Chapter 6, Text Principle, Insider Principle

Chapter 6:

Cultural Models

-Images, storylines, principles and metaphors that capture what a group believe to be typical of a particular event or phenomenon.

-Cultural models help learners know how to cope with life and decisions.

-Different cultural groups have different ways of interpreting.

Video games help learners become more aware of their taken-for granted cultural values and help them see how their cultural group views the world, how their group learns how other semiotic groups function, and also reveals how they learn.

Examples:

Sonic vs. Shadow

Good for the group vs. good for the individual

Under Ash

In response to US games post 9/11 where players would shoot Arabs and/or Muslims, this game was played from the Palestinian perspective where anyone who was not a citizen (including US troops) could be shot. Different cultural model that reacted differently to a situation experienced across groups.

War Games

There were two war games; one showed how war heroes should be treated at superhumans and war was glorified, the other showed that war is essentially boring and that “Rambo” actions were most likely to get you killed.

Snake*

This game pushed the author to learn in different ways that he was not accustomed to-instead of going in and shooting everyone/everything he saw, he learned to be more tactical.

Text Principle:

Texts are not understood purely verbally but must incorporate the leaner’s embodied experience. The learner must go back and forth between text and embodied experience to understand the text. Only after the learner has had sufficient embodied experience can they read the text purely verbally. Gee gives the example of reading a game manual-you can read the text but not necessarily understand it. After you have played the game and have had more experience in searching through the manual can you come to a better understanding of the instructions given in it.

Insider Principle

The learner is an insider, teacher and producer, not just a consumer. Their knowledge allows them to change their learning experience and domain/game from the beginning and to the end.

Principle 6 and 24, psychosocial moratorium and incremental learning, and chapter 4

by Dennis Decker

Principle 6 is the psychosocial moratorium principle. This means good learning takes place in an environment where the consequences of mistakes are lowered, so that learners are not afraid to try different things.

In video games this comes through having multiple lives or from being able to save and load a game as often as needed. A non-game example is a brainstorming session, where participants are told there are no wrong ideas so that they feel comfortable contributing to the group.

Principle 24: Incremental learning principle. Challenges or learning tasks are presented so that the learner can draw conclusions that will be helpful in later situations. For example, if I learn that blue doors have to be opened with blue keys, and yellow doors with yellow keys, then when I see a red door I will start looking for a red key.

A non-game example could be in a science classroom, where students learn that ice and water are the same substance arranged differently. Later, when they see salt crystals dissolve into water, they would assume that the salt hasn't disappeared, instead it has changed state.

Chapter 4 is about situated learning. Gee makes the point that all information is only useful if it has meaning in a certain context. For example, in one game he came across a set of numbers that little meaning for him. Later he found an object that required a numerical code to open. Suddenly the numbers had meaning and became useful to him.

He argues that learning in educational situations needs to be situated in the student's experiences. He says it is foolish to expect students to learn abstractions that they cannot relate to their experience--and it makes the students feel foolish as well.

Situational learning also suggests that people start with specific examples and move to generalizations, instead of the other way around.

Principles 5&23, Chapter 4

Principle 5 - Metalevel Thinking and Learning in Semiotic Domains
- Active thinking and learning of the relationship between different semiotic domains. One semiotic domain can be used as a precursor to another domain. What has been learned in one domain can be used towards learning and thinking in a new semiotic domain.

Principle 23 - Subert Principle
- Learning starts in the subert to the real domain. In a video game the first couple of levels are used to get you familiar with the game and how is works - these are the subert levels to the actual game. It is similar to learning the fundamentals before you can be apart of any domain or group.

Chapter 4
-Humans learn from past experiences by making connections and associations to other things. They edit and categorize these experiences according to interests, goals, and values.

-Different forms to present information: Situated, Experiential, Embodied.
-Situated: Signs (words, actions, ) change according the embodied form that they are in. Such things in one game or situation will have completely different meaning to another game or group.
-Experiential: Similar to the scientific method - Probe, Hypothesize, Re-probe, Rethink/Accept. You start by probing, trying different things, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Then according to what you have learned you make a hypothesis of how to move forward in the game. Then you test it - start re-probing. If it works then you accept your hypothesis, if it doesn't work then you rethink your method and try again.
-Embodied: This is used the get the player more involved to create a place where they are able to make the decisions and control the direction of the game. They are given options to "choose their own adventure" in a sense.
-Video games reach humans in a different way than books, or movies can by using these forms to make the player more active in how the story will end.

Chapter 5

Two games are used to discuss Gee's concepts: the first being "Tomb Raider" (and incidentally the first portion of the chapter), the second being "After Shock" (the second portion).

The first portion of the book talks about starting at a basic 'tutorial' level, where the player is protected and is given minimal instructions for how to play the game. Although not explicitly mentioned in his learning principles, in Tomb Raider, the player is encouraged to be deviant from the game's instructions, and explore, as they are rewarded by finding items throughout the level which they wouldn't if they were to adhere strictly to the instructions. Learning is also incremental, as the level of difficulty of each level progressively rises.

A transition takes place where Gee discusses 'transfer,' that is, when one uses their prior knowledge from a different situation and applies it to a new situation. This might be dodging an enemies' bullets (like you would in James Bond GoldenEye) and doing the same in say, Medal of Honor.

The second portion talks about how learning throughout the game is distributed, that is, bits of information are spread throughout levels (such as information kiosks with explicit information). The player then combines this knowledge with prior knowledge of how to play the game and comes up with creative ways to solve the game (which touches on the Discovery Principle).

-Chandler Krynen

Chapter 1: Introduction; principles 8 & 26

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning & Literacy

Chapter 1: 36 Ways to Learn a Video Game

By his own description, James Paul Gee is an educator and researcher, a "linguist interested in language and literacy," and particularly in how we learn. Observing his young son play a video game with what seemed to be an extraordinarily high level of sophistication, he became fascinated with the multi-strata processes of learning that occur in video games and made it a pet project.

Gee explores 36 different learning principles, with the objective of exploring and revealing the power and potential of human learning in sophisticated digital platforms. He refers to the socio-economic phenomenon that Marx dubbed "the Creativity of Capitalism," to explain that when a game--or any learning environment--is well-designed, the learner is voluntarily (and often intensely) engaged, challenged, and progressing quickly. Consequently, "good" games beget more good games, in a progressive pattern of length, levels, and sophistication. (It's important to note that Gee defines a "good game" as effective in competencies like supporting learners on the edge of their "regime of competence;" good does not imply a moral or ethical judgment on a game.) Education, technology, arts, and free enterprise become powerful partners in digital gaming.


Principle 8: The Identity Principle

Video games inherently present a tripartite identity challenge to participants: These three identities are (1) the player's real world identity, (2) their virtual identity, and (3) their projective identity, and learning occurs in interaction with and through all three.

Gee explains that the projective identity is the most complex of the three--and "projective" can be understood via different meanings of the word project: Project, as in the image and identity that one is striving to "put out there," or also project, as in a something one is working on and developing.


Principle 26: The "Bottom-Up" Basic Skills Principle

This principle illustrates that basic skills acquisition in video games is not a matter of practice drills and conscious, deliberate repetition. Repetition in skills acquisition exists in video games as well, but in a well-designed digital gaming environment, the basic skills are learned in an immersion experience, starting from the "bottom-up" and building on one skill set with another. Basic skills in video gaming belong to the genre of game. Gee points out that by the time a gamer becomes aware of what the basic skills required for a particular game are, he has already mastered them.

326 Midterm, fountain of knowledge

Chapter 3: This chapter focuses on Gee's experience witht he game Arcanium. He played as a character called Bead Bead a half-elf female who had several abilities such as intelligence and persuation that made her different than the other characters in the game. Gee spoke about three forms of identity: real, virtual, and projected. Real indentity refers to his identity as James Gee, in the real world as a video game player playing as Bead Bead. His values, memories, and personality are all part of this identity. His virtual identity is that of Bead Bead, the half-elf female. Her abilities and the way she interacts in the virtual world in which she dwells is her identity, yet also it is Gee's virtual identity as this magical creature. The projected identity that Gee speaks about is the link between his real and virtual identities. Although he does seem to lose himself in the virtual identity of Bead Bead, his real identity can't help but project itself on the motivations and actions of the virtual character. Gee is trying to arrive at the point that when we play video games, we are never separate from outselves in our virtual worlds. We may have a character that we act as, but we are still ourselves and our identities will be translated onto that character. Thus, Gee sees the virtual world of gaming as something we attempt to lose ourselves in, but can't ever truly do so.

Design Principle- Learning about and coming to appreciate design and design principles is core to the learning experience. This principle focuses on two aspects of semiotic domians: Design grammars in both the internal and external sense. Internal design grammar means the principles and patterns in terms of which one can recognize what is and what is not acceptable or typical content in a semiotic domain. External design grammar is the principles and patterns of which one can recognize what is and what is not an acceptable or typical social practice and identity in regard to the affinity group associated with a semiotic domain. Ex: modern art and what counts as modern art= internal. The social practices of those who are in the field of modern art would be the external design. Being able to identitfy games as first person shooters is internal design grammar, yet the social aspect of discussing the games themselves and the public’s understanding of them in the external design grammar.

Multimodal Principle: Meaning and knowledge are built up through various modalities (images, words, symbols, interactions, designs, sounds,) not just words. The multimodal principle is concerned with the fact (clear in all of the discussions about video games in this book so far) that, in video games, meaning, thinking, and learning are linked to multiple modalities (words, images, actions, sounds) and not just to words. Sometimes, at a particular point in a game, multiple modalities support each other to communicate similar meanings, sometimes they communicate different meanings, each of which fits together to form a larger, more meaningful and satisfying whole. For example, the sounds that the game produces indicates the danger of a situation along with what is seen and the emoitons you connect with the moment. Learning is not simply achieved through words and description but with the connection made to the moment of interest.

Jared's Contribution

14. Regime of Competence Principle -- This principle deals with the idea that video game players or learners in school are playing or learning at a level that is at the edge of what they are capable of. Many times, advanced students coast in school because what the are asked to do is so within what they are capable of that it requires no effort. Other times, students are asked to perform at a level that is so beyond what they can do at the time that they fail. In both cases minimal learning takes place. This principle is about being challenged, but still being able to succeed. In good video games this happens and the players enjoy the challenge and learning through discovery that takes place.

32. Cultural Models about Semiotic Domains Principle -- This principle is that in video games and in learning our cultural models with respect to a certain semiotic domain can be challenged or questioned without making us feel bad about our beliefs or abilities. As a result, we can consider different cultural models outside our own.

Chapter 6 -- Principle 32 comes from this chapter in the book. This chapter deals with cultural models. Remember the quiz we took in class where we made the distinction between a group model and a more general model? The chapter talks about a kid playing Sonic and when he is the dark, bad Sonic, named Shadow, that character becomes the good guy to the player. That is an example of a group model because you are working on the side of Shadow and the bad guys and you feel good when you are successful for that group. It is not about general principles of good and bad. The chapter also talks about video games where you are a young mobster and are trying to earn your status within that group. Although crime is generally bad, for that group it is good.

This chapter also discusses cultural models, which are how we look at the world. Cultural models are based on things and experiences out in the world. They are not just in our heads. They are based off of the different groups we are a part of, like church, school, family, socioeconomic class, country, culture, and profession. They are not right or wrong. We can be exposed to them and even adopt them in games without having to adopt them in real life. They can be good because they allow us to interact with the world, but they can be bad if they cause us to denigrate ourselves when we otherwise wouldn't. An example of this is an working class American who believes in the American Dream and since he is not wealthy believes that he is not working hard enough or is not smart enough. In another cultural model, he may not feel this way.

This chapter also talks about how schools use cultural models. In science, we are taught that in ideal circumstances an object will not move or it will move at a constant speed. However, the world is not ideal. It has friction and gravity, resulting in objects that do not keep to this ideal. the same thing happens in economics when we make models showing what will happen assuming consumers act rationally. However, consumers do not always behave rationally and as a result modifications have to be made to these models.

That's the point. These ideal models serve as a starting point and then we can make modifications to them. Our cultural models also serve as a starting point for the way we look at the world an then they can be challenged by the models of others and we can decide whether or not to modify our own model. This is the basis of principle 32 -- that our models can be challenged in a non-threatening way in both video games and learning.

#7 and #25 and Chp 5

#7 Committed Principle

When the player is able to connect to character in a certain video game realm, that the players identity is able to connect to the fictional characters identity in that specified realm. Gee cites his connection with character Bead Bead. She is everything he is not (i.e. she is a female he is not, she has long beautiful head of hair he doesn't have as much); though the character is not everything he is it still reflects a part of his identity in a video game realm of his choosing.


#25 Concentrated Sample Principle
Gee explains that Lara Croft is able to gather and learn more sometimes by disobeying what Von Croy has to say. For instance Gee cites his own personal with Lara Croft, the experience of when he is told to jump across the raven and instead fall into it accidentally discovering crystal skull. This principle works in that effect, in which it allows the learner to deviate from the structured lesson and allows them to learn and explore the concept on their own terms. Similar to Lara Croft and her discovery's of the crystal skulls by at times not following her mentor Von Croy.

Chapter 5

Identity of one's player in relation to the player.
Active learning, participation in a certain activity that applies that concept being taught. Gee gives the example of a science class. Stating that some students work well when verbally given instructions as opposed to some who work better in a structured active learning environment.

Principles 1, 19 and ch. 4- Lee Adams

1. Active Learning Principle- The learning environment fcilitates active and critical, not passive, learning

19. Intertextual Principle- The learner understands a text based on the family of texts that it is associated with. The text is only understood in this context because of the embodied experience the learner has with other texts and is able to interpret based off of other previous experiences.

Chapter 4- Situated Meaning and Learning

Gee discusses Deus Ex in this chapter and refers to it regularly

He introduces the concept of embodied experience (meaning the body, mind, and outside experience)

Stories are different in video games. They are a mix of four factors:
1.the designer's choices
2. the players choices tat affect the order in which the storyline takes place
3. the main character's choices within the game
4. imagination projected onto the characters, plot, the world of the story

Situated meaning in the context of the chapter
- the numbers you find in the game are general (decontextualized) and gain a situated meaning once you find out that they are the key code to a safe.

Critics say that it works in video games, but what about real life, like education?
- discussion of concept of democracy: people can use terms in various ways and until the reader is able to situate the meaning, a word is nothing but letters.
-Students are taught general information
-educators say that not every principle needs to be contextualized because not all the information will be pertinent for every student, but Gee retorts that in order for any leatning to take place, it must be embodied in at least some way, if not in the context of a future profession.

Situational Meaning and Embodied experience in real life-
Galileo's principle of motion was taught generally and then with a computer program in which the students were able to modify aspects of the program and thereby give meaning to the principle.

Gee talks about the way video games make us situate meaning
-Probe
-Hypothesis
-Reprobe
-Rethink

Written Text
Teachers were given game manuals and couldn't understand them.
They did not play the game and until they did, they would not be able to situate the meaning.

AXEL-1) SITUATED MEANING PRINCIPLE, 2) AFFINITY GROUP PRINCIPLE, and 3) Chapter 6 (CULTURAL MODES)

1) The Situated Meaning Principle

The meaning of signs (e.g. words, actions, objects, symbols, texts) are situated in bodily experience. The meaning is not general or uncontextualized. For example, the meaning of a word is learned by seeing how it interacts within the text we are reading. We do not look up the word in a dictionary where we get a general, out of context meaning.

2) The Affinity Group Principle

Learners that are part of an "Affinity Group" join together because of shared endeavors, goals, and practices, and not because of shared race, nation, ethnicity, culture, etc. In other words, this is not a Cultural Group, or a National Group, or an Ethnic Group. It is and "Affinity Group" because they share the same goals and accomplish them together.

Chapter 6: Cultural Models

The main term to know about this chapter is what a Cultural Model is. It is a tacit, taken for granted theory or way of thinking that we subscribe to because we want to be like other members of our Social Groups. For example, an LDS member would (though not necessarily), probably subscribe to the LDS Cultural Model that marriage between a man and a woman is the correct marriage.

He talks about the Sonic the Hedgehog game and explains that video games challenge us to think about our Cultural Models. In the Sonic game, you are able to play as the Good Sonic, or the Bad Shadow Sonic. His son made the comment, "In this game, the bad guy is the good guy." The point was that the bad guy becomes the protagonist and the player need to momentarily adopt the Cultural Models of a bad person who wants to destroy the world.

He also talks about Under Ashes (I think that's the name) where you play as a Muslim militant fighting against Israelis. Normally, you find Mulsums as the bad guys in video games, but this game challenges our Cultural Models. We come to think differently about things (it creates a conflict of Models within us), and we are likely not to be able to kill Muslims in video games in the future without thinking about it.

The last, perhaps most important point is the one about teaching at school. Because students taking physics have, through their own experience, subscribed to the Cultural Model that things that move in this world are being propelled by something, find it hard to understand Plato's theory that what is in motion stays in motion without any force acting upon it whatsoever. He makes the point that a good teacher will not tell students that they are stupid for not understanding, but that they should understand that their Cultural Model does not work for physics and that they need to be open to learning other Models.

Chapter 5 first half and Principles 12 and 30

The first half of chapter five talks about Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. The principles that are discussed are ideas about overt information vs. self-discovery. Basically, Gee talks about how people need both to have information given to them, and to have the opportunity to learn on their own. If we do not give students some information, it is like asking them to re-discover geometry, something that early mathematicians didn't even have to do on their own.

Gee also discusses the idea that they start out in a tutorial type of learning in a game and then they gain a set of skills that they can use throughout the rest of the game.

Learning Principle 12: Practice Principle

This is the principle that students can learn in an engaging environment (such as a game where learning is fun and they experience constant success) and they spend a long time on task.

Learning Principle 30: Converting our World Models

This is the principle that our current thought patterns (or "models") can and should be challenged in learning and that this can be done in games where we can overcome certain patterns of thinking we've become used to. One example is when Gee was playing Lara Croft and he follows everything the doctor says, until he messes something up and discovers it is actually better for him to disobey the Dr. That makes him more like Lara and more successful in this certain situation. He learns not to just listen to everything someone says.

Principles 9 and 27

Principle 9: "Self Knowledge Principle"

This states that as we play a game, we come to learn more about ourselves by playing that game.

Principle 27: "Explicit Information On-Demand and Just in Time Principle"

This principle states that bits of information are provided throughout the game precisely when they are needed, as well as being obvious. For example, a player might need to know how to jump over a hole, and at that moment, instructions are given for how to do it (say, press the 'x' button). The author uses this in relation to After Shock, where information kiosks are dispersed throughout the game, each having information immediately pertinent to where the player is located in the game.

-Chandler Krynen

Chapter 5. Principle 14 & 31.

Here we go!

Chapter 5 "Learning and Doing"

Chapter 5 is the Lara Croft Chapter. Although there are other games mentioned, most of the principles can be applied to Lara Croft.

You are given background information at the beginning of the game. In the first episode you are challenged to learn basic concepts through different learning principles. The professor gives instructions it what may seem like a foreign language but when applied to controllers or computer keyboards the player can understand how to run, jump, or attack within the game. Even though the professor has told Lara to stay close the player cannot meet Lara's full potential unless she deviates and finds the skulls. By deviating she learns skills she will need to use later in the game.

Tomb Raider shows that learners need to be given easier tasks in the beginning in order to grasp the basic tasks and key strokes. The chapter also discusses the advantage to learning in context. By using the subdomain of the first chapter the player learns how to control Lara within the context of the overall domain. The learning process is all within the domain. For example students cannot learn from textbooks alone. In a science class the students will learn from experimenting with trial and error. This concept leads to the idea that the instructor should not leave students to learn on their own. This causes students to make generalities that may lead to many failures. Without guidance students then get frustrated and give up. Students learn best when guided to learn new things. Guidance enables them to see fruitful outcomes.

The transfer method is also discussed within this chapter. By using his own experience with Shock 2, Gee discusses how he defeated a harder target to kill by using techniques from other games. Transferring knowledge from one domain to another enables learners to experiment with learning. A method of defeating in one game may not work in another game but by trying you discover new methods. He explains that it was when he was trying to transfer one method in he discovered a hiding place in the game. The ability to quickly change your strategy and be flexible will also allow players to create new modes of learning.

Bottems up! The chapter discusses the method of learning controls in games in the first episode. This is where the player can be with in the domain but comfortable enough to learn new things. As the game progresses the player begins to receive more difficult tasks and can change their method to fit the need of the challenge.

Concentrate. No not orange juice. The first episode has a concentrated amount of learning. Tasks are repeated for better understanding and there are different ways to accomplish the same task, this enables the player to learn in different ways and learn by repetition.

Just in time. Another way of learning, included in this chapter, is being given information just as it is needed. This allows the player/learner to incorporate the information just given to them and use it in a situation immediately. Instead of learning the how to accomplish a task you won't use until the end of the game the player is given instructions and then is to use them as their next assignment/task.

Principle 14
"Regime Competence" principle
Students need to learn within their ability to accomplish the task but on the outside edge. By staying too far within the students ability they become routinized and are not flexible to learn new things and methods. By staying outside of their ability the student will continually fail and then give up. By staying within, but on the outside edge, students learn to use any failed attempts as learning possibilities and are able to stretch their learning capabilities.

Principle 31
Cultural Modality about Learning Principle
Here learners are functioning within their culture and are comfortable to learn new things. By doing this they are learning and may not even know it. Even though the student is failing they are learning new strategies and when they do not know they are learning the task becomes fun.

Chapter 2, Dispersed Principle and Multiple Routes Principle

Learning Principles: 16 & 34

Multiple-Routes Principle: There are multiple ways to make progress or move ahead. With respect to video games, a user typically has multiple ways to accomplish a video game mission or task. Users are not forced to move forward in a single uniform manner, instead they can choose their route based on their own preference or learning ability. This learning principle is important because learners are able to use a learning manner that best fits their style. They are able to use their strengths to learn material instead of conform to a uniform learning method. This principle also allows for introspection on the best style of learning for the individual.

Dispersed Principle: A learner may share his or her findings with other people that they may or may not ever come in contact with. When video game users makes a website with cheat codes and game hints, they are "dispersing" their learning to others. In this system, knowledge does not reside with one single individual or solely in the mind of another, knowledge is a network of ideas, or a community.

Chapter 2

Gee raises the argument that many believe video games to be a waste of time. His discussion of learning and literacy argue against this statement and show that video games are not a waste of time, they simply are another form of literacy.

He begins by discussing the concept of literacy. Because of school, we basically associate literacy with reading and writing; being able to read and write the English language. The author points out that literacy stretches far beyond this traditional scope. Literacy also involves the interpretation of visual images, signs, symbols and even sound to really understand the intention of a work. Furthermore, we don't simply learn "something". To understand something we must apply it to a semiotic domain which is a group that attaches meaning to words and symbols.

For example to understand, "The point guard dribbled the ball up the court and passed it to the center" one must be able to understand the semiotic domain of basketball. The word "dribble" in the context of basketball does not mean "to drool" and "center" does not mean "the middle point". So in order to be literate one must apply knowledge to a symiotic domain.

We we learn a semiotic domain we become part of an affinity group and we are able to recognize "outsiders" of this domain.

Basically Gee's conclusion is video games are another learned symiotic domain. A video game user takes part and learns and becomes literate through an active process. They must use principles of video games just as writers must learn grammar to write a functioning novel. Video games actively learn in three ways:

1. They experience

2. They become a part of a social group or affinity group

3. They build a foundation for further learning.

The question them becomes a debate over whether or not people think video games are a valuable semiotic domain to learn. Obviously Gee believes good video games are not a waste of time because they spark learning and literacy.

Principles: Probing and Distributed. Chapter 2

Probing Principle - Probing principle refers to where a person does something, sees the affect, then makes a hypothesis about the action. Then the person 're probes' or experiments with the action again, and then either confirms the result or forms a new hypothesis. It's a trial an error system to see what works best in a given situation. The Pikmin game: which Pikmin worked best in each situation? Yellow, Blue or Red?

Distributed Principle - Knowledge is stored not only by the person, but also by the tools, technology, and other people available to that person. An example is like what we did in class last time. Each group took a section of the book and discussed it, then we separated into groups that studied different sections. We then shared our information with each other. Not one of us knew the entire whole picture, but combined we did. (Like a jigsaw puzzle).

Chapter 2 Stuff -

In chapter 2, Gee discussed whether or not video gaming was a waste of time. According to Gee, video games help to produce an active learning environment where the player can choose to either actively learn or passively play. Passive playing is a waste of time, however, when we actively learn, we increase our ability to solve problems.
Another thing taught by Gee in this chapter is Semiotic Domain. In a given context a word can have different meanings. For example, "light" can mean waves or particles, which allow us to see, or when something is not heavy. Depending on a situation, each word can hold multiple meanings. This also deals with groups. People belonging in certain sub-cultures can interpret and understand who is 'in' and who is 'not in.' This is because each 'insider' understands his/her mode of creating and interpreting language, symbols, and graphics. For example, someone who belongs to the 'First-person-shooter' group, they understand the differences between each shooter game, and know how to classify what belongs to 'their' category. Someone might be able to tell you all the first-person-shooter games ever made, but that doesn't mean they can necessarily know what that means.

Chapter 2; Principle 10; Principle 28

Principle 10
Amplification of input Principle
-A little bit of input, a lot of output (IE. Driving a car: push the pedal lightly, car accelerates forward)
-This is a motivated form of learning especially when greater output leads to greater success/rewards.
-Video games that track achievements use this principle. The more effort or time you spend playing the game the greater your achievements are.

Principle 28
Discovery Principle
-Overt telling is kept to a minimum so that there is room for the user to explore, make discoveries and learn on their own.
-Search, develop a thesis, test thesis, re-evaluate thesis.
-This is a key principle of adventure video games where a character is left on its own to explore the environment and tell its own story.

Chapter 2:
New Way to Communicate:
Language is not the only way to communicate. There are different ways to use signs, themes, and symbols to portray meaning. These visual symbols are extremely significant. Images and text can be used together to give more meaning or different meanings to a certain message. Being able to "read images" helps one better understand. There are different genres of print literacy IE Newspaper, comic book, rap etc. Symbols can mean different things as well to different people.

Semiotic Domains:
An area where people think, act or value in certain ways. These semiotic domains have certain affinity groups, or insiders who know what is going on, and one must come to understand the symbols, themes and cultures of these affinity groups to understand the domain.

Problem of Content:
Important information is generally thought to be obtained in the intellectual sense and "meaningless play" is not viewed as a way to learn. Video games fall under the "meaningless play" category and are therefore not seen as a beneficial avenue to learn.

New Form of Learning:
One must decide which domain is being used. Is the domain valuable? Is the domain being used to understand (read)? Or is the domain being used to produce (write)?

Learning a new Semiotic Domain:
When one learns a new domain they experience (see, feel, operate) it. The provide themselves an opportunity to join this new affinity group and become a part of a group. Information learned will help in the future with the domain as well as in related domains.

Situated Meanings:
Meanings (symbols, sings, themes) can be specific to certain domains and not in general. Domains can also be views internally and externally. Internally would actually be what is going on in the game. If it is a first-person shooter than how the character operates and uses weapons to fight enemies can be seen as the internal view. The external view would be the actual people or affinity groups that use the domain.

1. Active Critical Learning Principle
2. Design Principle
3. Semiotic Domain Principle
4. Semiotic Design Principle
5. Metaleval Thinking

Chapter 3 and Material Intelligence Principle and Semiotic Principle

Chapter 3: Discusses the relationship between the physical living player and the digital/virtual player. The relationship is made by what the player and the virtual player know. They each bring their own values, morals, abilities, and such with them. For instance, if I'm not good at playing Zelda, then my character will be handicapped as well. Gee gave the example of Bead Bead being invited to a brothel. She decided to go, but because he was previously Catholic he didn't want her to go. Their values differed there.

It also discusses the three things that must be present for a person to learn. 1. they must try to learn 2. they must put in the effort to learn 3. they need to see some kind of success come from the effort that they've made.

"Material Intelligence" Principle: this is the idea that you have all of this knowledge stored in different tools, technologies, people and you can use it when you need to, but you also have space to acquire new knowledge that does not affect your stored knowledge.

Semiotic Principle: Learning and appreciating the interrelations of sign symbols. Complex symbols are core to the learning experience.

Chelsea Chandler

Chapter 1, Transfer Principle, and Achievement Principle

Chapter Summary:

In chapter 1, the introduction, Gee argues that video games have a profound impact on our society as well as our social identities. Gee argues that when we read a book, journal article, or even a billboard, we never read in general; moreover, we always learn something when we read. The same can be applied to video games, meaning that when we play, we are actively and, in some cases, critically learning. Gee also argues that his book is about human learning and trying to implement that learning with good video games. He also argues that the most successful practices and principles of learning in a video game are closely aligned to his own views and theories.

1) Transfer Principle - We are given ample opportunities to apply a skill we've learned in the past to a new set of problems; moreover, new problems can manipulate our learning of a previous principle. In all, Gee argues that good video games can help students to learn new principles that can be applied to any other problem, whether it be in the virtual world or the social world. Also, when someone is faced with a new problem, for example a problem needing to be solved in the real world, learners can draw upon principles they learn in a game to solve that problem. However, Gee does not say that the transfer principle is useful in all cases. For example, if a student solves a problem in a biology class and then tries to apply the same skills and principles learned in solving that problem to a social class, the solution may not be so fitting or may even be disastrous.

2) Achievement Principle - All people, from differing intelligences, skill levels, and age, are given intrinsic rewards that signal a person's success. Gee argues that one aspect that makes a horrible video game is a faulty or minimalist reward system. Players, and even people in social domains, look at a video game for the rewards they can give, such as a level 80 Paladin or a special sword that can be attained if they play a certain quest. Gee also mentions how the achievement principle works in our own lives. For example, when we are awarded properly for our work, it only makes us want to work harder. In classrooms today, teachers teach by remediation and repetition, often with disastrous consequences. Video games that give good achievement to those who have worked hard would solve this problem in the classroom.

Chapter 4, Principles 4 & 22

Jake Clayson

Chapter 4

Gee starts out defending embodied learning where students treat knowledge as an intricate, ever changing network of experiences and impressions. He contrasts this with the traditional (and in his opinion, erroneous) view that knowledge resides as a collection of facts, like a database in a computer.

Because learning occurs most naturally and most profitably when engaged in an embodied way, this requires meaning to be situated (placed in a specific context). Gee contends that video games are able to situate meaning differently than books or movies.

In all three of these examples(books, movies and video games), a story contextualizes, situates, or embodies the information in varying degrees to allow embodied learning to take place. In books and movies, the learner is presented with the authors choices regarding the the information presented and is able to imaginatively project meaning in response. Between these two components, video games introduce two new opportunities. The learner (or gamer) is able to choose how the author's choices unfold, and is then able to choose how he will respond to those choices in an active way. These enhance the embodied learning experience.

Once meaning has been situated, the learner engages in a 4-part cycle.

1. probe- explore the environment
2. hypothesize- just like the scientific method
3. reprobe- experiment on your hypothesis
4. rethink- evaluate

As the learner/gamer engages in this way, he develops appreciation systems which indicate whether or not the way things play out are good or bad. Though this all constitutes active learning, it may not be critical learning.

Critical learning requires the learner/gamer to compare one appreciation system to another and project what a game should be or do.

Embodied learning also includes Principle 22 (see below)

PRINCIPLE 4: The Semiotic Domain Principle

- Learning requires the mastery of semiotic domains, at some level, and the ability to engage in the affinity group, at some level.

PRINCIPLE 22: Intuitive Knowledge Principle

- Intuitive or tacit knowledge gained through extensive experience and practice is honored, valued, and rewarded, not just conscious verbal knowledge. (i.e. Mendel, the father of modern science of genetics may have failed the exam to become a high school biology teacher, but the tacit knowledge gained through his work in his garden is rightfully honored and rewarded)