54 – Gee – What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
Dec 30, 2022
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Author James Paul Gee discusses how video games can enhance learning through deep design principles, challenging traditional educational norms. The podcast explores semiotic domains in game design, adaptability in Deus Ex, and the use of illustrated textbooks in Latin education. It also delves into storytelling in games, tutorial levels, and the intersection of video games, education, and literature.
Video games teach active critical learning and design principles.
Role-playing in video games connects virtual and real-world identities.
Projective identity in learning impacts representation and performance.
Collaboration in video games fosters shared knowledge and skill development.
Deep dives
Chapter 1: Setting the Foundation
The introduction establishes key claims, including the belief that technologies do not inherently have good or bad effects and the comparison of real life to a massively multiplayer game. It introduces the concept of leaning principles such as active critical learning, design principles, and meta-level thinking about semiotic domains.
Chapter 2: Semiotic Domains and Design Grammar
Semiotic domains are explored, focusing on the interrelations within different systems and mastering participation within affinity groups. The design grammar concept delves into how the logic of design within video games mirrors language systems, and the learning principles highlight the importance of comprehension of various semiotic domains.
Chapter 3: Role-playing and Identity in Video Games
The chapter discusses the significance of adopting different identities and roles in video games, exemplified by G's experience playing as the character Bead Bead. It explores the virtual identity of the character, the real-world identity of the player, and the projective identity connecting the player to the virtual persona, emphasizing the concept of role-playing.
Chapter 4: Learning Principles and Meta Reflection in Games
An overview of learning principles, including active participation and critical thinking, design and semiotic domain principles, and identity exploration through role-playing. The chapter delves into the potential reflections of meta-level engagement with video games and the application of learning concepts in game design and player experiences.
Main Ideas and Key Points Overview
The podcast episode discusses the importance of projective identity in learning, drawing examples from students working on science projects to better imagine themselves as scientists. It explores the impact of representation on performance, highlighting how marginalized groups may struggle due to a lack of opportunities to visualize their success in certain fields.
Exploring Learning Through Video Games
The episode delves into how children often collaborate while playing video games, engaging in a vast community of shared knowledge and expertise. It cites the case of a child who creates custom levels in Tony Hawk games as an empowering learning experience, likening it to the ideal outcome of a science course that fosters experimentation and skill development.
Analyzing Education and Cultural Models
Education is compared to factory-like production in terms of its outcomes, contrasting it with the creative and self-driven learning experiences seen in video games. The discussion on the educational canon and its contested nature presents differing viewpoints on the preservation versus dismantling of traditional texts, highlighting the diverse interpretations and projections of individuals onto literary works.
Challenges in Educational Practices
The conclusion reflects on the fun and learning experiences gained from discussing video games in the podcast. It tackles the complexities of political stances on video game content, illustrating the diverse effects and responses to violence in gaming. The importance of engaging with video games as tools for both literacy and learning is emphasized, encouraging critical exploration of digital media as platforms for personal growth and social interaction.
