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LiteratureReview

Bogost,Ian.TheRhetoricofVideoGames."TheEcologyofGames:ConnectingYouth,Games,andLearning.EditedbyKatie Salen.TheJohnD.andCatherineT.MacArthurFoundationSeriesonDigitalMediaandLearning.Cambridge,MA:TheMITPress, 2008.117140.

DrawingfromAnimalCrossingasoneofhisexamples,IanBogostexplainsthevalueofusing proceduralrhetoricinvideogames.Hisanalysisoftheplayersinteractionswiththeaccepted systemsinthegamedrawsparallelstohowthingsworkintherealworld.Aninsightfularticleon proceduralityforourproject.


Daly,E.(2012).Explore,Create,Survive.SchoolLibraryJournal,58(5),2425.

AshortarticleonaMinecraftclubmeetinginaLibraryComputerRoom.ThesectionMinecraft andEducationisespeciallyinteresting.Also,lookforthesmallboxattheendforexamplesof webcommunitiesabouttheuseofMinecraftforlearning.


Gura,M.(2012).LegoRobotics:STEMSportoftheMind.Learning&LeadingwithTechnology,40(1),1216.

ThisarticleiswrittenbytheDirectorofInstructionalTechnologyfortheNYCPublicSchool System.Takingthatintoaccount,hisadvocacyfortheuseofLEGORoboticsisatthesame timeeasilyunderstandableandchallenging.Thebudgetconstraintsaretangentiallyaddressed butstilltakenintoaccount.


Inal,Y.,&Cagiltay,K.(2007).Flowexperiencesofchildreninaninteractivesocialgameenvironment.BritishJournalof EducationalTechnology,38(3),455464.

ThisarticleisimportantmostlybecausethekeyissueaddressedisnotSTEMbutsocial interactionandflow,thestateofmindmostlyrelatedtofocusandconcentration.Thegamesare notparticularlyclosetoMinecraftoranyotherbuildinggame,buttheexperienceisstillworthof reading.Also,agerangeisalittleoffourtargetaudience.


Kahne,J.,Middaugh,E.,&Evans,C.(2008).Thecivicpotentialofvideogames.CivicEngagementResearchGroupatMills College.

Thepaperdrawsitsreportsfromthe2008PewTeens,videogamesandcivicssurveyand beginstoaddresssomemuchneededquestionsonvideogamespromotionofcivicidentity, civicgoalsetting,fosteringofcivicengagementandthedevelopmentofcivicandpolitical responsibilitiesinplayers.


Kahne,J.,Lee,N.J.,&Feezell,J.T.(2012).Digitalmedialiteracyeducationandonlinecivicandpoliticalparticipation.International JournalofCommunication,6,24.

Digitalmedialiteracyisshowntoincreaseonlinepoliticalengagementandexposuretovaried perspectives.Echoingthishypothesis,ourprojectintendstoleverageexistingtechnologyto promotesociallyresponsivegameplayforactionablerealworldefforts.


Kristensen,B.B.,May,D.,&Nowack,P.(2010).BEYONDPLAYINGWITHLEGOBRICKS:MODELINGINTERACTIONBETWEEN BEHAVIORALARTIFACTS.ProceedingsoftheIADISInternationalConferenceonCognition&ExploratoryLearninginDigital Age,161168.

PresentstheconceptofWEGOfigures,derivedfromLEGOfigurestocreateatoolmore adequatetothegoals.Thisuseofthecommercialproducttocomewithamorepersonaland purposefulcouldbeanicepathtoexplore.

Lenhart,A.,Kahne,J.,Middaugh,E.,Macgill,A.R.,Evans,C.,&Vitak,J.(2008).Teens,videogames,andcivics:Teensgaming experiencesarediverseandincludesignificantsocialinteractionandcivicengagement.PewInternet&AmericanLifeProject. RetrievedfromthePewInternet&AmericanLifeProjectwebsite: http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/TeensVideoGamesandCivics.aspx

Thepaperprovidesfindingsfromalargescalequantitativeresearchstudyontherelationships betweenvideogameplayandteencivicengagement.Thefindingsonspecificgamesbeing played,technologybeingused,socialcontextofgamingandtheroleofteachers,parentsand mentorsshedslightonfeasibilityandviabilityofdigitalgamesandtheirimpactoncivic education.


Ma,Y.,&Williams,D.C.(2013).ThePotentialofaFirstLEGOLeagueRoboticsPrograminTeaching21stCenturySkills:An ExploratoryStudy.JournalofEducationalTechnologyDevelopment&Exchange,6(2),1328.

ThisoneisbasedontheFirstLEGOLeague,usingLEGORoboticsandLEGOMindstorm. Table2,aboutskills,isreallyusefulwhendiscourseisnotlimitedtocontent,aseducationis largerthanmereinstruction.Participantsareallgirls,showingthatthisapproachcouldbe usefultodecreasethegapinmathandscienceachievementbetweenmalesandfemales.


Owens,G.,Granader,Y.,Humphrey,A.,&BaronCohen,S.(2008).LEGOTherapyandtheSocialUseofLanguage Programme:AnEvaluationofTwoSocialSkillsInterventionsforChildrenwithHighFunctioningAutismandAspergerSyndrome. JournalofAutism&DevelopmentalDisorders,38(10),19441957.doi:10.1007/s1080300805906

Anotherarticleontheuseofgamesforsocialinteractions,butthistimeusingbuildingsets.The downside,participantsinthestudywerebetween6and11yearsold.Theupside,thisstudyis forautismandshowsthatthiskindofgamesalsofitinUDL(UniversalDesignforLearning).


PopularVideoGamesIntegratedIntoK12Learning.(2013,2013/01/23/).EducationWeek,32,8.

Thisisimportantforourprojectbecausepresentsanalmostuptodatelandscapeofthe teachersusinggamesaspartoftheirclassroomefforts.PresentscaseswithWorldofWarcraft andwithMinecraft.


Short,D.(2012).TeachingscientificconceptsusingavirtualworldMinecraft.TeachingScience:TheJournaloftheAustralian ScienceTeachersAssociation,58(3),5558.

Thisoneisreallyclearanduseful,showslinksbetweenMinecraftandlearninggoalsinBiology, Ecology,Physics,Chemistry,andGeologyandGeography.Theauthorisprobablyoverstating thereachofthetool,butifthepossibilitesareatleasthalfoftheonesthere,andweareworking basedonthat,thegainsareworththerisk.


Simkins,D.W.,&Steinkuehler,C.(2008).Criticalethicalreasoningandroleplay.GamesandCulture,3(34),333355.

Anethnographicstudyoninterviewedparticipantsidentifieshowgamescanprovide opportunitiesforcriticalreasoningandethical,democraticwaysofthinkingandperforming.
Tromba,P.(2013).BuildEngagementandKnowledgeOneBlockataTimewithMinecraft.Learning&LeadingwithTechnology, 40(8),2023.

Greatpictures,greatinsights!TheauthorsprofileisreallyclosetoGuras(seecommenton Gura(2012))showingthatthismovementtowardstheuseofgamesinSTEMandSTEAM learningisgainingmomentumeveninpublicschools,animportantthingtotakeintoaccount

whenpriceforMinecraftisonthetable.ThesectionMeetingStudentsWhereTheyArehas goodreasonstosupporttheideabehindtheproject.
Wendel,V.,Gutjahr,M.,Battenberg,P.,Ness,R.,Fahnenschreiber,S.,Gbel,S.,&Steinmetz,R.(2013).Designinga CollaborativeSeriousGameforTeamBuildingUsingMinecraft.ProceedingsoftheEuropeanConferenceonGamesBased Learning,569578.

Addressesthedesignofsimulatedenvironmentswithpurposefulexamples,amustforthis project.Theaimoftheexperienceistoimprovesocialskills.Finally,chapter2isanicelistof referencestolookdependingontheprogressoftheprojectandthewayitgoes.


Williams,K.,Igel,I.,Poveda,R.,Kapila,V.v.p.e.,&Iskander,M.(2012).EnrichingK12ScienceandMathematicsEducationUsing LEGOs.AdvancesinEngineeringEducation,3(2),127.

Shortcomment:LEGOMindstormforK12,mostlytheagerangewearelookingfor.TheHUGE upsideofthisarticle,peoplefromNYUinvolved!Maybeasourceofnamesforadditionalfield information?


Salen,K.(2007).GamingLiteracies:AGameDesignStudyinAction.JournalofEducationalMultimediaandHypermedia16,no 3,301322.

Salendiscussesthedevelopmentprocessesandpedagogicalapproachestolearningand teachingsystemsthinkingmadeaccessibleingamedesignusinganRPG(RolePlayingGame) stylegameenginetitledGamestarMechanic.

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