HGSET545

Research paper on "the instructional power of digital games, social networking, and simulations" and "how teachers can leverage them"

This paper makes a case for learning games grounded in principles of good fun and good learning, explores the commercial games market, gleaning lessons from this rapidly growing and diversifying place, analyzes the downfall of edutainment in the 1990s and establishes how the current movement differs. Then, this paper lays out the ecology of games with a purpose beyond play and establishes principles and best practices for moving the field forward in a positive direction.

Interesting commentary, about how this video would have been viewed by millions if the same technology was available....LISTEN

I watched this last night. Pretty lousy flick, but interesting questions about avatar/person relationship in particularly immersive games.

I have never puled a marathon viewing of this magnitude, but I have to admit that I did download season 1-3 of Lost onto my iPod a couple of years ago and watched over 6 hours of shows on the tiny screen on a flight from Boston to Rome. The show certainly is engaging and is best appreciated and understood when watched in rapid succession.

"Does playing video games improve your brain? Or do bigger brains make it easier to learn video games? Psychologists say they can predict how well you'll do on a video game by looking at the size of just three little structures inside your brain. If those structures are bigger, you'll probably catch on more quickly and do better."

"Leading figures from the UK video games industry have criticised the teaching of computer studies in schools, claiming it puts pupils off from pursuing computer science degrees at university..."

Interesting Discussion on different typs of motivators. Not necessarily academically rigorous. But something to consider

Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories -- and maybe, a way forward.

Pigs in Space: Some data on this popular (not to me) FB app, which is owned by Zynga, a gaming concern valued at $1 billion last year.

"Organizers say the contest is designed to 'captivate and engage the viewer by revealing the hidden meaning and intricate details of our world in visual form'."

"It has long been understood that memroy formation is an active and often exhausting process, losing them seems to happen quite passively as time elapses and new information overloads our busy brains. But a new study published February 19 in the journal Cell shows that forgetting is a biochemically active process not unlike memory formation."

A look at the most 'talked about' games via social networking... Wii fit is right up there!

Research paper exploring how to create an engaging game experience

People, the headline says it all. For some reason I am totaly freaked out about hitting play! This is so simple yet somehow totally intriguing.

BusinessWeek reader Harry Konnor Tetteh urges parents and schools to inspire young students by embracing video and computer games .

Some specially tailored games seem to help preserve mental fitness.

A new study suggests that a video before bed or a recording played while asleep can enhance learning and memory.

We talked briefly in class about how depression by definition is lack of motivation yet people who are depressed are somehow motivated to be on line and participate in online gaming. The articles I have posted give some insight to this, but I don't feel satisfied with the explanations they have. Any ideas?