Interestingly, this module follows closely upon my reflections of the previous post. The course notes start: “All games are systematic and use an array of information and techniques to communicate with the player” (Squire, 2006). Information giving process:

  • just in time
  • is part of the socialisation needed for the player to behave in appropriate ways
    • from game environment
    • watching mistakes of others
    • asking others (players) for information
    • part of an audience – ongoing social relationships
  • games can be wrapped in lore (remediated from culture, folk stories etc)

Games as information systems (Tuomas, Gough and Skold, 2012) – 4 types of information known to:

  • to players – prior knowledge and experience
  • to only one player – e.g. cards in hand – player decisions?
  • to the game online – ludics of the game?
  • randomly generated information – e.g. role of dice

To progress through games, players must recognize and process information from:

  • user interface,
  • cues and clues
  • interacting with non-player characters

VIP: Conceptual connection between information seeking & information behaviour to construction of games as information systems.

Stinkuehler (2006, p.46) – games as type of discourse system – socioculturally defined people – shared interests, develop language, customs, ways of coordinating action

Monu & Ralph (2013): gameful design = serious games – development through iterative play-testing where games are designed and redesigned in concert with player behaviours.  Gamification = does not necessitate creating a game. Authors’ model of gamified information systems: customer facing, support systems & employee facing training stystems = i.e. any system that connects desired behaviours to rewards is an information system. Dimensions of games as information systems:

  • playful vs workful
  • mediated vs umediated
  • homogenous vs heterogeneous

Reflection: conditions or situations within the classroom include those that connect desired behaviours to rewards (Monu & Ralph ibid). Commercial online games include  coding games that have become popular in education e.g. Scratch, Hour of Code or interactive fiction such as Inanimate Alice and the more ‘gameful’ games like Kahoot and Quizlet. These, largely, tend to be confined to individual play and can provide both playful and ‘workful’ dimensions. I am not too sure about dimensions that are more challenging for educators? …..