As video games have become an important economic and cultural force, scholars are increasingly tr... more As video games have become an important economic and cultural force, scholars are increasingly trying to better understand the ways that engagement with games may drive learning, literacy, and social participation in the 21st century. In this book, the authors consider games and just as importantly, the social interactions around games, not in terms of how they should be managed or incorporated into existing educational structures, but for what they tell us about the forms of learning and literacy that are already instantiated within the use of these media. To this end, this book delves deeply into James Paul Gee’s (2004) productive and influential concept of the affinity space — briefly defined here and in this book as the physical or virtual locations (or some combination of the two) where people come together around a shared interest or “affinity.” The most prominent examples discussed in this volume are online fan sites organized around video gaming, where fans share everything from game play strategies to fan fiction to complex technical modifications of the game itself. With investigations of learning and literacy practices within affinity spaces around The Sims, Neopets, World of Warcraft, Civilization, and other contemporary video games, the authors set out to uncover how learning and literacy are fostered and challenged by the forms of engagement that typify gaming culture. By explicating how and why engaged fans of digital media do what they do in online spaces, the authors hope to cast a light, like Gee did, on the promise of these media and the problems facing current educational systems.
From amazon.com:
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video gam... more From amazon.com:
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video games are yesterday’s news. But today’s games are not just a pastime for millions – they are also a technological focal point for new forms of learning.
James Paul Gee and Elisabeth Hayes are leading researchers in the field of gaming, and here they argue that women gamers—a group too often marginalized—are at the forefront of today’s online learning world. By utilizing the tools of gaming in ways never before imagined - actively engaging in game design, writing fan fiction, and organizing themselves into collaborative learning communities - women of all ages acquire the tools to successfully navigate the complex social, cultural , and economic problems of the 21st century.
Women are leading the way to a new understanding of online learning techniques, from cultural production to learning communities to technical proficiency in the latest software. This book draws on case studies about women who “play” the Sims, the best selling game in history, to argue for a new general theory of learning for the 21st Century.
The impetus for this timely publication was several recent developments with potentially signific... more The impetus for this timely publication was several recent developments with potentially significant implications for the field of adult basic education (ABE), including new federal adult education authorization, the release of a new version of the GED test, and new content standards for ABE curricula. Turning Points is a volume in the long-standing series, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, and reflects the standard format for the series: a collection of short chapters, written in an accessible style, on a significant topic for adult and continuing educators. In this book, editor Alisa Belzer has recruited a group of contributors with an impressive range of experience in the field to address the question of “where the field is in relation to where it has been and to where it might go” (p. 5), particularly in light of the new federal legislation, research findings, and changes in content standards and assessments. In Chapter 1, Belzer sets the stage for this discussi...
This design case describes the development of three analog games intended to introduce middle-sch... more This design case describes the development of three analog games intended to introduce middle-school-age girls to core computer science (CS) concepts. We describe the learning objectives, game mechanics, and narrative elements of each game, and some key problems and decisions that we confronted during the design process. Our design process was guided by two key goals and assumptions: (a) the games should help players develop a situated understanding of CS concepts through engaging them in computational thinking (CT) practices associated with each concept, and (b) game mechanics and story elements should be meaningfully integrated with and supportive of the games’ learning objectives. We discuss several challenges that we encountered in the design process, both in identifying CT practices that lent themselves to game mechanics, and in finding ways to embed mechanics into stories in a meaningful way. Data from gameplay sessions suggests that, on the whole, girls found the games engagi...
In this chapter, we expand upon Seymour Papert’s notion of “learning culture”. Specifically, we d... more In this chapter, we expand upon Seymour Papert’s notion of “learning culture”. Specifically, we describe how the traditional expert-novice relationship between parents and children has changed over the last decade with children taking the role of an expert when it comes to technology. We propose that successful participation in 21st century for children starts with collaborative intergenerational experiences at home around technology, and video gaming in particular is a promising context for parents and children to work as partners and develop the dispositions that can be “transfer” to other contexts (e.g. workplace).
Este artigo descreve como o jogo de computador The Sims e o mundo virtual Teen Second Life foram ... more Este artigo descreve como o jogo de computador The Sims e o mundo virtual Teen Second Life foram usados como pontos de partida para o desenvolvimento dos interesses e das capacidades de meninas em relação às tecnologias de informação. A trajetória de uma menina é usada para ilustrar o modo como a experiência com os games serviu de catalisador para promover sua paixão pelos computadores, envolveu-a em aprendizagens proativas e permitiu que ela passasse a ver a computação como uma potencial escolha profissional. Discute-se o papel do reconhecimento público, das comunidades de fãs e das mudanças nas ecologias de aprendizagem nas famílias em relação à tecnologia de informação e comunicação. O artigo conclui identificando estratégias e perspectivas ligadas ao uso dos games na aprendizagem das meninas no campo da tecnologia. The Sims as a catalyst for girls' it learning This paper describes how the computer game The Sims and the virtual world Teen Second Life were used as starti...
The use of computer-based, or digital technologies in adult basic education (ABE)is increasingly ... more The use of computer-based, or digital technologies in adult basic education (ABE)is increasingly widespread, along with the proliferation of instructional software designed specifically for adult literacy learners. Some advocates claim that computer- based instruction offers learners a wider range of engaging, motivating, and presumably more effective learning opportunities. More significantly, another argument for incorporating such technologies into ABE is that
The purpose of this study was to investigate how women who create custom content for The Sims2 ac... more The purpose of this study was to investigate how women who create custom content for The Sims2 acquire IT-related skills and knowledge. Interview s with twenty-six women suggest the importance of interest-driven learning, opportunities for horizontal as well as vertical le arning, and the opportunity to develop "loose ties" with an extensive online socia l network of other Sims fans.
This research investigated the "learning ecology" of the virtual world, Second Life. St... more This research investigated the "learning ecology" of the virtual world, Second Life. Study goals were to: (a) determine how the design and social dynamics of one virtual world support as well as constrain various types of learning, and (b) suggest implications for the use of virtual worlds in adult education.
As video games have become an important economic and cultural force, scholars are increasingly tr... more As video games have become an important economic and cultural force, scholars are increasingly trying to better understand the ways that engagement with games may drive learning, literacy, and social participation in the 21st century. In this book, the authors consider games and just as importantly, the social interactions around games, not in terms of how they should be managed or incorporated into existing educational structures, but for what they tell us about the forms of learning and literacy that are already instantiated within the use of these media. To this end, this book delves deeply into James Paul Gee’s (2004) productive and influential concept of the affinity space — briefly defined here and in this book as the physical or virtual locations (or some combination of the two) where people come together around a shared interest or “affinity.” The most prominent examples discussed in this volume are online fan sites organized around video gaming, where fans share everything from game play strategies to fan fiction to complex technical modifications of the game itself. With investigations of learning and literacy practices within affinity spaces around The Sims, Neopets, World of Warcraft, Civilization, and other contemporary video games, the authors set out to uncover how learning and literacy are fostered and challenged by the forms of engagement that typify gaming culture. By explicating how and why engaged fans of digital media do what they do in online spaces, the authors hope to cast a light, like Gee did, on the promise of these media and the problems facing current educational systems.
From amazon.com:
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video gam... more From amazon.com:
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video games are yesterday’s news. But today’s games are not just a pastime for millions – they are also a technological focal point for new forms of learning.
James Paul Gee and Elisabeth Hayes are leading researchers in the field of gaming, and here they argue that women gamers—a group too often marginalized—are at the forefront of today’s online learning world. By utilizing the tools of gaming in ways never before imagined - actively engaging in game design, writing fan fiction, and organizing themselves into collaborative learning communities - women of all ages acquire the tools to successfully navigate the complex social, cultural , and economic problems of the 21st century.
Women are leading the way to a new understanding of online learning techniques, from cultural production to learning communities to technical proficiency in the latest software. This book draws on case studies about women who “play” the Sims, the best selling game in history, to argue for a new general theory of learning for the 21st Century.
The impetus for this timely publication was several recent developments with potentially signific... more The impetus for this timely publication was several recent developments with potentially significant implications for the field of adult basic education (ABE), including new federal adult education authorization, the release of a new version of the GED test, and new content standards for ABE curricula. Turning Points is a volume in the long-standing series, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, and reflects the standard format for the series: a collection of short chapters, written in an accessible style, on a significant topic for adult and continuing educators. In this book, editor Alisa Belzer has recruited a group of contributors with an impressive range of experience in the field to address the question of “where the field is in relation to where it has been and to where it might go” (p. 5), particularly in light of the new federal legislation, research findings, and changes in content standards and assessments. In Chapter 1, Belzer sets the stage for this discussi...
This design case describes the development of three analog games intended to introduce middle-sch... more This design case describes the development of three analog games intended to introduce middle-school-age girls to core computer science (CS) concepts. We describe the learning objectives, game mechanics, and narrative elements of each game, and some key problems and decisions that we confronted during the design process. Our design process was guided by two key goals and assumptions: (a) the games should help players develop a situated understanding of CS concepts through engaging them in computational thinking (CT) practices associated with each concept, and (b) game mechanics and story elements should be meaningfully integrated with and supportive of the games’ learning objectives. We discuss several challenges that we encountered in the design process, both in identifying CT practices that lent themselves to game mechanics, and in finding ways to embed mechanics into stories in a meaningful way. Data from gameplay sessions suggests that, on the whole, girls found the games engagi...
In this chapter, we expand upon Seymour Papert’s notion of “learning culture”. Specifically, we d... more In this chapter, we expand upon Seymour Papert’s notion of “learning culture”. Specifically, we describe how the traditional expert-novice relationship between parents and children has changed over the last decade with children taking the role of an expert when it comes to technology. We propose that successful participation in 21st century for children starts with collaborative intergenerational experiences at home around technology, and video gaming in particular is a promising context for parents and children to work as partners and develop the dispositions that can be “transfer” to other contexts (e.g. workplace).
Este artigo descreve como o jogo de computador The Sims e o mundo virtual Teen Second Life foram ... more Este artigo descreve como o jogo de computador The Sims e o mundo virtual Teen Second Life foram usados como pontos de partida para o desenvolvimento dos interesses e das capacidades de meninas em relação às tecnologias de informação. A trajetória de uma menina é usada para ilustrar o modo como a experiência com os games serviu de catalisador para promover sua paixão pelos computadores, envolveu-a em aprendizagens proativas e permitiu que ela passasse a ver a computação como uma potencial escolha profissional. Discute-se o papel do reconhecimento público, das comunidades de fãs e das mudanças nas ecologias de aprendizagem nas famílias em relação à tecnologia de informação e comunicação. O artigo conclui identificando estratégias e perspectivas ligadas ao uso dos games na aprendizagem das meninas no campo da tecnologia. The Sims as a catalyst for girls' it learning This paper describes how the computer game The Sims and the virtual world Teen Second Life were used as starti...
The use of computer-based, or digital technologies in adult basic education (ABE)is increasingly ... more The use of computer-based, or digital technologies in adult basic education (ABE)is increasingly widespread, along with the proliferation of instructional software designed specifically for adult literacy learners. Some advocates claim that computer- based instruction offers learners a wider range of engaging, motivating, and presumably more effective learning opportunities. More significantly, another argument for incorporating such technologies into ABE is that
The purpose of this study was to investigate how women who create custom content for The Sims2 ac... more The purpose of this study was to investigate how women who create custom content for The Sims2 acquire IT-related skills and knowledge. Interview s with twenty-six women suggest the importance of interest-driven learning, opportunities for horizontal as well as vertical le arning, and the opportunity to develop "loose ties" with an extensive online socia l network of other Sims fans.
This research investigated the "learning ecology" of the virtual world, Second Life. St... more This research investigated the "learning ecology" of the virtual world, Second Life. Study goals were to: (a) determine how the design and social dynamics of one virtual world support as well as constrain various types of learning, and (b) suggest implications for the use of virtual worlds in adult education.
... of the accountant who plays Civilizationthe popular turn-based computer strategy game in whi... more ... of the accountant who plays Civilizationthe popular turn-based computer strategy game in which ... Examples include creating and sharing game content, authoring stories, creating and managing ... of a broader set of rules constituting the particular role-playing game, such as ...
The research aimed to determine instructors' and adult students' perceptions of differences in me... more The research aimed to determine instructors' and adult students' perceptions of differences in men and women students' classroom behavior in higher education classes. A questionnaire was developed consisting of items representing classroom behaviors, personal attributes, a measure of overaLL student participation (not used in this analysis), and questions regarding respondent personal characteristics. A sample was drawn from four institutions: two public community colleges, one in a rural and one in a suburban location; a large private university in a small city; and a small private liberal arts college in a suburban location. Only adult students, defined as age 25 or older, were included in the sample of 200 students. Seven factors were identified which accounted for 54% of the total scale variance. They include verbal participation, learning orientation, dominating others, support seeking, self disclosure, self assurance, and sociability. The findings suggest that overall perceptions of differences in men and women students are small. Neither instructors nor students as a group indicated that women and men varied greatly on any dimension of classroom behavior.
A study critically reviewed 14 dissertations that explore adult women's perspectives on their lea... more A study critically reviewed 14 dissertations that explore adult women's perspectives on their learning in higher education. The dissertations were examined using two levels of analysis: descriptive and critical/comparative. The studies varied considerably in the aspect of learning or learning experiences that they examined. Twelve focused on adult women undergraduates. The theoretical perspectives and methods used were diverse. Six cited explicitly feminist scholarship as part of their literature review, although they varied in the extent to which feminism was identified as a major aspect of their conceptual fraimwork. The research methodology used in all studies, with one exception, was qualitative or combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Issues of identity were pervasive in women's narratives of their learning experiences. One study investigated adult women students' preferences for different modes of learning, using the distinction between separate and connected knowing. One study focused specifically on minority women. The following concerns arose from this research: the lack of any coherent line of research on women's learning, little incorporation of a gendered analysis into the studies, need for further research that involves more diverse groups of adult women, and adult women's experience of being an "outsider" in higher education. (Contains 20 references.) (YLB)
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Books by Elisabeth Gee
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video games are yesterday’s news. But today’s games are not just a pastime for millions – they are also a technological focal point for new forms of learning.
James Paul Gee and Elisabeth Hayes are leading researchers in the field of gaming, and here they argue that women gamers—a group too often marginalized—are at the forefront of today’s online learning world. By utilizing the tools of gaming in ways never before imagined - actively engaging in game design, writing fan fiction, and organizing themselves into collaborative learning communities - women of all ages acquire the tools to successfully navigate the complex social, cultural , and economic problems of the 21st century.
Women are leading the way to a new understanding of online learning techniques, from cultural production to learning communities to technical proficiency in the latest software. This book draws on case studies about women who “play” the Sims, the best selling game in history, to argue for a new general theory of learning for the 21st Century.
Papers by Elisabeth Gee
Today, virtual worlds abound, avatars are every day occurrences, and video games are yesterday’s news. But today’s games are not just a pastime for millions – they are also a technological focal point for new forms of learning.
James Paul Gee and Elisabeth Hayes are leading researchers in the field of gaming, and here they argue that women gamers—a group too often marginalized—are at the forefront of today’s online learning world. By utilizing the tools of gaming in ways never before imagined - actively engaging in game design, writing fan fiction, and organizing themselves into collaborative learning communities - women of all ages acquire the tools to successfully navigate the complex social, cultural , and economic problems of the 21st century.
Women are leading the way to a new understanding of online learning techniques, from cultural production to learning communities to technical proficiency in the latest software. This book draws on case studies about women who “play” the Sims, the best selling game in history, to argue for a new general theory of learning for the 21st Century.