| WEEK # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction and Overview of the Course Game Brainstorming and Categorization: Initial Game Definition Participatory Simulations Introduction - Live Long and Prosper Game Exercise: Responses |  Gee, J. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. ISBN: 1403961697. |
| 2 | What is a Simulation? What is a Game? Activity - Finding happiness on a checkerboard: What defines a game? a simulation? a model? What makes a game educational? The Modding Revolution | Schelling, T. Micromotives and Macrobehaviors. New York, NY: Norton, 1978. ISBN: 0393057011. Rieber - Seriously considering play: Designing interactive learning environments based on the blending of microworlds, simulations, and games |
| 3 | Exploring "Educational" Simulation and Games Introduction to Edutainment Simulations: Civilization® III SimCityTM 4 Roller Coaster Tycoon® 3 Rise of Nations® Chemicus/Physicus ZoombinisTM Poster Presentation | Dargahi, N., and Michael Bremer. SimCity 2000: Power, Politics and Planning. Roseville, MN: Prima Games, 1995. ISBN: 0761500758. Squire - Civilization® III as a World History Sandbox Squire - Replaying History |
| 4 | Edutainment in the Classroom Mayor for a Day - SimCityTM SimCityTM in the Classroom Links: Urban Planning Almost the Real World What Do Game Designers Know about Scaffolding (PDF) Uses and Subversions of SimCityTM (PDF) SimCity™ 3000 Teaching Guide What do you learn through these environments? How can curriculum determine the learning experience? See Pictures of Q&A from Class | Gee, J. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. ISBN: 1403961697. Bush's Science Advisor, Senator Clash Over Computer Models What Are Video Games Turning Us Into? The 50 Most Important Video Games Ever |
| 5 | Video Games - Board Games Edutainment Wrap-up and Gee Readings Discussion. (Please read Gee book and Squire papers.) Intro to Board Games Activity (see description weeks 6-8) Study on Transfer (PDF) Zoombinis™ Study: Brainstorming Educational Board Game | Introduction and first steps to Board Game Design |
| 6 | Designing and Developing Games to Teach (and Participatory Simulations) Activity - Designing a board game: What are the issues in designing an educational game? How do we solve these issues? Network Participatory Simulation Participatory Simulations - Understanding Systems from the Inside | Learning through Participatory Simulations |
| 7 | Designing and Developing Games to Teach Critique and Feedback on Initial Board Game Ideas Special Guest - Steffen Walz | |
| 8-9 | Designing and Developing Games to Teach - Presentations Board Game Preparation and Testing Readings Discussion Board Game Presentations - 20 minutes of playable Game | Rieber, et. al. - The Value of Serious Play Papert - Does Easy Do It Stoll, C. "Makes Learning Fun." In High-Tech Heretic: Reflections of a Computer Contrarian. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press, 2000. ISBN: 0385489765. |
| 10-11 | Simulation and Game Design - Adventures in Modeling What is a simulation? Overview of Simulation Environments: Agent Based (StarLogo, AgentSheets, Stagecast) vs. Aggregate (Stella, Vensim, ModelBuilder) Programming vs. Equations vs. Visual General Purpose vs. Specific Domain Adventures in Modeling - Exploring Complex Dynamic Systems with StarLogo: The next three weeks will be dedicated to developing simulations or games with StarLogo TNG, a brand new simulation environment under development. Activities and Participatory Simulations Evaluating Models: Good Models and Bad Models - What defines a "good model?" Idea Models - How much detail/reality need to go into a model? | Adventures in Modeling Epstein, J., and Robert Axtell. Growing Artificial Societies. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1996. ISBN: 0262550253. Schmucker, Kurt. "A Taxonomy of Simulation Software: A work in progress." Learning Technology Review, Spring 1999, pp. 40-75. The Seductions of Sim Pianos not Stereos Rieber and Matzko - Serious Design for Serious Play How to Write a White Paper The Art of the White Paper (PDF) The White Paper Company |
| 12 | Simulation Design - Adventures in Modeling Begin Final Models Introduction to Instructional Design | Learning Theory in Practice - Learner Centered Design Evaluation Methods and Procedures for Studying Learner's Use of Media |
| 13 | Educational Research - How do people learn from simulations? Introduction to Educational Research Muzzylane | Gall, et al. Educational Research - An Introduction. 7th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2002. ISBN: 0321081897. |
| 14 | Final Project Presentations |
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