Monday, May 1, 2017
All Work, All Play
For this assignment I had to watch the documentary All Work, All Play. This is the YouTube preview for the full length video. My video reflection is below.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Gamifying Education
For this assignment, I had to watch the video "Video Games and Learning" by James Portnow and Daniel Floyd.
There are a few points that are the most important when thinking about "gamifying" education. That is, making regular video games more educational and making educational games more fun. The first, and I believe most major, point is the thought that video games can incorporate tangential learning. Tangential learning is gaining knowledge through play. In this case, playing video games. If video game developers insert just a little factual or historical information into a game, people will be more willing to look up that information without being forced to. It's the idea that people will WANT to find out more information if it is relevant to what they are interested in. For example, if a character has a historically based name, the gamer is more likely to look up information about that person in history and learn something. Knowing that one character is based on someone in history, they will be searching for other historically named characters to research as well. This is learning.
Another important point is that learning needs to happen, but without getting in the way of fun. If gamers didn't know they were learning, it would be much easier to get them to actually learn. Keeping the element of fun unhindered, gamers can absorb knowledge that will make them more competent and confident individuals. They will want to share their knowledge with others users while playing, or insert their knowledge into forums or on wikis. Video games can have benefits, as much as educational games can be fun.
There are a few points that are the most important when thinking about "gamifying" education. That is, making regular video games more educational and making educational games more fun. The first, and I believe most major, point is the thought that video games can incorporate tangential learning. Tangential learning is gaining knowledge through play. In this case, playing video games. If video game developers insert just a little factual or historical information into a game, people will be more willing to look up that information without being forced to. It's the idea that people will WANT to find out more information if it is relevant to what they are interested in. For example, if a character has a historically based name, the gamer is more likely to look up information about that person in history and learn something. Knowing that one character is based on someone in history, they will be searching for other historically named characters to research as well. This is learning.
Another important point is that learning needs to happen, but without getting in the way of fun. If gamers didn't know they were learning, it would be much easier to get them to actually learn. Keeping the element of fun unhindered, gamers can absorb knowledge that will make them more competent and confident individuals. They will want to share their knowledge with others users while playing, or insert their knowledge into forums or on wikis. Video games can have benefits, as much as educational games can be fun.
Games Can Make the World Better TED Talk
One of my assignments was to watch the TED Talk by Jane McGonigal called "Games Can Make the World Better." This woman is a genius. She is certainly ambitious with wanting gamers from around the world to play for over 21 billion hours per week, but she believes that this playing can solve the problems of the world, both inside and outside of the game world.
Ms. McGonigal will definitely be the first one to convince you that playing and learning can be combined. Not only can people learn academic topics from video games, such as currency or vocabulary skills, but they can learn the crucial skills of being able to problem solve and cooperation with others. People need to work together to achieve both short and long term goals. With those goal as the center of gaming, gamers need to communicate with one another and think their way through situations that are right on the verge of what Ms. McGonigal calls the "epic win." This gives players the self-motivation to continue through difficult tasks, even after repeated failure.
In virtual worlds, players are continually earning XP points for completing tasks or achieving missions big and small. This small, but important, release of XP points keeps the gamer engaged in what they are doing and focused to the point of no distraction. Different difficulty levels allow for the acquisition of different amount of XP points. This theory could transfer into education a lot more smoothly than teachers and administrators will give mind to. Of course, some teachers and admin will think of XP points like earning an A or C on a quiz versus test, but students don't get rewarded for earning those. They get handed a paper with a letter written on it, that's the end of the motivation. If students were to earn XP points even for poor grades, they would be more motivated to earn XP points by earning higher grades. These XP points would need to come with some reward system or even an online Avatar.
Ms. McGonigal believes there are four pieces that come together and urge gamers to be better people who can make the world better. These four pieces are Urgent Optimism, Social Fabric, Blissful Productivity, and Epic Meaning. If these four pieces are what resonate with all gamers, children and adults alike need to play more games. There is so much negativity in the world and so many problems that gamers can solve by having that optimism. Games teach people how to focus and keep their eye on the prize, no matter that failure is bound to happen along the way. Social Fabric is what collaboration is all about. Every single day I have my students work together in class, even with people that they may not typically associate. It is so important for humans to be able to communicate with one another in a productive manner. This optimism and sense of community leads to gamers being productive in their own quests and with one another. In online games, people connect with one another or even large groups to work through a task. The completion of an objective through optimism and working together gives meaning to what they are doing. Ms. McGonigal believes that we can harness that fire within games and have gamers solve problems in the real world as well.
Ms. McGonigal will definitely be the first one to convince you that playing and learning can be combined. Not only can people learn academic topics from video games, such as currency or vocabulary skills, but they can learn the crucial skills of being able to problem solve and cooperation with others. People need to work together to achieve both short and long term goals. With those goal as the center of gaming, gamers need to communicate with one another and think their way through situations that are right on the verge of what Ms. McGonigal calls the "epic win." This gives players the self-motivation to continue through difficult tasks, even after repeated failure.
In virtual worlds, players are continually earning XP points for completing tasks or achieving missions big and small. This small, but important, release of XP points keeps the gamer engaged in what they are doing and focused to the point of no distraction. Different difficulty levels allow for the acquisition of different amount of XP points. This theory could transfer into education a lot more smoothly than teachers and administrators will give mind to. Of course, some teachers and admin will think of XP points like earning an A or C on a quiz versus test, but students don't get rewarded for earning those. They get handed a paper with a letter written on it, that's the end of the motivation. If students were to earn XP points even for poor grades, they would be more motivated to earn XP points by earning higher grades. These XP points would need to come with some reward system or even an online Avatar.
Ms. McGonigal believes there are four pieces that come together and urge gamers to be better people who can make the world better. These four pieces are Urgent Optimism, Social Fabric, Blissful Productivity, and Epic Meaning. If these four pieces are what resonate with all gamers, children and adults alike need to play more games. There is so much negativity in the world and so many problems that gamers can solve by having that optimism. Games teach people how to focus and keep their eye on the prize, no matter that failure is bound to happen along the way. Social Fabric is what collaboration is all about. Every single day I have my students work together in class, even with people that they may not typically associate. It is so important for humans to be able to communicate with one another in a productive manner. This optimism and sense of community leads to gamers being productive in their own quests and with one another. In online games, people connect with one another or even large groups to work through a task. The completion of an objective through optimism and working together gives meaning to what they are doing. Ms. McGonigal believes that we can harness that fire within games and have gamers solve problems in the real world as well.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Embedding Games
For this quest, I was tasked with embedding a game into this blog. I decided to pull my game from a previous quest and insert that. Enjoy!
7 Ways to Reward the Brain TED Talk
For this assignment, I had to watch the "7 Ways to Reward the Brain" TED Talk given by Tom Chatfield. While watching, I wrote down some insanely interesting stats that stood out to me and made me think about the inner workings of both my 5th grade classroom and my classwork for my Master's.
As someone who has to attend her virtual class aboard the spaceship Prometheus in the video game platform Second Life, I see how engaging and rewarding video games can be in education. One thing that Mr. Chatfield mentioned is having both long and short term goals for the game. This is the same mentality used when setting academic goals in the classroom. Allowing students to reach smaller goals in the classroom is the same engagement factor that is used in video games. Each small stepping stone will lead to the ultimate goal of passing the objective.
Another reward mentioned is earning XP points for progress measuring. Even if a student doesn't measure up to the fill objective, they can still earn points for the work that they have completed. These XP points may add up to a higher rank. Students will be driven to learn because they will push to reach the next level and gain the benefits of that promotion.
The most important part of this TED Talk is the piece about working with other people. In classrooms, it is crucial that teachers get their students talking and working with one another, as this will be an essential skill when seeking employment and working in the global job force. Students and gamers alike need to work with one another to complete those objectives at a faster rate or to receive more XP points. Being able to communicate needs and wants is a vital skill for the 21st Century learner.
As someone who has to attend her virtual class aboard the spaceship Prometheus in the video game platform Second Life, I see how engaging and rewarding video games can be in education. One thing that Mr. Chatfield mentioned is having both long and short term goals for the game. This is the same mentality used when setting academic goals in the classroom. Allowing students to reach smaller goals in the classroom is the same engagement factor that is used in video games. Each small stepping stone will lead to the ultimate goal of passing the objective.
Another reward mentioned is earning XP points for progress measuring. Even if a student doesn't measure up to the fill objective, they can still earn points for the work that they have completed. These XP points may add up to a higher rank. Students will be driven to learn because they will push to reach the next level and gain the benefits of that promotion.
The most important part of this TED Talk is the piece about working with other people. In classrooms, it is crucial that teachers get their students talking and working with one another, as this will be an essential skill when seeking employment and working in the global job force. Students and gamers alike need to work with one another to complete those objectives at a faster rate or to receive more XP points. Being able to communicate needs and wants is a vital skill for the 21st Century learner.
How People Learn
In this assignment, I was asked to create my own mash up of learning theories to create my own learning theory. Knowing that I could take any route into learning theories stressed me out, but then I recognized my own need to have some sort of focus as to who my learning theory would be made for. Since I am a 5th grade teacher, I decided to gear my mashed up learning theory to the students in my classroom. I thought about their interactions with one another, which lessons they respond to best, and their addiction to any sort of technology. The image below is how I visually represent my learning theory (the black dot in the middle).
The kids in my classroom are walking and talking balls of technology-driven energy. Students around this age (9, 10, 11, even 12) work best when they are allowed to bounce their ideas off one another. When students collaborate in class, they are molding their own knowledge based on the feedback from other students. With the infusion of technology in the classroom that has taken the globe by storm, students are able to socialize via the internet to help build and change their knowledge based on those conversations. This is the combination of Connectivism and Constructivism.
To truly represent the idea learning theory for 5th graders, you have to incorporate the various learning styles. When students are accessing forms of technology, they are looking at the screen, potentially listening to information or other students, while typing and manipulating the mouse or cursor. They may not be up and moving around, but teachers can allow for jigsaw activities as a reflection of their technology usage to get the students up and moving from partner to partner. Although students would probably love the ability to NOT have conversations in class, it is still important for students to get that social interaction with people in a face-to-face fashion.
While creating my mash up of learning theories, I started thinking about my connections. How can teachers really get that kinesthetic learning style into their technology rich classroom? Are there any other theories that may fit into my learning theory without changing my view? Are there any key concepts I'm missing that would make my learning theory stronger?
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Ticking Timebomb
This mission was probably one of the most exciting ones we've had yet. Each of the teams (Science, Command, Security, and Flight) had to work together to shut off the reactors and bring the commander back to the Prometheus.
The best part of the entire process was our team's ability to communicate. People from different specialized team's has no hesitation jumping into another channel and helping out the members of other teams. As part of the Command team, I had the opportunity to jump in and out of team conversations and coordinate searches. It was easy to jump in and out of conversations because I knew that the other teams were focused and communicating about their part of the mission. It was my job, along with the other command crew members, to bring those pieces of information to other teams and create the link in the mission. We would jump into our own conversation to collect our thoughts and pieces of information to create a new piece of the game plan.
As an Achiever/Mastermind gamer, this mission styled search was right up my alley. I loved having to coordinate with other players, but kept my eye on the prize. As a gamer, I am better suited to bobbing from one team to another, rather than diving in to one part of the mission. It is almost like being the conductor of an orchestra. You aren't the one who is necessarily going through the motions of the mission, but seeing that requirements get fulfilled to the best of each team's abilities.
The best part of the entire process was our team's ability to communicate. People from different specialized team's has no hesitation jumping into another channel and helping out the members of other teams. As part of the Command team, I had the opportunity to jump in and out of team conversations and coordinate searches. It was easy to jump in and out of conversations because I knew that the other teams were focused and communicating about their part of the mission. It was my job, along with the other command crew members, to bring those pieces of information to other teams and create the link in the mission. We would jump into our own conversation to collect our thoughts and pieces of information to create a new piece of the game plan.
As an Achiever/Mastermind gamer, this mission styled search was right up my alley. I loved having to coordinate with other players, but kept my eye on the prize. As a gamer, I am better suited to bobbing from one team to another, rather than diving in to one part of the mission. It is almost like being the conductor of an orchestra. You aren't the one who is necessarily going through the motions of the mission, but seeing that requirements get fulfilled to the best of each team's abilities.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Play This, Learn That
This assignment is going to keep track of my reflections as I continue to read Play This, Learn That by Dr. Chris Haskell. Each chapter, I will add my thinking on to the original post.
Introduction:
The use of commercial gaming in the classroom could foster creativity, upper level thinking, and problem solving capabilities. Students progress through challenges that have them encounter a problem, think about possible outcomes, and receive a consequence, either positive or negative, from that decision. Commercial gaming could expose students to the academic world outside the traditional subjects and skills taught within the walls of a classroom.
Chapter 1 - Minecraft:
If my administrator were to ask me what I believe to be some redeeming qualities to Minecraft, I would have to say the engagement factor. From overhearing student conversations about video games, Minecraft comes a lot. There are some academically inclined students in my class who even write about Minecraft when they are aloud to choose their topic. This shows me that there is already an interest in the game. It would be easy to engage students who are already familiar with the inner workings of the game. The only part that would need to be introduced is the academic portion and tasks needed to be completed.
Another redeeming quality is the ease in which it could be used for academics. Minecraft, especially Minecraft EDU, was built to incorporate into the classroom. Minecraft EDU allows teachers to manage student dashboards and create student lessons and objectives. The students would be responsible for making the choices that could lead them to reaching the objectives. Students would need to problem solve and work with one another both inside and outside of the virtual environment to see that their task is complete.
As far as my colleagues are concerned, they would need to know how Minecraft educators like Glen Irvin and Jim Pike created and facilitated the lessons. My team would be more concerned about HOW to create a lesson and implement those lessons in class. They would want to see the lessons and time frames in action so that they could visualize how their classrooms would look and run during their own lessons.
Introduction:
The use of commercial gaming in the classroom could foster creativity, upper level thinking, and problem solving capabilities. Students progress through challenges that have them encounter a problem, think about possible outcomes, and receive a consequence, either positive or negative, from that decision. Commercial gaming could expose students to the academic world outside the traditional subjects and skills taught within the walls of a classroom.
Chapter 1 - Minecraft:
If my administrator were to ask me what I believe to be some redeeming qualities to Minecraft, I would have to say the engagement factor. From overhearing student conversations about video games, Minecraft comes a lot. There are some academically inclined students in my class who even write about Minecraft when they are aloud to choose their topic. This shows me that there is already an interest in the game. It would be easy to engage students who are already familiar with the inner workings of the game. The only part that would need to be introduced is the academic portion and tasks needed to be completed.
Another redeeming quality is the ease in which it could be used for academics. Minecraft, especially Minecraft EDU, was built to incorporate into the classroom. Minecraft EDU allows teachers to manage student dashboards and create student lessons and objectives. The students would be responsible for making the choices that could lead them to reaching the objectives. Students would need to problem solve and work with one another both inside and outside of the virtual environment to see that their task is complete.
As far as my colleagues are concerned, they would need to know how Minecraft educators like Glen Irvin and Jim Pike created and facilitated the lessons. My team would be more concerned about HOW to create a lesson and implement those lessons in class. They would want to see the lessons and time frames in action so that they could visualize how their classrooms would look and run during their own lessons.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Video Game Graphics
This assignment was to watch a video about the early progression of graphics used in video games. Although I was only able to identify nine of the numerous amount of games listed, I could recognize the difference in the graphic types. There is a clear progression in the quality of graphics used by video game designers.
Some of the games I could identify fell into a few categories:
Pixels
Pong
Space Invaders
Color
Indy 4
Galaxian
Pac-Man - I remember playing this game in elementary and middle school on the one computer we had in class. If you were well-behaved, the teacher would let you use the computer for your free time activity. My friends and I would write down our high scores on our folders to keep track of who was the best.
Vector
Asteroids
Scrolling
Super Mario - This was a staple in my house growing up. When my brother got his first Nintendo, this was the game to play. We would all fight over who got to play, and then get grounded from playing it.
Scaling
Turbo - This was the go-to racing game at the arcade. My dad used to be the head of security at a fun-plex that was filled with the latest and greatest arcade games from the 80's and 90's.
Hang-On
Some of the games I could identify fell into a few categories:
Pixels
Pong
Space Invaders
Color
Indy 4
Galaxian
Pac-Man - I remember playing this game in elementary and middle school on the one computer we had in class. If you were well-behaved, the teacher would let you use the computer for your free time activity. My friends and I would write down our high scores on our folders to keep track of who was the best.
Vector
Asteroids
Scrolling
Super Mario - This was a staple in my house growing up. When my brother got his first Nintendo, this was the game to play. We would all fight over who got to play, and then get grounded from playing it.
Scaling
Turbo - This was the go-to racing game at the arcade. My dad used to be the head of security at a fun-plex that was filled with the latest and greatest arcade games from the 80's and 90's.
Hang-On
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Sploder Games - Types
For this assignment, I am going to keep a running blog post about different types of games that I will experience and eventually, create.
Platformer
This type of game allows the player to have the character jump from surface to surface while collecting items and defeating obstacles. When I played it, I had a hard time getting from some of the surfaces to the other. I am a total rookie when it comes to playing video games, so having no hand-eye coordination may make an impact on this style of game. I do not want to make this type of game for my project. I want to create a game that is more structured and allows the player to go in a linear fashion.
Liked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Token reward system.
Disliked:
-Having such free range for the character. (Choosing which direction to go on the screen.)
-Having to defeat opponents with weapons.
3-D Mission
This type of game reminds me of looking down into a maze. There are corridors that your avatar needs to maneuver in order to achieve a certain objective. There are bad guys that get in your way, and you need to defeat before you can continue throughout the maze. While playing this game, I continued dying over and over. It took me about 10 resets to finally defeat only the second bad guy on the level. Clearly, I am not doing something right, but will keep trying to beat the level.
Liked:
-Having an objective to complete.
-Thinking through strategies and choice making.
Disliked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Top down viewing angle.
Physics Game
This type of game is almost the "Angry Birds" style game. Your job is to shoot cannons at a box to move it. The only way to win the level is by shooting your box closer to the coin. Once the box hits the coin, you win. This would be relatively easy and boring if there weren't a timer ticking down. Not only can you see the timer, but hear the timer getting closer to the end. This kid of game doesn't necessarily require skill, just a sense of ball trajectory and what is needed to move the box.
Liked:
-Does not require an obscene amount of hand-eye coordination.
-Countdown to put the pressure one.
-Ability to replay levels when you die.
Disliked:
-Shooting the red box and dying instantly. There was no warning that the red boxes mean death.
Retro Arcade Game
I love old school arcade games! Although I am doing this quest after I did my research and made my choice of video game to create, I still sat here and played other people retro games for a half hour or so. I could definitely keep playing. These games remind me of sitting around playing Mario with my friends for hours on end. I was never very good at them then (nor am I now), but the nostalgia of laughing with my friends will never get old.
Liked:
-Narrative that talks you through the game and gives you hints.
-Collecting coins.
-A reasonable number of bad guys.
Disliked:
-Drowning
-Not being able to reach high enough to see above the screen level without getting killed by a bad guy.
Shooter
This game was a little chaotic. All of the little ships were trying to shoot me, while I spun in circles and tried to shoot them first. This game reminds me of the old space games that have the enemy ships coming to shoot you while you duck, dodge, and dive away from the enemies.
Liked:
-Sparks competitive mentality.
-Action-packed.
Disliked:
-No levels.
-Wait for the time to end to see if you survive.
What Makes a Good Game?
After playing all of the types of games above and listening to Dr. Ruben Puentedura's podcast, I think I may have come up with my perfect list of qualities that make a good game.
1. Narrative - Games have to have some kind of story to go with the reason for playing. I am not going to play a game that doesn't have some type story line to follow and a final objective to work toward. I find myself more engaged when my decisions in the game help mold or change a plot line.
2. Scaffolding - As a newbie gamer, I need new skills to be introduced to me on a gradual level. If the skills are introduced too slowly and the game gets monotonous, players get bored and stop playing. If the skills are introduced in a rapid fire manner, players get overwhelmed and frustrated and stop playing. There is a balance needed when game designing to introduce just the right difficulty at just the right time. You have to keep players engaged, but continue adding skill difficulty.
3. Strategy - I hate games where I have no idea how I wound up winning. There has to be enough skill advancement and chance that keeps the gamer wanting to continue playing. Gamers need to be able to use their skill acquisition to advance through levels of the increased difficulty. If they don't have to think, they won't want to play. But again, if it is too much thinking and gets too hard, they won't want to play.
4. Variety - There needs to be multiples types of challenges and conflicts. If a gamer comes across one type of challenge over and over, they are going to get bored. Even if that challenge becomes more and more complex, it is still the same. Games need to break up the monotony and allow gamers to really showcase the range of skills that they acquire through their game play.
Platformer
This type of game allows the player to have the character jump from surface to surface while collecting items and defeating obstacles. When I played it, I had a hard time getting from some of the surfaces to the other. I am a total rookie when it comes to playing video games, so having no hand-eye coordination may make an impact on this style of game. I do not want to make this type of game for my project. I want to create a game that is more structured and allows the player to go in a linear fashion.
Liked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Token reward system.
Disliked:
-Having such free range for the character. (Choosing which direction to go on the screen.)
-Having to defeat opponents with weapons.
3-D Mission
This type of game reminds me of looking down into a maze. There are corridors that your avatar needs to maneuver in order to achieve a certain objective. There are bad guys that get in your way, and you need to defeat before you can continue throughout the maze. While playing this game, I continued dying over and over. It took me about 10 resets to finally defeat only the second bad guy on the level. Clearly, I am not doing something right, but will keep trying to beat the level.
Liked:
-Having an objective to complete.
-Thinking through strategies and choice making.
Disliked:
-3rd person perspective.
-Top down viewing angle.
Physics Game
This type of game is almost the "Angry Birds" style game. Your job is to shoot cannons at a box to move it. The only way to win the level is by shooting your box closer to the coin. Once the box hits the coin, you win. This would be relatively easy and boring if there weren't a timer ticking down. Not only can you see the timer, but hear the timer getting closer to the end. This kid of game doesn't necessarily require skill, just a sense of ball trajectory and what is needed to move the box.
Liked:
-Does not require an obscene amount of hand-eye coordination.
-Countdown to put the pressure one.
-Ability to replay levels when you die.
Disliked:
-Shooting the red box and dying instantly. There was no warning that the red boxes mean death.
Retro Arcade Game
I love old school arcade games! Although I am doing this quest after I did my research and made my choice of video game to create, I still sat here and played other people retro games for a half hour or so. I could definitely keep playing. These games remind me of sitting around playing Mario with my friends for hours on end. I was never very good at them then (nor am I now), but the nostalgia of laughing with my friends will never get old.
Liked:
-Narrative that talks you through the game and gives you hints.
-Collecting coins.
-A reasonable number of bad guys.
Disliked:
-Drowning
-Not being able to reach high enough to see above the screen level without getting killed by a bad guy.
Shooter
This game was a little chaotic. All of the little ships were trying to shoot me, while I spun in circles and tried to shoot them first. This game reminds me of the old space games that have the enemy ships coming to shoot you while you duck, dodge, and dive away from the enemies.
Liked:
-Sparks competitive mentality.
-Action-packed.
Disliked:
-No levels.
-Wait for the time to end to see if you survive.
What Makes a Good Game?
After playing all of the types of games above and listening to Dr. Ruben Puentedura's podcast, I think I may have come up with my perfect list of qualities that make a good game.
1. Narrative - Games have to have some kind of story to go with the reason for playing. I am not going to play a game that doesn't have some type story line to follow and a final objective to work toward. I find myself more engaged when my decisions in the game help mold or change a plot line.
2. Scaffolding - As a newbie gamer, I need new skills to be introduced to me on a gradual level. If the skills are introduced too slowly and the game gets monotonous, players get bored and stop playing. If the skills are introduced in a rapid fire manner, players get overwhelmed and frustrated and stop playing. There is a balance needed when game designing to introduce just the right difficulty at just the right time. You have to keep players engaged, but continue adding skill difficulty.
3. Strategy - I hate games where I have no idea how I wound up winning. There has to be enough skill advancement and chance that keeps the gamer wanting to continue playing. Gamers need to be able to use their skill acquisition to advance through levels of the increased difficulty. If they don't have to think, they won't want to play. But again, if it is too much thinking and gets too hard, they won't want to play.
4. Variety - There needs to be multiples types of challenges and conflicts. If a gamer comes across one type of challenge over and over, they are going to get bored. Even if that challenge becomes more and more complex, it is still the same. Games need to break up the monotony and allow gamers to really showcase the range of skills that they acquire through their game play.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Different Types of Games
This is going to be my blog post that will track my quests through the gaming experience.
"Other Games 1"
The "other" category of game is the label for games like Chinese Checkers, poker, and Yahtzee. As far as Chinese checkers, using this in the classroom would be a benefit for students that need a challenge, but could learn some patience. It is a game of strategy and patterns. I, of course, don't have any of those skills and lost miserably to the computer. Poker is for the lucky person. I am not that person. I flew through my allotted amount of money in record timing. Since it is a math and strategy based game, I don't think it would fit in my Language Arts classroom. Yahtzee would be fantastic in the elementary math classroom. Students who are Achievers or Masterminds would like figuring out the different ways to reach their goal and the best probability for obtaining the maximum point per level.
"Action Games 1: Shoot'em Ups"
Shoot'em Ups are games that tend to be a one vs all. The player takes the shape of aircraft or space shuttles and shoots a mass amount of opponents at the same time. Those opponents usually come from the top or side of the screen while the shooter is at the bottom or left side. Players need to have control of the arrow keys to move and the space bar to shoot. I played a few rounds, but died very shortly after beginning. The first time I played, I got 315 points. Basically, I went through all three of my lives almost immediately after starting to play. The second time, I earned 5,190 points. I was shocked I made it into the second level. Between the first and the second times playing, I learned how the enemies move and how I should react. Basically, avoid the bad guys coming for you instead of engaging them. If you engage, you will die.
"Simulation Games"
Simulation games do exactly that: simulate something. I played the Sim City RPG Adventure Game. I had to restart this game about five times due to running out of funds. This is something that I tend to excel at when it comes to real life or simulation games. I am near addicted to the classic Roller Coaster Tycoon game and run out of money constantly. In both games, I had to sit around for a long time and wait for money to roll in. In the RPG Adventure Game, I ran out and stayed out of money. I'm not sure exactly how to get that money back. I know it has something to do with raising taxes, but I had it at almost 12% and thought that was really high.
"Narrative Games 1: Text Adventure"
I once thought that simulation games are my favorite, but I was missing out on the wonderfully detailed and story-like world of narrative games. I was tasked to play the first ever narrative game, Zork, but for some reason the game wouldn't let me type. Who knows...
Instead, I used Steam to get the game To Burn in Memory. At first, I was not into the idea of having to read all the details, but very quickly did I mentally smack myself because I love to read. The romantically creepy music set into the game helped me get into the mood for reading my way through a mystery and choosing my own adventure. I was able to collect some interesting items that I'm sure will eventually lead me to discovering more clues to unveil the mystery. I enjoyed being able to choose where to go based on the given choices. It was awesome.
"Narrative Games 2: Graphic Adventures"
Peasant's Quest is hard! I played out the game twice and died by random monsters. I didn't even get to reach the dragon, Trogdor. This game was easier to follow than a text adventure, but with the basic graphics and simple commands, it seemed tedious. The best part of the entire experience was the sarcastic remarks that the video game designers added into the narrative. Quite amusing! When you did something wrong or didn't need an item, the game would let you know that it was useless to try and acquire that item with some snarky remark. I love snarky remarks, though.
"Narrative Games 3: Action Adventures"
For this quest we had to play Zelda. I could not for the life of me figure out how to use any weapons or win coins. I spent my time running away from bad guys and getting shot in the back. Maybe it's my computer? The directions have joystick controls, but I don't have a joystick. I recruited the husband to school me on his Zelda knowledge, but he was lost as to how to get my character to do anything. I'm pretty sure I pushed every key to no avail. I would probably love this game had I been able to play it the way it was designed to be played. I love a good plot line with my video games.
"Other Games 1"
The "other" category of game is the label for games like Chinese Checkers, poker, and Yahtzee. As far as Chinese checkers, using this in the classroom would be a benefit for students that need a challenge, but could learn some patience. It is a game of strategy and patterns. I, of course, don't have any of those skills and lost miserably to the computer. Poker is for the lucky person. I am not that person. I flew through my allotted amount of money in record timing. Since it is a math and strategy based game, I don't think it would fit in my Language Arts classroom. Yahtzee would be fantastic in the elementary math classroom. Students who are Achievers or Masterminds would like figuring out the different ways to reach their goal and the best probability for obtaining the maximum point per level.
"Action Games 1: Shoot'em Ups"
Shoot'em Ups are games that tend to be a one vs all. The player takes the shape of aircraft or space shuttles and shoots a mass amount of opponents at the same time. Those opponents usually come from the top or side of the screen while the shooter is at the bottom or left side. Players need to have control of the arrow keys to move and the space bar to shoot. I played a few rounds, but died very shortly after beginning. The first time I played, I got 315 points. Basically, I went through all three of my lives almost immediately after starting to play. The second time, I earned 5,190 points. I was shocked I made it into the second level. Between the first and the second times playing, I learned how the enemies move and how I should react. Basically, avoid the bad guys coming for you instead of engaging them. If you engage, you will die.
"Simulation Games"
Simulation games do exactly that: simulate something. I played the Sim City RPG Adventure Game. I had to restart this game about five times due to running out of funds. This is something that I tend to excel at when it comes to real life or simulation games. I am near addicted to the classic Roller Coaster Tycoon game and run out of money constantly. In both games, I had to sit around for a long time and wait for money to roll in. In the RPG Adventure Game, I ran out and stayed out of money. I'm not sure exactly how to get that money back. I know it has something to do with raising taxes, but I had it at almost 12% and thought that was really high.
"Narrative Games 1: Text Adventure"
I once thought that simulation games are my favorite, but I was missing out on the wonderfully detailed and story-like world of narrative games. I was tasked to play the first ever narrative game, Zork, but for some reason the game wouldn't let me type. Who knows...
Instead, I used Steam to get the game To Burn in Memory. At first, I was not into the idea of having to read all the details, but very quickly did I mentally smack myself because I love to read. The romantically creepy music set into the game helped me get into the mood for reading my way through a mystery and choosing my own adventure. I was able to collect some interesting items that I'm sure will eventually lead me to discovering more clues to unveil the mystery. I enjoyed being able to choose where to go based on the given choices. It was awesome.
"Narrative Games 2: Graphic Adventures"
Peasant's Quest is hard! I played out the game twice and died by random monsters. I didn't even get to reach the dragon, Trogdor. This game was easier to follow than a text adventure, but with the basic graphics and simple commands, it seemed tedious. The best part of the entire experience was the sarcastic remarks that the video game designers added into the narrative. Quite amusing! When you did something wrong or didn't need an item, the game would let you know that it was useless to try and acquire that item with some snarky remark. I love snarky remarks, though.
"Narrative Games 3: Action Adventures"
For this quest we had to play Zelda. I could not for the life of me figure out how to use any weapons or win coins. I spent my time running away from bad guys and getting shot in the back. Maybe it's my computer? The directions have joystick controls, but I don't have a joystick. I recruited the husband to school me on his Zelda knowledge, but he was lost as to how to get my character to do anything. I'm pretty sure I pushed every key to no avail. I would probably love this game had I been able to play it the way it was designed to be played. I love a good plot line with my video games.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Drop Pod Qualification
In order to qualify for command of the Drop Pods on the Prometheus, I had to follow a series of tasks. These tasks were to Rez (make appear) and DeRez (make disappear) the Drop Pods themselves, take a Drop Pod down the the surface and back up to the ship, then take a Drop Pod to a given vector (<133,60,2272>), and take pictures.
These are some pictures from my trip to the surface:
These are some pictures of my journey to vector <133,60,2272> (which turns out to be the middle of the sky):
That was a really exciting adventure. It took me a couple tries to figure out how to sit on the ship and control it, but I got the hang of it.
These are some pictures from my trip to the surface:
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| This is landing on the surface. |
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| This is traveling through space and back to the ship. |
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| Almost made it back to the ship. |
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| Made it back safe. |
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| Heading down to the mysterious vector <133,60,2272>. |
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| If I step out, I'll continue falling to the surface. |
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| Drop Pod is suspended in mid-air, at vector <133,60,2272>. |
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| Returning safely to the ship. |
Security and the Brig
The purpose of this quest was to explore the Brig and get my new security outfit. As a member of the Command team, I can be called upon at any time to put on the vest and help protect my shipmates and our ship.
In this picture, I am in the Brig, or space ship jail. I have no idea how to use my weapon yet, but that is my next adventure.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Virtual Hallucinations
Wow! As an Education major with an endorsement in Special Education, I thought I understood what it meant to have schizophrenia, or could at least understand what typically happens in the mind of a person with schizophrenia. I was really wrong.
As one of the quests in my ED TECH 532: Educational Games and Simulations class, I was given the opportunity to use the virtual world, Second Life, to step into the shoes of someone with schizophrenia for a brief amount of time. Of course, this small virtual sampling is minuscule compared to actually suffering from this debilitating mental illness, but it did give me insight as to the types of voices someone may hear and visual hallucinations someone may experience.
Even though I knew the experience wasn't happening in real life, I found myself wanting to examine the items and situations that the voices were telling me was real. For example, one voice mentions picking up and gun and wanting to shoot someone. It was almost second nature to just obey the voices in your head, believing it may be the sub-conscious. In this case, clearly the voices were meant to show the distorted thinking and ideas that individuals with schizophrenia may experience every minute of every day. This simulation was meant to shake reality, and the negative and derogatory voice did just that, create a sense of paranoia and negativity that was difficult to shake after the experience concluded.
As I said in my introduction, wow...
The Virtual Hallucinations map can be found at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sedig/32/50/24
As one of the quests in my ED TECH 532: Educational Games and Simulations class, I was given the opportunity to use the virtual world, Second Life, to step into the shoes of someone with schizophrenia for a brief amount of time. Of course, this small virtual sampling is minuscule compared to actually suffering from this debilitating mental illness, but it did give me insight as to the types of voices someone may hear and visual hallucinations someone may experience.
Even though I knew the experience wasn't happening in real life, I found myself wanting to examine the items and situations that the voices were telling me was real. For example, one voice mentions picking up and gun and wanting to shoot someone. It was almost second nature to just obey the voices in your head, believing it may be the sub-conscious. In this case, clearly the voices were meant to show the distorted thinking and ideas that individuals with schizophrenia may experience every minute of every day. This simulation was meant to shake reality, and the negative and derogatory voice did just that, create a sense of paranoia and negativity that was difficult to shake after the experience concluded.
As I said in my introduction, wow...
The Virtual Hallucinations map can be found at: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sedig/32/50/24
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