts, but it’s good for them to learn now so they can consider the options and consequences.

Reading through some of my peers’ Week 2 Posts, I feel a better appreciation of the significance video can play on students’ lives and learning experiences. As some people noted, today people can work towards becoming YouTubers, a career that might have been unimaginable for many during YouTube’s fledgling years.

Videos can be used as a communication tool to push learners to improve themselves. Knowing that they can rewatch themselves, they put greater care and pride into their actions and words. However, like any tool, it can be a double-edged sword. Used thoughtlessly it can lose its impact or it can demoralize others. Reading through the comments I recalled a colleague’s experience at her previous school. Her school had spent the last school year online, so for graduation, the Grade 6 students had to film and submit a video message. They had several months to work on it, but there were a couple students who did not submit anything by June. They were unable to come up with the perfect video. Their parents sent some of the “failed” videos, but there was nothing wrong with them. Several days ago I showed my students the Dove Evolution video as a prelude to a unit on retouching and editing images. My students (Grade 3) saw nothing wrong with having the model’s face retouched digitally because the purpose is to get people to buy the product. Some of them believe that it isn’t good to wear makeup because it’s lying, but that everyone uses some sort of photoshop or filters on their photos online. I’m not sure if the belief about makeup is due to their age, perhaps their parents told them this because they don’t want their 8-year old children to wear it, I wasn’t able to get a clear answer about this, but I was surprised how blasé they were about digital touchups and the need for perfection in videos and advertisements. Next month my class will be making some videos to share online with their families in place of a school-held event. The posts of my classmates and my students’ comments show that there is value in creating videos, but I need to be wary of avoiding any “perfection” pitfalls.

After reading/viewing the Ideas and Issues content for this module, write 2 paragraphs that immediately describe what you consider are some of the educational benefits (or not) in making / engaging in video/ image based web content: This is not a long considered piece of writing but rather a first thoughts, get something out there – thinking as writing exercise. You are endeavouring to spark a conversation with your peers, not write a long treatise that encapsulates all your thinking on the subject.

Being in the present seemed to be a major theme in the video projects linked in the module, but as an educator I try to make videos that can be reused over the years, like video tutorials going over equivalent fractions. I’ve also used origami YouTube tutorials with lower primary classes in a DIY style. What I like about these video tutorials is they can be paused to give learners time to digest content in chunks or rewound and replayed. If learners have access to their own device like an iPad, the learning pace can be set by the individual.

I’ve been thinking how can I effectively use videos/image based web content in my classes. I’m considering combining feedback with video journals. During a Professional Development session I attended, a study shared that verbal feedback is more meaningful than written feedback. I have been trying it out, and I am seeing my students using the feedback I give them more often. Video content can be similar to verbal feedback, especially in online learning contexts. There are screen-recording apps like Screencastify that allow camera-shy students to record without showing their faces. Could students record their learning or the progress of their art projects and combine the different images/videos into one video, adding their own annotations during the process and then again as a reflection at a later time? The reflection at a later time could be more meaningful than traditional written ones because students would be connecting with their past selves. One of my students told me how cool it was to find out that her parents had first seen Home Alone when they were her age. She was excited about having this connection with her parents, watching Home Alone for the first time at the same age. Could a video reflection on a video progress diary create a similar and/or meaningful connection?

In Gee’s 2008 article, he examines the missed opportunities that can occur when games are only designed and viewed for educational purposes. This shortsightedness is something Gee admits to being guilty of and seeks to rectify by considering how the game Portal, despite using physics as its “content” the game is not defined by it, instead, physics serves as “possibilities for action that defines play” (2008, p. 233). According to Gee (2008) physics is a tool within the game; the tools people have on hand can direct their attention and their range of discoveries. Gee (2008) argues that currently learning from games is not easily transferred to the physical walls of the classroom. For example, in regard to language learning, games take advantage of placing complex language into a popular context making the language accessible to users who are unable to experience such success within the world of school texts. The article seems to suggest that while the game world and physical classroom can exist at the same time, they have difficulties interacting, so what tools does Gee think are necessary for learning to be transferred from the game world to the physical world?

In a later article, Gee and Gee (2017) explore the interactions between online and offline learning. They (2017) describe the similarities between science and game play, where science is a “high-powered, tool-enhanced, socially and institutionally organized conversation with the world, based on a  desire to understand and a respect for the world’s responses” (p. 9) and games are a world with its own set of rules that must be known and understood to progress. Gee and Gee (2017) observe that the ability of gamers to test out different scenarios within a game, existed before video games; people have been playing out possibilities in their minds before acting on them. Rather than focusing on a particular aspect of technology or traditional learning, the article argues that the best of both worlds exists when the focus is placed on communication networks, such as the ones found in a DTAL system (2017). Communication networks are vital due to the influence they have on shaping learners’ focus and appreciation, so a modern DTAL system is ideal as it offers tools from both worlds to continue and develop interactions in both spaces (2017).  The article (2017) mentions that the right conditions can best utilize DTAL systems, but I feel there are barriers that inhibit society from moving beyond affinity spaces, did Gee and Gee observe people from different social and political backgrounds interactions within DTAL systems?

The 2017 article builds on what was written in 2008; the interactivity of DTAL systems provides the space for users to explore and react to their environment, much like cats do. The rigid wall between learning in games and the physical classroom described in 2008 is broken in 2017 with the recognition that experiences and interactions build on each other and form how people value and appreciate the world, thus guiding an individual’s learning journey.

 

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).