My Gaming Experience

I definitely wouldn't consider calling myself a true gamer, but I've learned a lot since starting to play games back in February.  After meeting in our first class I was pretty excited to learn that I would have to play video games for a graduate course.  At first I thought this would be an easy task (and it was, compared to writing a research paper), but it was more complicated and involved than I initially thought.  I learned that playing a video game requires strategy, technique, research, determination, and time, lots of time.  It would be a scary thought if I truly calculated how many hours I devoted to playing Fitness Dash, and the other games I started playing too.  

Playing Fitness Dash has taught me three thing: to use all possible resources, to find a strategy that works and go with it, and patience.  I was having difficulty moving along to other levels because I wasn't acquiring enough points.  After a certain level of frustration and feeling hopeless, I ventured onto gaming sites that gave tips and pointers to use for my game.  The advice is from other gamers who were once in my same situation.  They suggested to color-coordinate characters and the item they were using.  Once I followed the tips, I found I was quickly moving up in levels and feeling more confident with myself as a game-player.  Even though I found a technique that worked, I still had to work for my goal.  I've spent anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes just on one portion of a level.  Some days I had the patience to keep trying, other day I would quickly close my laptop and walk away.  

Currently, I have completed all four levels of the game and I am on the last tug-of-war championship game.  But surprisingly I have lost the drive to complete this last part.  When I first got to this tug-of-war game, I played it twice for about 30 minutes each and still couldn't beat it.  That was about a month ago, and I haven't tried it since.  I think in my mind I feel I have already beaten the game, like I've gotten this far to the end I don't need to technically finish it.  But I will, one day when I'm bored.  I know there is a little part inside me who has to finish the game to prove to myself I can.

Other possible reason I have lost interest in finishing Fitness Dash is because I have started playing a handful of other video games.  Since Fitness Dash was a Time Management game, I wanted to try other genres of games.  I found a Hidden Object game that I already beat called Dream Day Wedding New York City.  Now I have moved on to the sister game Dream Day Honeymoon.  I also am in the middle of playing a Strategy game called Wandering Willow.  In addition, I purchased the Wii.  

All-in-all, learning to play a video game was an enjoyable task.  It taught me how to find answers that I need, how to strategize, and how to be patient.  I see playing video games as another way to unwind from the day and to entertain myself.  If I don't feel like reading a book or a magazine, playing a vide game is another fun way to pass the time.

Waking Life

When I first started viewing the Waking Life clips on YouTube, I wasn't sure what I was watching or what the purpose of it was.  I had to fully watch the clip on existentialism once to even try to grasp what I was viewing, and then two additional times to try to understand it better.  Once I started to piece the puzzle together I realized this was a cool new type of media/literacy.  It's a mix between a video podcast and animation.  I wondered who was speaking.  I assumed it was a professor, but was it a real teacher giving a lecture that was taped for the purpose of this video or was it created for the video?  

Regardless, he had a message.  I like the line, "You life is yours to create."  It reminded me of a book I just finished reading, I Am The Messenger.  The main character is instructed by an anonymous person to carry out various tasks and deeds to help out strangers, neighbors, and friends.  In the end, the character rediscovers his purpose in his life and finds new meaning.  

Though, I don't necessarily think we were assigned to watch this for the message but more for the way in which it was delivered.  

I'm not sure if this video/animation has a name, but I found it very mesmerizing.  I couldn't take my eyes off of the computer screen.  Not only were my eyes following the characters movements, but the surrounding too.  I even noticed the sounds in the video.  For example, when the main character and the teacher were walking outside, I heard all the sounds I would expect to hear if I were walking outside.  That's not always true with cartoons.  I also enjoyed watching the characters facial expressions and wondered what they looked like in real life, assuming they are based on a real person.  And I think they were.  I'm assuming this scene or interview was taped in real life and then animation was added to it.  I wonder how long it takes to create this and who is involved in it.

This new form a media is extremely creative and I think it will grab viewers' attention.  After watching the clip, I noticed a Charles Schwab commercial that used the same technique.  It was a clever and innovative way for the company to advertise their business.  I hope this new form of media catches on and others will also use it to sell a product, convey a message, or just entertain. 

Effects of Video Games

Video games can tend to get bad reputations.  To every positive in life, there is a negative opposite.  Same applies to video games.  There have been studies that link playing video games to improving social skill, problem-solving skills and spatial skills, for example.  And then there are cynics out there who are trying to link video game play to obesity, violence, and desensitization. You can't win over everybody.  But like anything in life, everything must be in moderation.  For example, eating dark chocolate may help lower blood pressure, but of course if you pig out on chocolate, it's not going to have a positive result.  I kept this in mind while I was reading the articles for this week.  

I wasn't 100% surprised when I read that there was a correlation between playing video games and children obesity.  But which one is the cause and which is the effect?  I thought it was interesting in the conclusion of the obesity study that the researchers played devils advocate on their own work.  They questioned if the direct correlation to girls playing video games and obesity was because the girls were already overweight and therefore casted out by peers, or if weight was a direct cause from playing too many games.  

I'm definitely guilty of sometimes choosing to play Fitness Dash than go to the actual gym.  But in my case, I am an adult, I make my own decisions, and I am aware of the consequences of my actions.  However, some children are not aware of the consequences.  They choose to do what is fun at the moment and they sometimes don't know when enough is enough.  Some kids can get caught up in playing hours upon hours of video games each week.  Think about all of the other activities they are missing out on.  This is how video games get bad reputations.  I think the parents need to step in and limit playing time and when playing can occur.  After sports, after homework is done, after "family time" is when video games should be played, and for a limited time.  I think parents need to step in and know their role in their child's development.

Learning Spaces

What are learning spaces?  What I gathered from our readings this week and from researching the topic on the internet, I see learning spaces as a place that supports both teachers and learners in an educational setting, but not a traditional classroom.  The time and place is something that the learner chooses, at their own will.  This creates a more relaxed and comfortable learning environment, and therefore may increase the motivation to learn.  

In Jones's article, he discusses three learning spaces: mobile phones, iPods, and video games.  It is crazy to think a device that was once invented to make phone calls can now teach you to speak French.  A device originally used to play music is now used to listen to professors lecture or to listen to books.  And video games that were once purely for entertainment purposes can teach you about WWI.  It's amazing how technology has changed over the years.

The other day I was on iTunes and wanted to see what podcasts were available.  I found that most were language learning programs.  I think this type of learning space is a great way for young students to learn a new language.  Most kids today already own an iPod and use it recreationally on their own.  To have them use this device in an educational, but still modern and "cool" way, I think students would be acceptable of the idea.  I remember in college having to go to the Language Lab to listen to outdated cassette tapes of Italian.  It was a depressing and dull place and I dreaded having to go there once a week.  If I were able to use my iPod, at any location of my choice, I would have been more motivated to practice Italian.  

I think the main hurtle that we face with using these new learning spaces is to get old teacher the "digital immigrants" on board and learn how to incorporate them into the curriculum.

Bring On Donutville!

I am now on the last level of Fitness Dash!  My gym members are getting prepared to battle the people from Donutville in a tug-of-war game.  It's interesting because my blog last week showed that I was getting bored and frustrated with the game.  Since last week I made two changes or realizations that have helped me in the game.  One, I finally hooked up a mouse to my laptop. Previously, I was just using the mouse pad on my laptop and felt restricted and slower because of it.  Now I am able to maneuver my character much easier and I'm not straining my wrist anymore.  So, I've gotten a lot faster.  And two, I realized an easy way to earn more points.  Gym members are dressed in either red or yellow clothes and when you place them on a mat, a machine, or in a shower that matches their color, you get extra points.  I knew this before, but wasn't using this strategy to my advantage.  Now, I make decisions based on matching colors.  So whereas before when I thought you needed to move faster to move to new levels, I have learned that it is strategy that helps you move further in the game.  I'm glad I came across this discovery because now I feel like I'm back in the game and I'm excited once again.   

Continuing Fitness Dash

Not much has changed since I last wrote about playing Fitness Dash. I have successfully moved on to the third level but I find myself getting slightly bored with the game. I think it is the genre of game that I find boring. It's a Dash/Time Management game. I find that the only way to move to higher levels is to move quicker. I often find myself thinking, 'If this is the speed needed for a 3.1 level, how much faster do I need to move to beat the 4.9 level?' Obviously I'm sure that game design considers how fast a human is capable of moving their fingers.

Feeling frustrated and slow, I decided to see what other gamers suggested. I found a forum on PlayFirst, the website where I purchased the game, that had a few tips that have been helping. For example, one gamer recommended that before you put gym members on machines you should put them on the stretching mat and do the same after the workout. I thought this would make the members' workout longer and upset them (upset members can steam off and leave the gym causing major point deduction) but I found that they are happier and therefore you earn more points. I also learned from another gamer not to forget to give members bottles of water, even if they don't ask for it. It keeps them hydrated and you earn more points. Even though I have been slightly bored and sometimes frustrated with Fitness Dash, I still find myself excited to sit on the couch after a long day of work and play for a little bit. My attention span usually maxes out around 30min, so it's a nice quick break from the everyday world. And of course the appeal to be successful at something always draws me back in.

Identity Play

I think that identity play is mostly beneficial, though there can be some limitations. In our reading this week, Gee made a strong argument supporting identity play and I agree with him. The identity gamer builds a bridge from their real world being to their virtual being. This allows the gamer to take full responsibility for their character's actions and values. They can choose whether they want their virtual character to have a good or evil reputation. Identity play is also a way for gamers to take risks with lesser consequences. It allows the gamer to be proud of success and learn from mistakes, just like in the real world.

The gamers has instilled much time, thought, and energy into their virtual character and therefore the game is automatically more meaningful and compelling to the player. Gee believes that in identity games, the more effort a player puts forth, the better experience they take out of the game, not to mention the better the reward will be. Success is earned.

As beneficial as identity games can be, there are limitations to them. Certain identity games may cause characters to be faced with moral discrepancies that result in bad behavior. A mature gamer will realize that these poor decisions and behaviors are acceptable only in the sense for the goal of the game. However, it is when gamers cannot distinguish the difference between for the good of the game and real life situations that bad values can be taught. Like when Gee gave the example of the young boy who said the dark sonic was the "good guy".

I have been doing some research for one of my other graduate courses and I came across an article that explained how a middle school language arts teacher introduced the video game Morrowind to teach her students about decision making skills and consequences, "Increasing student engagement by using Morrowind to analyze choices and consequences" by Maya Kadakia. She found that by using the identity game students were able to make decisions that they would not normally make in the real world. They did not feel not threatened by consequences and therefore where able to be more creative. After making decisions for the game character, students analyzed their choices and applied them to everyday situations. The teacher felt that by incorporating the game into her curriculum her students not only understood the concept better, but were more actively involved and motivated to participate in the class.

To read a real-life example of how a teacher incorporated a video game into her classroom and met success is very inspiring and uplifting. Like Gee says, the best way to learn something is to do it and practice at it. That goes for teachers learning how to use video games in the classroom too!