In a good game, words and deeds
are all placed in the context of an interactive relationship between the player
and the world.
I agree with this statement because if
the player does not make a connection with the game they will become bored and
discontinue play. It is the connection
they make that helps keep their interest because they become invested in the
game and the game environment. In Garden
of Time the player is given a blank world to design. They are given more specific tasks at the
earlier levels but as play continues the player is still given tasks but on a
more general level. I think this helps
the player make a connection that they are only one factor in the world and
their actions affect not only affect them but the world around them. This helps with personal development and with
a sense of how one fits into a community.
This is especially true of multiple player games.
Even at the simplest level,
players co-design games by the actions they take
and the decisions they make.
This allows the player to make decisions
and take ownership for their decisions and this is an important principal for
students to learn. In my discipline taking
ownership of actions is a very important message and in the gaming world
players can try out different actions to view the results of the action. In Garden of Time the player designs their
own garden and the decisions they make determines if they can proceed to
another chapter or have to make more actions to be allowed to proceed.
…mastery is consolidated through
repetition (with variation), only to be
challenged again.
Mastery is often achieved in education
by giving the student practice which in fact is repetition. In the gaming world we see repetition and as
the game is played the repetition leads the player to more complex problems by
changing the level or task requiring the player to use the skills they have
mastered to accomplish a new challenge. In Garden of Time the player is given a
list of items to find. In order to earn
a star or to proceed to the next level the player must repeat the scene several
times. The game design provides the
player with objects that they have already found and adds to the task by adding
new items. In this particular game after
the palyer completes the scene several times the same objects are called
different names giving the palyer a new challenge. The game design is to hold the students
attention while the player gains skill as the challenges become more difficult.
"Even at the simplest level, players co-design games by the actions they take
ReplyDeleteand the decisions they make." This is very true for Gardens of Time. We, as the player, are co-designing the game. We're co-designers because even the the designer of the game has laid out the chapters, scenes, items to find, artifacts, decorations, etc., we design our garden with those objects to make it ours. We're allowed to rearrange objects in our garden to make it how we specifically want it. Along with your comment about objects determining whether we proceed in levels or not, the higher level you are, the less amount of stuff you need to add to your garden to advance through the levels.
Making connections is essential to learning, whether in the classroom or playing a game. The person playing needs to feel a since of accomplishment and mastery. When students make connections, their attention is more focused on the topic at hand.
ReplyDeleteI really like the point that you made about ownership. When students work and complete a project, if they truly take ownership we see better outcomes. Getting students "hooked" or invested in an experience is the challenge. I think that this is where creativity on the teacher's part and being aware of students' needs is crucial.
ReplyDeleteRepetition is a major building block in games. If a game did not have repetition then players would not play it. IF a player were to fail at a certain aspect of the game, and then were not permitted to retry that portion of the game in order to continue, games would not be as popular as they are. I could not imagine a game where I brought it home from the store, and after my first failure, or death, the game just shut down and wouldn't operate again.
ReplyDeleteGood point Jon. Though it seems as if that happens in school quite frequently.
ReplyDeleteI think it is good that games create ways for the users to make their own decisions and actions to create various results. This technique can help the students understand that their decisions and actions create desired or undesired results. Repetition of the desired result will effectively create a successful learning experience.
ReplyDeleteI liked the quote you used about mastery. I know that when I play Angry Birds I often play the level over and over trying to beat the score I had. I try to find the best way to knock over things and save my birds. I can see students wanting to try and achieve their best when they are learning as well.
ReplyDelete