IT Fluency via Games and Virtual Worlds

Barbara Z. Johnson, M.Ed.

Graduate Student (Education)

UM-Duluth

Thanks to:

Elizabeth (Beth) King

Dr. Elisabeth (Betty) Hayes

Lauren Silverman

Dr. Constance Steinkuehler

Dr. Jim Gee

MacArthur Foundation

The Tech Savvy Girls!!

Overview

Introduction to the project

Measures of success

Selection of tools

Evolution of the project

Learning through creating in Second Life

Purposes of Project

Middle school - many girls stop enrolling in science and math classes

Increase general IT fluency among middle-school girls

Increase interest in SMET class choice and potential careers among middle school girls

Measures

FITness Standards– Intellectual capacities– IT Concepts– IT Skills– Life-long usable skills– Applicable to wide range of careers– Not just “programming”

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Method to the Madness

Game PLAY not sufficient

“Tinkering activities” (diSessa, 2000)

Interest-driven projects

Constructivist learning

Islands of expertise in a learning ecology

Studies on game modification or game construction in teaching subjects like history and math

Modding & Content Creation

Go beyond the designed play dynamics– Create objects that become

part of the game– Create maps or change the

landscape of the game– Modify the rules of the game– Create the world and its

functionality (SL)– Total conversion (creating a

new game using the frame of the old)

But which game???

Interesting to girls– Puzzle– Adventure– Simulation

Acceptable to parents

Modifiable

Relatively easy to play and learn to modify

Social network

Year 1: The Sims

Single player creates and controls actions of characters in the game (the “Sims”)Simulation game centered around domestic life, fulfillment of game-character needs and desires, and relationships between SimsOpen-ended gameMany expansion packsRuns on computers, consoles, handhelds, iPods

Typical Sims Scenario

The Newly Rendered Mesh

Becomes the Newly Created Gown

Year 1: Results

Pro– Girls like the Sims (100 million copies of Sims 2 sold)– Easy to start modification of content– “Cheats” to change game limits– Extensive social networks online– Can share content between games– Significant gains in IT fluency

Con– Reinforces many social stereotypes– Limits to types of content and actions– Players can’t PLAY together but only parallel– No opportunity to change interactivity (I.e. programming)

Year 2: (Teen) Second Life

OnlineSegregated by age (teen vs. 18+)You are represented by an avatarInteract with multiple people from around the worldVirtual world - not a game– No game roles or game rules

Mostly user created world

What Is Second Life?

Company created world

User created world

Pre-determined rules, roles, and score

Users make own rules and roles

Second Life, Active Worlds

Most video games and MMOGs

(3-D) social networking

Original Star Wars Galaxies

EVE Online, Ultima Online, Lineage …

Customizable MUDs, MOOs, MUSHs Game mods

What do you DO in Second Life?

Pretty much anything you wantSocializeWork/BusinessCreation and artistic expression

Summer ‘07: Preparation

Create accounts

Get equipment

Establish locations for project

Create activities and instructions

Physical Sessions

One mentor physically at siteTwo mentors in Second Life2-hour meetings twice per week after school OR4 hours on SaturdayComputers purchasedvia grantAt lab or library

Initial Activities in Second Life

Quests to explore potential of Second Life

Discussed student interests

Welcome to the 60’s

Movie “Hairspray”

Fashion & Interior Decorating/Design

Social Justice Issues

Gender Identity

Science and Math

History and Fiction

Scripting and interaction

Create and Manage a Business

FITness: Intellectual Capacities evidenced

Engage in sustained reasoning

Manage complexity

Test a solution

Manage problems in faulty solutions

Organize and navigate information structures

Collaborate

Communicate to other audiences

Legal and ethical issues regarding Intellectual Property

FITness: IT skills evidenced

Setting up a personal computer

Using basic operating system features

Using a word processor

Using graphics or artwork packages

Connecting a computer to a network

Using the Internet to find information

Using a computer to communicate with others

FITness: IT concepts evidenced

Networks

Digital representation of information

Information organization

Modeling and abstraction

Algorithmic thinking and programming

Societal impact of information and information technology

Success Factors

A place to meet in Second Life– Rent, own, or use a public space

Don’t have to be expert builders

Support from other educators – List-servs– Yearly convention– Wiki