Analysis of Strategy games and RPG

W505 Games as Learning Tools

Stage 2 - 4: Analysis of Strategy games and RPG

Title: Mission 1 & 2

http://www.mission-us.org/pages/mission-2

General information 

This is a computer game that uses multimedia.  It immerses players in U.S. history.  The player has the option of picking Mission 1 or 2.  Each Mission has 5 phases.  In Mission 1 the player becomes Nat Wheeler.  The setting is 1770 in Boston.  The player is exposed to Patriots and Loyalists and must decide what side to stand with.  The player can earn badges by learning academic vocabulary.  The play also gets the opportunity to be exposed to the actual history that occurred and things that may occur because of their choices.  In Mission 2 the player is a 14-year-old slave in Kentucky, her name is Lucy.  As Lucy the player must escape from the south and head to Ohio.  In this Mission the player learns about how slaves were treated, the Fugitive Slave Act, and many other historical events.  Again the student learns about history through the choices they make.

As I played this game I became lost in it!  I told myself I was only going to look at it and read what it was about the first night.  That didn’t happen, before I new it two hours had passed and I was only beginning phase 3.  I really enjoyed the game because it gives a real feel to it.  It also was very educational and easy to follow.  The game is very interactive with the player.  Everything is in print as the computer characters interact with the player (this makes it better for ELL students).  This is a game that would be perfect for 8^th grade social studies.  I would recommend playing it as a class or individually for 10 minutes every day when teaching the unit, if time permits.  If that doesn’t work then maybe this could be played the as an opener and closer to the unit!  Another idea could be to play it during enrichment or at home and a parent logs the time the child is on playing!

  

Analysis based on Flow Theory

Analyze and describe whether the game has the elements of flow listed below:

o   Task that the learners can complete

Yes, because each mission has 5 phases it always the learners to complete smaller sections to complete an entire task (The Mission).

o   Ability to concentrate on task

Absolutely yes, I didn’t notice that two hours had passed!  The graphics are great and the action and interaction holds the learners interest!

o   Task has clear goals

Yes again, the game has the learners collect badges, points, and artifacts/materials to play the game or survive.  There are choices to be made that can help or end the game.

o   Task provides immediate feedback

Yes, every step of the way the learner has at least 2-4 choices to make.  This leaves the game to chance and makes it much like real life.

o   Deep but effortless involvement

Yes, this game pulls the learner into the past.  The learner finds himself or herself in a historical time from the past.

o   Exercising a sense of control over their actions

Yes, the learner has total control over what actions their character will take. 

o   Concern for self disappears during flow

Yes, the learner is warped to a historical environment of the past.  Their actions/choices will deliberately have an affect of life or death.  Many actions that can be taken by the player are very dangerous as it was in the past.

o   Sense of duration of time is altered

Yes, the player is so involved in the game that time is lost.  Five minutes becomes at least two hours as you play this game.  While playing a year can pass in about an hour or two!

Just to add, I 100% agree with our readings this week.  Games are taking education to another level.  RPG are the next big thing we need to think about as we lesson plan.  I believe many teachers are now always looking for a way to reinforce classroom curriculum in a way that brings the students in.  Games are the way in!

Analysis of Card and Board games

W505 Games as Learning Tools

Stage 2 - 3: Analysis of Card and Board Games

Title: Chess

http://www.chess.com/play/

General information

This online game is played just like the traditional board game of chess.  The same rules and goals of apply to both the online style and the traditional style of the game chess.  You must create a login and password.  You must also provide an email address, so you may be allowed to chat online as you play.  You are paired up with players from all over the world.  There are options as to how long you are willing to play.  There are 10 minutes options or a day or two per turn.  This all depends on your schedule and the amount of time you have available to play the game.  Just on piece of advise:  Be very careful when you play online!  I say this because two times when playing chess I could have won!  I guess I let go of the mouse one spot to soon and this cost me the game!!! 

Comparison of two formats: digital vs. non-digital

           1.     Comparison 1: Game components

My game components are:

Games are activities in which players are actively involved physically and mentally.  Games should also challenge and entertain the players with positive competition.  Finally, games must have an element of chance, a common goal for the players, and rules. Game must create some form of an emotional reaction. 

The change of the format from non-digital to digital really does not change the core of my game components.  There is still mental challenge.  There is physical challenge in using the computer or Smart board.  This game both digital and non-digital challenge, entertain, present chance, have common goals, rules, rattle emotions, and present completion.

Now, the difference is the physical interaction.  What I mean by that is on the online chess you can’t watch your opponent and get a feel for what they are thinking or how frustrated they may be.  I find this to not make the same as exciting and competitive.  I found myself playing chess many times and each time I was very close to winning (I didn’t win once!).  I’m very competitive, so I continued playing the problem was that I like to play mind games when I play chess (and many other games too) and I couldn’t do this online!!!   I also noticed that the other players really didn’t want to chat with me.  They were all about the game.  So I guess you would say that the digital format had a little less physically interaction.  

            2.     Comparison 2: Interaction

Analyze and describe whether the difference in format results in any changes in the factors listed below:

-       Communication between/among players during the game play, Cooperation between/among players, Engagement to the games, Motivation to play the game

            Traditional:

I know when chess is being played very little communication occurs.  Now, in my ELL classroom setting when homework is completed during resource time I have a game for the week.  I teach the students the rules, goals, and what there role as a play should be.  They play, but all communication must be in English.  If they have questions they ask in English.  If they want a classmate to help it must be in English.  They also must say why they made the move they made (depending on the game) in English.  I enjoy doing this because then I just observe and grade their English application.  They are less intimidated by the idea of having to speak English for a grade because they are focused on the game and not the language.  I also like doing it like this because then I can see the “true strengths and weaknesses” my students may have with whatever the English focus maybe during that week.

              Digital:

I couldn’t get anyone to talk when they were playing online chess.  I couldn’t even get my opponent to chat with me!  I do believe the computer has a way for pulling the learner in and making them forget about everything else around.  What I would do to promote more communication between players is make them play with a partner, so it would actually be four people playing online.  Then, the pair would have to alternate turns and explain to each other why they made the move they made.  I would also require a certain number of written chats from each team, so they could practice the written form of English as well.

Stage 2-2: Analysis of Puzzle, Quiz, and Sports Games

W505 Fames as Learning Tools

Week 5

Stage 2-2 Analysis of Puzzle, Quiz, and Sports Games

Title:  Puzzle (BLOXORZ) vs. Quiz (Sheppard’s Geography Map)

Puzzle game:

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/games/bloxorz

Quiz Map quiz:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm

Learners’ Style: 

1)

Based on Kolb’s learning styles I am an Active Experimentation style learner.  I also had a few that fell under the Abstract Conceptualization style too.  Those two AE and AC had my highest scores.  To be honest I never really trust these quizzes.  The reason why I do not totally depend on these forms of inventory is because students change.  Depending on a students’ age, exposure, stresses in life, material being studied each type AE, RO, CE, and AC style could describe the student.  As I went through the activity I found myself wondering and debating which one to choose because I kept thinking about different activities and how each activity would require different styles.

 2)

Based on Prensky’s list I am all over the place!  Looking at each question individually I could be at a one or a five depending on the question.  There was one, number four where I was in the middle.  I don’t believe it was because I cannot bounce around or I rather take step-by-step order.  I believe I chose 3 on number four because I can do both it just depends on the game and the situation I find myself in.  Now, I find myself agreeing 100% with number eight!  I chose 1 for number eight because I know how I am and I am very impatient!  I need to know immediately if something is working or not working.  I do believe that some of the question are very straightforward and for the most part will not change because it has to do with your personality.  Other questions could change depending on the mood of the student, the age of the student, and the situation the student finds them themselves.

3) 

Based on VAK learning styles I scored pretty evenly.  I had 12 A’s which represented the Visual learning style.  I had 7 B’s, which represented the Auditory learning style.  I had 11 C’s, which represented the Kinaestehetic learning style.  One thing stated in the article that I agreed with was, “some people fid that their learning style may be a blend of two or three styles,” (V Chislett MSc & A Chapman, 2005, P. 4).  I do believe that students do have many learning styles.  I also find myself as a teacher teaching one concept in more than one way.  I believe most teachers have been trained to teach to the student, which means the visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic student.  Every class has each of these learners.  I know for a fact that I always tend to begin my lessons with a visual, then I explain, and finally apply. 

Analysis of Games:

  1)   General information of two games:

The first game I played was BLOXORZ.  This game is a strategy game.  The player must take a block and flip it around until they can figure a way to make the block fall into a little opening.  Now this is all happening on a small platform where the block can easily fall if the player flips the block too many times or the wrong way!  If the player’s block falls off the player must start that level all over again.  There are 33 levels!  There are no clues or hints to help the player.  There are very informative instructions at the beginning or the game, but a player can skip these and just start playing the game.

The second game I played was Sheppard’s Geography Map quiz.  This game had the player labeling maps.  The player would pick the continent they wanted to work on.  Then the player could choose if they wanted just to locate where the countries would be on a continent, label the countries’ capitals, or label the countries’ landscapes.  The game provided hints, clues, and actual answers if the player was incorrect.  This game provided a speaker to interact with the player as well.

   2)   Comparison 1: Game Components

First my game components were activities in which players are actively involved physically and mentally.  Games should also challenge and entertain the players with positive competition.  Finally, games must have an element of chance, a common goal for the players, and rules. Game must create some form of an emotional reaction. 

BLOXORZ did hit these points!  It got me actively involved mentally, it challenged me, and entertained me with positive competition with myself.  I could easily see how a teacher could turn this into a competition between students.  Seeing which could do it in the least amount of moves or by highest points.  The game also allows for chance.  There is a common goal for all players, and it has rules.  Now the emotional reaction that it caused me was a little stress.  This type of a game is not my cup of tea!  I am competitive, so I continued through, but I had to take a break at times and come back to the game.  I found myself getting frustrated because I didn’t have any clues and it was an independent game!

Sheppard’s Geography Map Quiz also hit all the game components, but differently.  It actively involved the player mentally.  It challenged and entertained the player with positive competition.  Now there wasn’t a really opportunity for chance, besides the fact that they player could get it wrong.  The game did have a common goal and rules.  The emotional reaction for me this time was a more positive one.  I was able to get hints and clues.  The game interacted with me and “spoke” to me.  This game could easily become something to use in the classroom with all the students.  It could be used with the entire class playing together on the Smart board or independently on the computer.  This would be great as an opener to the lesson and a way to review for a test.

  3)   Comparison 2: Learners’ styles

The least-fit game, BLOXORZ would not fit my learning style for many reasons.  First, I am group learner.  This game is not one where team effort can really happen.  Also, there is no real communication occurring during the game.  It’s all in your mind as you try to figure out what will work.  It also does not work well with me because I like order and a step-by-step pattern.  This game is open to whatever step or pattern the player wants to take.  Finally, this game was the least-fit game for me because I didn’t know if what I was doing or the steps I was taking were correct until I got to the end (close to the opening)!  That was what sent me over board!

The best-fit game, Sheppard’s Geography Map Quiz fits my learning style because it can be done as a team or group.  It also fits my style of learning because it has order and pattern.  I also know immediately if my answer is right or wrong.  This is also a preferred game because it guided and interacted with me.

I still was able to enjoy both of these games (one more than the other) because they were both visual games and very kinaesthetic style too.  Using these two on the Smart Board would allow more movement and hands on feel too.  I also felt that both game catered to my AE style too.