Fix 1-2

1.      Goal: The goal of the Settlers is building a city/empire and keeping the chain of food production/consumption and tool production/ consumption while exploring the new lands to expand our city and keeping a strong economy and satisfied settlers in order to defeat our enemies

2.      Rules: As for rules of the Settlers, they are that we cannot build as much as we want because we need tools and lands in order to establish buildings.  Rate of production and consumption is the crucial. For example, we need to product wood cutter building as much as forester building.  Likewise, we need to product some foods as much as buffer the buildings.

3.      Feedback: To pass to next level all the time some quests appear. When we click on them there are some details about these quests and some direction about how to accomplish them. In this quest system, we can see our development step by step. In each step, we receive some feedback by getting mail, gems, tools, stones, stars, and some foods. If we complete all quests in the level we have, we pass next level. In a couple level later, we get some extra motivation feedbacks, too. For instance, if we pass a couple levels, we get a mail. Some of says “You are learning very fast. I know, I expect a lot from you. Settling is not easy. If you need help go to “forum” which is under your avatar to get help from help window archive”. Except instant feedback, these kinds of mails motivate me, too.

4.      Voluntary participation: One of the motivations in the game is sound. When I send a geologist to find some resources like stone, he speaks to me if he finds or not. If he cannot find them, I say “You are awkward, men. Get out of the here” These kinds of voices makes me engaged. During whole game, hearing tweeting motivates me, too. I feel like I am in nature or there. This game is a pleasurable and safe way to manage time and economy. Another satisfying thing is spending just a couple minutes to build lots of buildings. It sounds impossible, but it is true. In real world, it takes at least a month just for one building. In the book named Reality is Broken, McGonigal mentions about the same satisfying thing by talking about the game named World of Warcraft. She (2011) states “Playing World of Warcraft is such a satisfying job; gamers have collectively spent 5.93 million years doing it.” (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 52, para. 1). In reality being satisfied in terms of all kinds of happiness seems impossible. The writer of the book (2011) verifies me by saying that “The truth is this: in today’s society, computer and video games are fulfilling genuine human needs that the real world is currently unable to satisfy.” (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 4, para. 5).

5.      Flow: Sometimes we can get some tools we need form Mayor house if we have. However, if we do not have them, we might remove some buildings to get back some tools. If we cannot ruin our buildings because of needing them, we can buy some tools from store, if we have gems enough. There are more obstacles to keep our flow in the game. For instance, sometimes we need to keep production time less. Otherwise, we cannot pass the next level. To do that, we can keep the buildings close each other in order to avoid wasting more time. For example, if we keep store (warehouse) and some production or mining building close each other; we can gain some time to product more.

6.      Intrinsic rewards: I can say that passing next level and getting mail makes me motivated. After that, I feel I am achieving in managing economy and time. I will see how much I will be successful in discovering new lands and claiming these lands in next levels. Another intrinsic reward of this game is that the game makes me feel hopeful in being successful, even though sometimes I face some obstacles and failures. In the book named Reality is Broken, author says "Compared with games, reality is depressing" (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 38, para. 6). I believe that is why I cannot stand too much failure in real life. In the same book, McGonigal (2011) says “When we’re playing a well-designed game, failure doesn’t disappoint us. It makes us happy in a very way: exited, interested, and most of all optimistic.” These quotations make sense about why I do not disappoint, while I am failing in the game. (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 64, para. 4). Another its intrinsic reward might be stronger social connectivity. The Settlers allow adding our friends and getting help from them in terms of everything like getting buffer. Dr. Lambert buffered one of my buildings. Thank you Dr. Lambert again! There are also an instant messaging platform and forum in the game to get help or help to other gamers. Therefore, we are among other people, while playing. I believe if we play the Settlers with the members of our family, we might have more things to share with them. McGonical says “…, for many, the primary reason they play Lexulous is to have an excuse to talk to their mom every day.” (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 78, para. 1). The last thing as intrinsic reward the game might be feeling like a part of something. Actually, this game’s goal has been a real life experience throughout the history: settling. Many empires ruined because of others. Then the new ones settled. There was a chain on that. This chain has still been kept by people in some different ways. However, the goal is same. Keeping a strong economy and satisfied citizens in order to defeat their enemies are still all countries’ goal. Even exploring the new lands to expand our countries is still same goal like before.  Keeping the chain of food production/consumption and tool production/ consumption is also goal of all countries like the game. If countries cannot keep the rate production/ consumption, they can be down in economy. They sometimes need to find underground sources to keep this rate. That is why they importing, exporting, and mining. In real life, I cannot have an opportunity to settle a city/ empire. However, this game makes me feel a part of meaningful something by being in a same big goal with other people. In her book, McGonigal states “To experience real meaning, we don’t have to contribute something of real value. We just have to be given the opportunity contributing at all. We need a way to connect with others who care about the same massively scaled goal we do, no matter how arbitrary the goal.” (McGonigal, 2011, pg. 97, para. 7).

7.      Consequences: I have no idea about that. Maybe addiction to this game later?

 

References

 

McGonigal, J. (2011). Reality is broken. New York, NY: The Penguin Press.

 

Gaming Benefits

There is interesting information from one of the videos which are on our course PB page. I would like to share it. The Game Designer in the video says:

“Who invented games and why? In Kingdom of Lydia, first game was invented to reduce the consumption of food because the amount of food was not enough to all people in the Kingdom. People played this game, and next day they ate. Then, next day they play game, other next day they played the game again. They keep this situation during 8 years. Today we play the games for the same reason. We play games to escape real world suffering”

Benefits of gaming using the categories 

1.      Measurable Experience in games  (We can see our progress in the Settlers. Which level do we have?)

2.      Multiple long and short term aims In the settlers, we need to some fields to give food to workers. It is the short term aim. However, our long term aim in this game is building our village)

3.      Rewards for effort ( In the settlers, if we complete some tasks, we can get a Golden Bench as a reward )

4.      Rapid, frequent, clear feedback (we can see the result of our struggle in the Settlers, too)

5.      An element of uncertainty (teaching to predict logically)

6.      Windows of enhanced attention (Memory and confidence) (gamers can take more risks)

7.      Interacting with other people (teaching collaborating) Social Fabric ( We like people more by playing games) (In the Settlers, collaborating with other people plays a key role to be successful in the game. We need to trade with them))

8.      Motivation for real life matters (Urgent Optimism) (Gamers always believe they can solve all matter) In real world, we mostly feel overcome, overwhelmed, anxious, stressed.  Therefore, we feel that we cannot fix mattes easily. However, people who are not good in real life are good in the games because they feel OK in the games. Eeven though their level is so low in the game, they feel they can cope with the matters. Stressed people can learn to calm down while fixing something in the games. Actually, even though I have no plan to build a village in real world, I might use the outcomes of the game Settlers in a different way in real world.  I mean I can transform its benefits in another form for something different)

 

What benefits can I imagine gaining from playing this online game?

The Settlers includes Paths to a Kingdom is a real time strategy and city-building online game. The benefits I can imagine gaining from playing this online game are:

-taking care of a lot of people at the same time by thinking short term and long term aims. We need some fields to give food to workers. It is the short term aim. However, our long term aim in this game is building our village/city

-while exploring the new lands to expand our city, keeping a strong economy and satisfied settlers in order to defeat our enemies.

-interacting with other people to be successful in the game (we need to trade)

 

 

 

 

 

Gaming as a New Paradigm

ETPT 5980

I was really surprise about the information form the article named Games as a Part of Today's Culture. It says “80% of gamer-parents play video games with their kids. And 66% of those gamer-parents think that playing games brings their families closer together. .” (“None to Claim Their Bones,” 2013, para.8).I never think playing game together make family relationship tighter. It was an interesting information to me. Actually, today’s kids are growing by playing digital games. They are a part of their daily life. However. are they fit for education?

As we see digital games everywhere, they are in classroom, too. According to some people  at the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation, these games meet  standards-based academic content and 21st century thinking skills at the same time (“None to Claim Their Bones,” 2013, para.2). These games create an efficient and fun environment for learning experiments.  Moreover, they provide students communication, collaboration, problem solving, and even thinking in a different way. Maybe, the most important feature of game-based learning is supporting experiential learning. Plan formulation and strategic thinking are also other good qualities of some of games.

These games are really useful to teach something students. After playing these games, they reflect their knowledge to real life. For instance, according to the article named What About Games Makes Them Good for Learning?, “if a player has to learn about ratios in order to feed the monsters and free a pet (goals that she's taken on because of her deep engagement in the game), it turns out that she's very, very likely to put in the effort to learn about ratios.” (“None to Claim Their Bones,” 2013, para.12).

In the video named School Mods: Gaming the Educational System from the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auP-eq17U1g , a person identifies himself as a computer addict. He says he learned using computer before starting walking. He talks about some innovative video games companies that produce some games based school content such as money management skills, algebra equations, and protein puzzles. The person in the video says he does not understand why school curriculum is not turned to game based, even though these games have a quality that teach these school content faster and more effectively than ever. As students learn with different speeds and different learning styles, he asserts that teachers cannot go up or go down to every single student’s level at the same time and with the same educational tools. He says digital games meet these needs. They meet individual pace, individual focus and individual ability. He also says we mostly learn through our failure. However, if this failure is in the traditional learning environment, it is nothing just humiliating. IF students fail in a digital game, this failure makes students more willing to play. There is a really big difference between gam-based learning and traditional learning in terms of this situation.

All in all, game-based learning open us more efficient door for students, teachers, educational system positively. We cannot wait to use this new model for education.

 References     

“None to Claim Their Bones,” (2013). Retrieved from 

http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/library/culture.php 

“None to Claim Their Bones,” (2013). Retrieved from 

http://labyrinth.thinkport.org/www/library/learning.php

 

 

 

My Gaming Experiences

ETPT 5980 GAMES AND SIMULATIONS

Hi everyone! Over past decade, game has been proven as one of the effective ways in learning environment. For instance, it provides students communication, collobration, problem solving, and even thinking in a different way. Maybe, the most important feature of game-based learning is supporting experiential learning. Plan formulation and strategic thinking are also other good qualities of some of games. Even though there are lots of advantageous of games as I mentioned above, there are some side-effects of them, too. I think the worst one is creating anti-social people with these games because they could be addictive to the games. As for personal experiences about games, I met with games by a game named Mario. My first experience was in my 7 age. I was a kind of addict. Then, I get rid of this addiction. After that, I was addict again. So on.. Now, I am not addictive to games. I did not play any game maybe in last 4-5 years. However, I will start to play again with this class :)

ETPT 5980 GAMES AND SIMULATIONS