DHSS Wrap Up

 

 

I want to promote an event being held today—Friday, May 13, 2016.

Prof. Tamar Carroll will host a reception for DHSS in Clark A in the SAU. Refreshments will be served. The agenda is as follows:

• 3-4 pm Faculty Meeting -- Brief reports on the DHSS program's progress in our first year followed by open brainstorming on goals for our second.
• 4-5 pm Faculty/Staff/Student mixer -- Meet our DHSS majors -- six and more considering (not including admitted freshmen who will join us on campus in the fall). Prospective students are also encouraged to attend to learn more about the program and meet the faculty.

Information on RIT's DHSS program may be found here: http://www.rit.edu/cla/dhss
Trent and I will be there — and we look forward to seeing others and sharing ideas about GBL/PBL.

Wrapping Up the Semester!

Our semester has ended, and we have failed to include updates regarding our last two events. So, let's catch up!

On Monday, April 18, four of us met at a local pub/restaurant to talk about how things were going adding and/or incorporating game-based learning and project-based learning ideas into our assignments or, even, our framing for classes. We also discussed how we might present our experiences at the RIT-organized THATCamp (The Humanities and Technology Camp).

On Friday, May 6, four of us attended the first-ever THATCamp  arranged by RIT and held at the Strong: National Museum of Play.

 

In the morning, we heard an amazing talk by Angel David Nieves.

In the afternoon, Trent and I lead sessions on game-based learning and digital tools, respectively. Trent passed around a deck of cards for each of us to select a card with a number on it. Then, moving through a list of terms on white pads/large post-its, Trent added the number that a person had drawn to a category from the list to determine its "weight" in the playfield of a game to be developed within a class. It was exciting and, even, interesting !!!, to see how a deck of cards and a list of terms could serve as the scaffold for constructing a narrative. See Trent's post here.

Following this session, I lead a session on Wordpress and Tiki-Toki. In this session, I introduced novice users to the front end and back end of a Wordpress site (differentiation between .org and .com; themes, imagery/visuals, posts and pages, and nuances of the admin). I also shared several of our RIT Museum Studies exhibition sites developed over the past year with students in courses that I teach. Following this, I introduced the group to a web-based timeline tool that allows for awesome collaboration. See the description here.

 During the Wordpress/Tiki-Toki session I was facilitating, Trent, Ammina and Michael spoke about GBL/PBL. (I didn't attend, so I can't report on it:)

Gathering Around Incidental Learning

Andrea and I led tonight's session on problem-based learning and project-based learning. This was our second evening gathering, following Trent's facilitation of a discussion on game based learning. (see previous post below!)

Something that I realized that we did not actually discuss was the definition of terms like Problem-Based versus Project-Based Learning. To me, it seems that both types of practice engage students in collaborative learning with defined roles and structures, however problem-based learning tends to have higher stakes in terms of applicability to real-world situations versus project-based learning which may not have a deliverable for an audience. Specifically, according to Nilson, problem-based learning tends to involve real-world, human-situational, open-ended, high-uncertainty, and risky challenges with multiple respectable solution. This is in contract to project-based learning that may involve some aspect of the aforementioned challenges and opportunities with lower-stakes if no dissemination is present. Second, the very nature of problem-based learning is to approach a problem - to solve an issue, question, or complicated situation; whereas a project-based approach can refer to a mode of learning that may not be seeking resolution but does incorporate group work.

We discussed readings by Nilson and Crawford & Machemer. The Nilson book is of particular interest to me because it has research-based pithy chapters that look at a variety of approaches and structures for teaching, assessment, and learning. The Crawford & Machemer article focuses on incidental learning as an important component for PBL. I selected this reading because I feel that we under-value incidental learning in the academy. I am reminded of this every time that I have students in my courses participate in the Smithsonian Institution Transcription Center projects. To transcribe a bumblebee label, students often perform additional tasks beyond the primary task of transcribing a label. This takes the student down the rabbit hole of critical thinking. And, I am always incredibly pleased to witness this. But, how can we measure this type of work beyond the framing of the course content and rubric?  I do not ever ask students to locate Ecuador on a map as part of a museum studies course; but their work at finding this country on the map and then locating a specific city to ensure that their transcription was accurate demonstrates incidental learning, critical thinking, and integrative learning (See here for discussion of AACU's value rubrics, including integrative learning.)

Juilee going over project sites developed
by her students at RIT.

Discussing what works and what doesn't.

Below are three lists. The first is the number of my RIT project sites that we viewed: 

https://ritmuse.wordpress.com/
http://library.rit.edu/depts/archives/history-exhibits-listing/people
https://muse.rit.edu/transcribe/
http://sbawalkingtour.weebly.com/

The second list consists of sources that we read in preparation for tonight's discussion:

• Crawford, Pat and Patricia Machemer. 2008. Measuring Incidental Learning in a PBL Environment. Journal of Faculty Development. 22:2 (May 2008): 104-111.
• Nilson, Linda B. 2010. Teaching At Its Best: A Research Based Resource for College Instructors. 3E. San Francisco: Wiley.

The third list consists of sources that might be useful for further discussion:

• Quinlan, K. (2000). "An Evaluation of a Literature Database to Support Problem-Based Learning." Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 11(2/3), 27-39.  (keen on developing the idea of the facilitator model rather than sage on the stage)
• Savin-Baden, M., & Major, C. H. (2004). Foundations of Problem-Based Learning. Berkshire, England: Open University Press.
• http://plpnetwork.com/2013/01/10/problem-vs-project-based-learning/ (good distinctions drawn between both terms)
• List of 16 value rubrics from the AACU:  https://www.aacu.org/value-rubricsVALUE Rubrics, organized by learning outcome

In April, we will meet to discuss our plans for a works-in-progress/lessons learned/future steps in thinking about GBL/PBL relative to digital humanities and social sciences. This will be a preparatory meeting for our presentation and discussion at the RIT THATCamp on Friday, May 6.  Working on a session that close to the unconference of THATCamp may be unnerving to some; however...an unconference, in Tom Scheinfeldt’s words, is fun, productive, and collegial, and at THATCamp, therefore, “[W]e’re not here to listen and be listened to. We’re here to work, to participate actively.[…] We’re here to get stuff done.” 

Though slightly unnerved, I love the spirit of THATCamps — I have been to several myself. So I look forward to sharing my work and to learning from all of you, too.

Game Studies and Game-Based Learning Resources

These are resources I recommend you check out as you continue to explore critical explorations of games and play as well as game-based learning. There's a lot here, and it's quite varied, so let me know if you want help narrowing it down. For me, Gee is the "must read" of the list for designing a course that incorporates games or game mechanics.

• Bogost, Ian. How to Do Things with Videogames. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2011. Print.
• ---. Persuasive Games: The Expressive Power of Videogames. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007. Print.
• Bogost, Ian, Simon Ferrari, and Bobby Schweizer. Newsgames Journalism at Play. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2010. Open WorldCat. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
• Flanagan, Mary. Critical Play: Radical Game Design. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2009. Print.
• Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. Rev. and updated ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. Print.
• Kahne, Joseph, Ellen Middaugh, and Chris Evans. The Civic Potential of Video Games. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2009. Print.
• McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. New York: Penguin Press, 2011. Print.
• Tekinbaş, Katie Salen. The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2008. Print.

Those are all good starting points. If you want to go deeper into a certain application let me know. There's been a lot written on the game Civilization, for example, as well as Minecraft.

And here are some good lists of "serious games" that try to persuade players through game mechanics.

• http://www.missiontolearn.com/learning-games-for-change/
• https://gamesandimpact.org/games/
• http://www.gamesforchange.org/learn/game-databases/

Of course, I'm happy to meet with you individually to discuss assignments, units, or courses that you're considering adding games or game elements to improve learning outcomes for students. A few big challenges with games and game-based learning are 1) scope of what can be done given the institutional time and space we're given, 2) framing activities so students understand what it is they're doing and why before, during, and after a play session, and 3) making sure you don't unwittingly create a lot of extra work for yourself.

I hope this unit on games and game-based learning was useful for you! I look forward to seeing how you're thinking about applying games in your courses.

GBL Discussion Led by Trent 2/29/16

Thank you to everyone for making time to join the conversation about Game Based Learning on Monday evening. Thank you to Tamar for joining us, bringing DHSS to mind, and providing a wonderful dinner. Thank you to Andrea for hosting us—video games playing the background were such an appropriate atmosphere. And extra thanks to Trent for leading our discussion and for reminding us of the range of opportunities that game based learning portends.

We will gather at Juilee's on Monday, March 28th around 5:30. Please bring a drink. We'll sort out readings, directions, food, and other details ab it later. 

Btw, I failed to take any photos during our group meeting, but did manage to capture a few of the remains of the dinner.

Lovely mango cashew salad.

There may be a few chips left in the bag on the left.

Fizzy water. It may be bad for your teeth,
as Michael relayed to us, but it sure tastes lovely.

Extra Credit List of Games for Education

The team at Extra Credit, a web video series dedicated to games and game culture, have compiled a very useful list of games they deem suitable for educational purposes in the online store Steam. Check it out!

shameless plug: narRITives project space

Andrea and I have begun working with Brian Larson in CIAS to develop narRITives, an interdisciplinary project to develop and curate digital stories from RIT. See here.

Andrea and I will talk about this project when we meet up in March (after the February meeting focusing on GBL with Trent). We will also discuss each of our approaches to project-based and problem-based learning. More information forthcoming!

Next meeting: 2/29/16 for dinner and conversation

I finally found a use for this image—love it! Juilee

 

For 2/29 Trent has asked us to:
1) read two articles
2) play one game  "Aviti: The Cost of Life"& 
3) take a stab at designing an assignment, unit, or course that takes advantage of some game or game-based principle.

When we meet, we will discuss the readings and workshop ideas and plans.
See you at 5:45!
(photo credit: See https://mathsimulationtechnology.wordpress.com/game)

Before you head to U of R, begin at RIT for talk on gameplay & iterations

When:    Friday, February 5, 2016
Where:   Golisano College 70-1455
Time:     11:00 am
Experimental Gameplay and the Iterative Process
Presentation by
Ian Schreiber

PhD Research Colloquium in Computing and Information Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology

Lecture @ U of R: “Video Games & Learning”

Friday, February 5, 2016

Introduction: Andrea Hickerson, Journalism

I teach a variety of traditional journalism courses including Law & Ethics of the Press and the History of Journalism, but I also teach project-based courses like the "Digital Journalism Incubator" and Interviewing.

At this point in my career I'm looking for more creative and engaging in-class activities. I'm particularly concerned that students don't push themselves enough in interpersonal interactions with peers and sources for journalism stories.  I have an idea to partner with an improv group for an activity about "difficult interviewees" for my interviewing class, but I'm not sure how to structure it. Furthermore, I'm keen to try game-based learning in my History and Law courses. The former is particularly challenging for students, and I'm sure there is a way to make case law fun...I just haven't figured it out yet. 

I'm also interested in critical game theory.  Integrating games and journalism - or the idea of doing so - is a hot topic. However, I'm hard pressed to think of an organization that has done it well. I'm interested in exploring how good and thoughtful uses of games can be integrated into the journalism process without seeming forced or tacked on to a more traditional form of storytelling.

Introduction: Michael Brown, History and Museum Studies

One strand of my research looks at debates about the role of intellectuals in American political culture after World War II.  I am interested in the anxieties and hopes aroused by the presence of intellectuals in public life, as well as the way in which the role of the intellectual was constructed and reconstructed in relation to those anxieties and hopes.  A second strand of my scholarship addresses the public history of the Rochester region.  In particular, I am interested in the prospects of a “usable past” at the local level—a public engagement with history that may nourish civic, cultural, and economic renewal.   An overriding concern with modes of intervention by academics in American democratic culture weaves together the two strands of my research agenda.  I think often about the overlap between the “public historian” and the “public intellectual.”

I am intrigued by GBL/PBL as both a teacher and a scholar.  As a teacher, I am on the lookout for new ways of enhancing students’ learning.  I regularly use projects as culminating assignments in my classes, and my sense is that I could extend project-based learning from a solo endeavor at the end of the semester to a class-wide mode of learning throughout the semester.  In particular, I would like to identify student projects that not only result in students’ learning but also in a tangible piece of public engagement.  Could student projects, for example, make significant contributions to local public history?  This question intersects with my interest in civically engaged scholarship.  To what extent can projects that we do within the academy become sites for dialogue and partnership with the community?

I often make analogies to popular computer games in my lectures, and these moments seem to pique student interest.  As someone concerned with how students learn about history, I recognize that these games are frequently young people’s first and most intensive engagement with historical content.  A critical approach to historical games—understanding how game dynamics can both represent and distort historical conditions—might be a helpful prelude to projects in which students not only play such games but design them as pedagogical tools for helping others learn about history.  I am also interested in how games can map onto historical landscapes, like the re-creation of 1920s Rochester by Trent’s class.  To what extent can games recover historical spaces and, through games that require students to move through those spaces (virtually or “IRL”), foster historical preservation and ultimately a “sense of place”?

Intro:Trent Hergenrader, English/Creative Writing

My research is at the intersection of creative writing studies (a small but growing research field), digital pedagogy, and games and game-based learning. My approach is to use digital tools to reconfigure the creative writing classroom from that of the sole author of a print-based work to collaborative, multimedia projects with distributed, non-linear narratives. I look forward to sharing some of the best practices in using games and game-based approaches to increase student engagement and leverage deeper learning.

An interactive map of the alt-history world of Steampunk Rochester

Introduction: Juilee Decker, Museum Studies

In terms of research and pedagogy, I look to collections (i.e., libraries, archives, and museums) as spaces that have potentiality as sites of digital scholarship and collaboration. I have worked in this way for more than a decade—this practice has been informed, very much, by my work in the field of public art (since 1998—I can tell you more!). At RIT, I have created four courses in museum studies and public history that are intended as spaces for collaborative engagement, self-assessment, public dissemination and....  

Note: all of the photographs below relate to projects undertaken by students in my course this past fall (2015).

Students installing an exhibition
in TWC, October 2015