Transcript
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A Second Life in A Second Life in PoliticsPolitics

Nanette BuleboshNanette BuleboshVideo Gaming & Information Video Gaming & Information

LiteracyLiteracy

Design AssignmentDesign Assignment

December 2007December 2007

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It is not enough for It is not enough for students to learn how to students to learn how to

think critically about think critically about information for a research information for a research

paper. They must learn paper. They must learn how to be engaged and how to be engaged and why (they should) care. why (they should) care.

Dane Ward, Illinois State UniversityDane Ward, Illinois State University

““Revisioning Information Literacy for Lifeline Revisioning Information Literacy for Lifeline Meaning”Meaning”

Journal of Academic LibrarianshipJournal of Academic Librarianship, July 2006, July 2006

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Campaign Campaign 20082008

• A great opportunity to teach information A great opportunity to teach information literacyliteracy

• Students will be (and already are) bombarded Students will be (and already are) bombarded with political rhetoric, media images, symbols, with political rhetoric, media images, symbols, political slogans, mudslinging, etc. political slogans, mudslinging, etc.

• Attempts to manipulate public thinking will Attempts to manipulate public thinking will continue to increase continue to increase

• How does one make sense of it all? How does How does one make sense of it all? How does one differentiate between accurate, one differentiate between accurate, substantive information and ….all the bull---- substantive information and ….all the bull---- we see everyday? we see everyday?

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I propose …I propose …

• To explore AASL Standard 2To explore AASL Standard 2• To teach this standard in the context To teach this standard in the context

of the ongoing 2008 presidential of the ongoing 2008 presidential campaigncampaign

• To use To use Second Life for TeensSecond Life for Teens as a as a venue for enabling students (high venue for enabling students (high school teenagers) to explore this school teenagers) to explore this standard as “producers,” not just as standard as “producers,” not just as consumers.consumers.

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Why?Why?• Working in teams to Working in teams to createcreate,, reactreact to to and and

analyzeanalyze political campaigns will give students political campaigns will give students an insider’s perspective of the American an insider’s perspective of the American political process.political process.

• Our political system is a cultural model (Gee, Our political system is a cultural model (Gee, Chapter 6) that affects all of us, and it Chapter 6) that affects all of us, and it behooves us to take a serious look at it from behooves us to take a serious look at it from several points of view.several points of view.

• Students will be practicing the skills of one Students will be practicing the skills of one information literacy standard (actually several information literacy standard (actually several of them) without being aware of it as an of them) without being aware of it as an academic subject.academic subject.

• They’ll be immersed in the standard, within a They’ll be immersed in the standard, within a particular context (presidential politics), particular context (presidential politics), instead of just reading about it.instead of just reading about it.

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It’s Shaffer’s* faultIt’s Shaffer’s* fault

• I got the idea from his I got the idea from his The Debating The Debating GameGame, a fantasy role-playing game he , a fantasy role-playing game he devised as a way to immerse his devised as a way to immerse his students in a particular historical era students in a particular historical era (Spanish-American War).(Spanish-American War).

• The goal was to motivate students to The goal was to motivate students to critique information about the war (not critique information about the war (not just read facts about it) and to realize just read facts about it) and to realize that history is always written from a that history is always written from a particular point of view.particular point of view.

• In other words, he wanted them to In other words, he wanted them to “think like historians.” “think like historians.”

* Shaffer, David Williamson (2006) * Shaffer, David Williamson (2006) How Computer Games Help How Computer Games Help Children LearnChildren Learn. .

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Think like manipulatorsThink like manipulators

• … … or politiciansor politicians• … … or their consultantsor their consultants• … … or the major funders of the campaignsor the major funders of the campaigns• … … or those who claim to or those who claim to critiquecritique these these

campaigns on our behalf (political campaigns on our behalf (political pundits, talk show hosts, broadcast and pundits, talk show hosts, broadcast and print journalists, bloggers, round-table print journalists, bloggers, round-table discussion particants, etc.)discussion particants, etc.)

• … … or the lobbyists who have a stake in or the lobbyists who have a stake in candidates’ platformscandidates’ platforms

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Who would you like to Who would you like to be?be?

A candidate?

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A journalist?A journalist?

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A political pundit?A political pundit?

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A satirist? A satirist?

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Or a lobbyist or Or a lobbyist or corporate donor?corporate donor?

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Part of the point of asking Part of the point of asking students to take on such a students to take on such a

persona is …persona is …• To help them understand that politics To help them understand that politics

involves special interests vying with each involves special interests vying with each other for power and influenceother for power and influence

• To help them begin to see that the To help them begin to see that the information they are getting almost information they are getting almost always comes from a particular point of always comes from a particular point of viewview

• To give them practice in evaluating this To give them practice in evaluating this information critically and competentlyinformation critically and competently

• … … which takes us to back to our AASL which takes us to back to our AASL standardstandard

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AASL Information AASL Information Literacy Literacy

Standard 2Standard 2

The student who is The student who is information literate information literate

evaluates information evaluates information critically and competently.critically and competently.

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The student who is The student who is information literate …information literate …

• Weighs information carefully and wisely to Weighs information carefully and wisely to determine its qualitydetermine its quality

• Understands principles for assessing the Understands principles for assessing the accuracy, validity, relevance, completeness, accuracy, validity, relevance, completeness, and impartiality of information.and impartiality of information.

• Applies these principles insightfully across Applies these principles insightfully across information sources and formatsinformation sources and formats

• Uses logic and informed judgment to Uses logic and informed judgment to accept, reject, or replace information to accept, reject, or replace information to meet a particular need. meet a particular need.

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Internal Grammar (content)Internal Grammar (content)AASL’s Standard 2 Indicators AASL’s Standard 2 Indicators

might helpmight help• Determines accuracy, relevance, and Determines accuracy, relevance, and

comprehensivenesscomprehensiveness• Distinguishes between fact, point of Distinguishes between fact, point of

view, and opinionview, and opinion• Identifies inaccurate and misleading Identifies inaccurate and misleading

informationinformation• Selects information appropriate to the Selects information appropriate to the

problem or question at handproblem or question at hand

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How might a student How might a student demonstrate an demonstrate an

understanding of the understanding of the difference between a fact difference between a fact

and an opinion or a point of and an opinion or a point of view?view?• In the context of this presidential campaign project, he or In the context of this presidential campaign project, he or

she could compare a campaign commercial, or speech she could compare a campaign commercial, or speech (what Hillary (what Hillary sayssays she is going to do for us), with her she is going to do for us), with her voting record. voting record.

• He or she could compare a newspaper article about a He or she could compare a newspaper article about a particular candidate with that is said in a column. particular candidate with that is said in a column.

• He or she could compare a (reasonably objective) television He or she could compare a (reasonably objective) television broadcast about a candidate’s speech with the critique broadcast about a candidate’s speech with the critique provided by a political pundit such as Sean Hannity or provided by a political pundit such as Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh. Rush Limbaugh.

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External Grammar (social External Grammar (social practices)practices)

•How would an information literate How would an information literate person typically think, act, interact person typically think, act, interact with, and value information … with, and value information … within the sub-domain of problem-within the sub-domain of problem-solving? (Newell, solving? (Newell, Designing Designing Immersive Learning EnvironmentsImmersive Learning Environments))

In other words, how would an information literate

“insider” behave?

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Our political campaign Our political campaign project offers ample project offers ample

opportunitiesopportunities … …• By taking on the persona of a candidate, By taking on the persona of a candidate,

consultant, pundit, lobbyist, journalist or consultant, pundit, lobbyist, journalist or whatever, the student would get a chance whatever, the student would get a chance to to createcreate information (accurate or information (accurate or otherwise) in the form of text, visual otherwise) in the form of text, visual images, symbols, websites, blogs, images, symbols, websites, blogs, cartoons for the purpose of manipulating. cartoons for the purpose of manipulating. He or she would become a He or she would become a producer producer of of information and, hopefully, begin to see information and, hopefully, begin to see how others are trying to manipulate themhow others are trying to manipulate them. .

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Second LifeSecond Life

Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by millions of Residents from around the globe.

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I’d direct my I’d direct my students to Teen students to Teen

Second LifeSecond LifeTeen Second Life is an international Teen Second Life is an international gathering place for teens 13-17 to gathering place for teens 13-17 to make friends and to play, learn and make friends and to play, learn and

create … It’s more than a create … It’s more than a videogame and much more than an videogame and much more than an

Internet chat program – it’s a Internet chat program – it’s a boundless world of surprise and boundless world of surprise and

adventure that encourages teens to adventure that encourages teens to work together and use their work together and use their

imaginations.imaginations.

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Within Teen Second Life Within Teen Second Life ……

• Students can create an avatar for Students can create an avatar for themselves, depending on which themselves, depending on which political persona they or their team political persona they or their team take on.take on.

• They can visit “worlds” and create They can visit “worlds” and create their own.their own.

• They can interact with each other They can interact with each other in a relatively non-threatening in a relatively non-threatening environment. environment.

• They become part of a community, They become part of a community, immersing themselves in a social immersing themselves in a social environment for exploring specific environment for exploring specific topics with others.topics with others.

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These social interactions These social interactions are importantare important

• Knowledge is created and maintained Knowledge is created and maintained through social interactions.through social interactions.– Students learn through interactions with Students learn through interactions with

experts, peers, content and activities in experts, peers, content and activities in formal, informal and unexpected ways.formal, informal and unexpected ways.

Moreover, knowledge … is the result of activities between members of a group and its is based on their on-going interactions. In other words, what we, individually, know is uncovered through the process of interacting with the worlds around us, and the others we find in it.

- Newell’s Nov. 21 slides again

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In Second Life students can In Second Life students can explore existing virtual explore existing virtual

spacesspaces

All or most of the candidates are probably represented

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And eventually they can And eventually they can create their owncreate their own

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Gee’s 36 Learning Gee’s 36 Learning PrinciplesPrinciples

I don’t’ have time to cover all of them here, but my project, A Second Life in Politics, seems to address a good share of them.

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Some of my favorites …Some of my favorites …


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