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.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Chapter 2, Dispersed Principle and Multiple Routes Principle
Learning Principles: 16 & 34
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.
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
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
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.
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.
- probe- explore the environment
- hypothesize- just like the scientific method
- reprobe- experiment on your hypothesis
- 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)
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