[game_edu] The Multiplayer Classroom

[steve graham]

Comments below.

On 7/1/2011 11:40 AM, Ian Schreiber wrote:

> Yes, balance is important. Wouldn't want our students to game the 

> system and exit the class with a higher grade than they deserved 

> (unless it's a game balance class, and exploiting the system is the 

> direct application of the skills you're teaching ;-)

lol

Or a lower grade, either.

>

> Ironically, I think the danger of student exploits is higher in 

> classes that *aren't* "gamified." With a class that is already run in 

> a playful manner, the students are already operating somewhat within 

> the Magic Circle; in my game-like final exams, I find that about five 

> minutes in, most students have completely forgotten that they are in 

> the middle of an exam worth 20+% of their final grade, they're just 

> having too much fun. By contrast, with high-stakes grades in the 

> absence of other mitigating factors, students have been trained 

> (practically from kindergarten) that Grades Are Everything, and they 

> therefore have the incentive to exploit the system (if not cheat 

> outright) to reach this singular goal.

Nice point. OTOH, I think it is very reasonable to think that students 
are *already* playing a game in classes, even if they aren't "gamified".

The problem is that in classes which haven't been explicitly gamified, 
the students are playing a game of "maximize score while minimizing 
effort" (or maybe "minimize effort for adequate score"), rather than a 
game of "maximize learning".

I don't think this is a coincidence. School has already established a 
"magic circle", separate from "real life", where the problems (and 
consequences) are virtual. It *is* a game. It's just not generally a 
fun, motivating, or well-balanced game!

cheers,
skg



-- 
steve graham
associate professor
computer game design
dakota state university
skg at dsu.edu
605-480-6603

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