Updated version of Why Games 2007 - with more links

1. Learning From Games Katrin Becker University of Calgary February 2008 This session focuses on how games can support learning, why they are a natural fit for learning*, what we can learn from blockbusters, and how games are being used now. *if not for education

3. Bit of Wild Ride.... Image source: http://home.cfl.rr.com/omniluxe/mtwr.htm

6. “Kids Today” have been “Kids Today” for thousands of years, BUT… Vampire: The Masquerade

11. Michael Tomasello Ur ~3000 BC Senet ~3000 BC Games are media of interpersonal communication Marshall McLuhan Culture ratchets cognition – our brains and our culture co-evolve.

13. Making the Case for New Ways EverQuestl

20. One View of Communication Media through History Performing Arts Story-Telling Broadcast Radio Cinema Television Multimedia Passive: watch, listen, read Active / Interactive: Do, Act, Contribute Print Media

21. "Technology is anything that wasn't around when you were born. 20’s-30’s: radio, telephone 40’s-50’s: television 60’s-70’s: computers, cell phones 80’s: games, internet, ipods 90’s: nothing (!!!) texting , blogging , wiki’s , open source , FaceBook , YouTube , MySpace , RSS , preferences (& customization, see D.Norman ), augmented reality games , machinima Alan Kay What is technology for you? When were you born.... SecondLife

23. Gamers..... Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Average age of Gamer: 33 # of US homes that have game consoles: 45 million (~half) Gamers are: 31.0% under 18 years 44.0% 18–49 years 25.0% 50+ years 85% of all games sold in 2005 were rated "E" for Everyone, "T" for Teen, or "E10+" for Everyone 10+. WOMEN age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%). 38% of gamers are women. http://www.theesa.com/archives/files/Essential%20Facts%202006.pdf

24. What Gamers Do…. WHAT ELSE ARE GAMERS DOING? Gamers devote more than triple the amount of time spent playing games each week to exercising or playing sports, volunteering in the community, religious activities, creative endeavors, cultural activities, and reading. In total, gamers spend 23.4 hours per week on these activities, compared to 6.8 hours per week playing games. 79% of game players of all ages report exercising or playing sports an average of 20 hours a month. 93% of game players also report reading books or daily newspapers on a regular basis, while 62% consistently attend cultural events, such as concerts, museums, or the theater. Source: Peter D. Hart Research Associates , 2004 51% of all gamers play games in-person with other players at least one hour a week, and a quarter (25%) of gamers play games with others online for at least an hour per week. http://www.theesa.com/archives/files/Essential%20Facts%202006.pdf

25. Games (and learning)

28. The Masters (and learning from them)

29. Why are these such good teachers? Amos’n’Andy The West Wing

30. Are Games Good Teachers Too?

34. How Do Games Teach? Learning Theories Back Story Boss Challenges Levels H.U.D. Heads Up Display Cut- Scenes Attract Mode N.P.C. Non-Playable Characters A.I. Artificial Intelligence P.O.V. / Perspective Point of View Variable L.O.D. Level of Detail Sandbox Mode Story Mode Transmediality Gagné’s Nine Events Trailers Valorization Fan Sites & Game Communities Each of these elements can be seen as a tool that facilitates learning. 1. Gaining Attention (Reception) 2. Informing Learners of the Objective (Expectancy) 3. Stimulating Recall of Prior Learning (Retrieval) 4. Presenting the Stimulus (Selective Perception) 5. Providing Learning Guidance (Semantic Encoding) 6. Eliciting Performance (Responding) 7. Providing Feedback (Reinforcement) 8. Assessing Performance (Retrieval) 9. Enhancing Retention and Transfer (Generalization) Tutorial Mode Click to progress through events

36. Serious Games (-)

38. Food Force http://www.food-force.com/

39. Food Force http://www.food-force.com/

40. Making History http://www.making-history.com/

41. Making History http://www.making-history.com/

45. http://www.hungryredplanet.com/academic/acaov.html

46. Virtual Leader http://www.simulearn.net/leadershiptraining.htm l