Thanks for visiting my new site! I have finally succumbed to the blogging trend, in recognition of the need to get serious about my passion for online games.
In fact, I have been serious about online games and what they offer the learning world since my days as an educational technology grad student at SDSU in the '80s, where Dr. Bernie Dodge taught Computers in Education. As my final project, I developed a music game in Basic (on my Apple II!), which, fortunately, was never actually inflicted on anyone.
And now, online learning games (or serious games, or online simulations, or metaverses, or digital-game based learning, or any of the many monikers that are in current use) are vogue. Why? Apparently, the Second Life phenomenon and the World of Warcraft craze have awakened the learning mages and the business wizards alike. After all, arguably half of the world's workforce has come of age since the launch of Doom and MUDs.
But are online learning games in the best interest of learning? Aren't they all about trolls and dragons and battles and killing and such? What are the design considerations? How can learners/players be assured their time is being well spent? What kinds of audiences are best suited to this approach to learning? What learning theories apply? How about assessment?!? Does front-end analysis still have a role? Social networking? Leveling-up?
These are the kinds of questions I will explore - with your help and participation.
Seriously,
Anne
