February 2008 Archives

Well its been a while, but with a few random ideas to toss out, I figured it was time for the next edition of "Almost All Things Considered... But Not Really".  Enjoy!

 
Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment
A nice write up on DDA (or Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment) in video games.  The post explains what DDA is, as well as some good and bad examples of how it is implemented. Though certain electronic tests have been using a similar idea for some time, the concept of DDA is something that, if done right, could most certainly make a big splash in EduGaming.  


The Philosophy Behind Bioshock
Most FPS (first person shooter) games are about as deep as the kiddie pool.  There is no question they are are fun, and you better believe they sell.  But as far as games go, they don't tend to be particularly thought provoking.  So its no wonder that a game like Bioshock, with its Andrew Ryan ethos (shown below) and "little sister" morality questions has received an extraordinary amount of acclaim. 
Though I have yet to finish it to the end, I most certainly appreciate some of the questions that drive Bioshock.  Little did I know however, that my understanding had only grazed the surface. 

The linked interview with Ken Levine (creative guru behind the game) revealed an a depth to Bioshock far beyond anything I had known.

Bioshock, as it turns out, was heavily influenced by the Objectivist theories of Ayn Rand.  A first person shooter inspired by philosophy?  Did I blow your mind?  It certainly blew mine.  I won't ruin any of the details in the interview, as I highly recommend checking it out yourself.  But this has opened up an entirely new set of possibilities as to how games might be used in education.  It might be time to sit down with a copy of Bioshock and touch up on my Ayn Rand and whip out a sequel to my Assassins Creed breakdown.  Very cool stuff.


Air Force 2.0
Not to be outdone by the Army's "Americas Army" commercial game/ recruitment tool, the Air force has recently turned out a white paper outlining a 22 year strategy to improve the education of current and recruitment of future soldiers known as Air Force 2.0.

A particularly relevant quote from the press release:
"Air Force 2.0 is defined by three areas: knowledge management that discusses how the Air Force operates; continuous learning that covers how the Air Force develops people; and precision learning that explains how the Air Force delivers learning."

Oh rly?!  That sounds mighty interesting indeed!  Though I havent had a chance to read the white paper itself (its sitting on my desktop taunting me), I'm particularly intrigued by "MyBase" - an education delivery tool / social network (Funny how MyBase sounds amazingly like an extremely popular social networking site...).  I have a feeling I'll be coming back to this one after I've had a chance to check out the paper itself. 

 
An Objective Documentary on MMOGs
I'm pretty curious about the release of  Second Skin, a documentary that follows the lives of 7 real people as they live through some of the draws and downfalls of living a life in a virtual world.  My hope is that this documentary will objectively showcase some of the good, and just as importantly some of the bad things that can come with getting too engrossed in virtual worlds. And if the trailer is any indication, it will do just that.  Speaking of the trailer, you can check it out the on the website, or if you are a click minimalist, just hit the jump to youtube.


Thats enough for now.  Enjoy whats left of the weekend!

About once a month, my Fiance and I tend to get into a good discussion regarding video games.  During our most recent episode, the conversation centered around violent games - an area which Jenn has a particular distaste for.  At the core of our exchange was a march larger question, one that I have been considering a response to for some time.  But seeing as its not quite ready (hows that for making you salivate with anticipation!), there is another question from our chat that I feel like pondering today.

Where is my MacGyver educational video game?  

If you don't know who MacGyver is, then you make me very sad and I shall say good day to you.  But in case you are just repressing the 80s (which I can totally understand - just look at that 80s hair), I suppose a brief refresher can't hurt.   MacGyver was a tv action star who had a firm aversion to violence.  Fighting evildoers might seem like the wrong line of work for a man of such principals, but he had a knack for knowing all sorts of ridiculous science, that allowed him to get out of jams without sending his foes to push up daises.  If you're still feeling foggy, check out this recent Mastercard commercial for a taste.  As it were, Mac was a pretty terrible fighter.  He was a big pansy if he ever needed to come to blows with someone, and if he happened upon a gun, he would always either toss it or disassemble it for some obscure part that would later be used to his advantage.  

But that was the point - he was a thinking man who relied on the power of science (chemistry, biology, engineering, architecture, etc) to use whatever resources he had to stop the bad guys from doing bad things.  

The ironic thing is, being the gamer that I am, if someone came up to me and proposed the previous sentence as the basis for an educational game without using the name MacGyver, its entirely possible that I would have laughed at them.  Secret Agent Mr. Wizard?  Seriously?  And yet in context, it seems like an absolutely genius idea.  Let us take a walk through the lush rolling fields of its awesomeness:


ZOMG FUN
Unlike most EduGame ideas, its very easy to see how this game could be so much fun, you wouldnt realize you were learning.  If done right, it screams "commercial entertainment", which is probably the highest compliment I could give an EduGame.


Non Violent Without Being Lame
DISCLAIMER:  That point is NOT meant to suggest that any game without violence is lame. 
Its one of the rare ideas that merges violence with non violence.  EduGames tend to stay away from violence like it was the black death.  The reason why should be fairly obvious.

But actively avoiding the pew pew is a dangerous thing when building a game.  The enemies that most games dispatch through violence create compelling obstacles.  Imagine you have a simple jumping puzzle with a body of water below you.  Now imagine the same jumping puzzle, except guards with guns are shooting at you and there are crocodiles in the water.  The stakes are higher, the pressure to respond quickly is increased, and there are suddenly penalties for failure.  It changes the entire complexion of the experience, adding a sense of immediacy to it.  It also makes you feel more like a hero.  Educationally speaking, the problem with such scenarios is that game designers give you guns (or swords, or bombs, or plasma rifles, or light-sabers) to help you offset the violence against you.  Kill or be killed.  And I've been told that is frowned upon in some educational circles.  Go figure.

A MacGyver game is the perfect solution - dangerous foes who can present a diverse, interesting, compelling challenge without the political fallout of a game that encourages violence.  


It Forces You to Learn Without Force Feeding You Learning.   
My first two points were all about the potential for fun.  Thats not a coincidence.  You know how I roll.  But perhaps the coolest part about a MacGyver game would be the potential for learning without force feeding it to you.  You wouldnt necessarily have to go into each level with an encyclopedia worth of knowledge on chemical compounds to succeed.  And the game also wouldnt need to spam you with "whats this" text blocks that completely interrupt the flow of the gameplay experience.   By allowing the game to do what games do best - let you play - you could whip up something capable of eating through a metal lock through experimentation and trial and error.  Of course experimenting could just as easily create something that would explode in your hands.  For the less adventurous, some sort of tooltip could also be available, that might give you some more detailed information about a particular object, without making it obvious how it might be used.  

But just by playing the game and using the sorts of items you come across, you would be forced learn things about science, nature, engineering and all those other MacGyver subjects.  


Reflection
Consider Xbox achievements.  Now imagine if they were used almost like a syllabus for your Mac-ventures.  Every time you do something thoughtful, an achievement could be unlocked and your action recorded, along with the details of your action.  Maybe you use a Mentos in a 2 liter of soda to create a distraction that helps you get by the guards.  When you review your achievement, it can explain in greater detail why, and how what you did worked.


I could keep going, but one of my new years resolutions is to avoid blog posts that span into double digit page lengths ;-)

Obviously its not perfect, but I think there are a lot of things to like about a MacGyver EduGame.  Not only could it be fun and educational, but it would represent one of the few action/ adventure games on the market where its not about explosives and sniper rifles.  And from someone who is into explosives and sniper rifles, the change of pace might be very refreshing.

What I'm envisioning is most certainly a major game studio project.  But if you are one of those people who is firmly entrenched in reality, even something a little more reasonable could go a long way towards creating an interesting experience.  Take a look at the flash based MacGyver escape game, as an example.

Good idea?  Bad idea?  Somewhere in between?



Images from Wikipedia.com and icanhascheezburger.com



 

Inspired by a co-worker who will remain nameless... until now (Gary), I've decided to introduce an all new segment to my Blog, which I have titled "What He Said - What He Meant".

Last night, during a  victory speech in Houston, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama made the following statement in regards to improving our nation's educational situation.  This, in case you were wondering, falls into the "What He Said" category.

"We’re going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that’s going to take some time."

Rut ro.  GameStub crys salt tears of woe.  Or I would have, if this had not been what he meant:

"Television and video games should not be a replacement for parental involvement.  But they are still pretty awesome.  And I'm going to play some Guitar Hero as soon as I finish this speech."

In case you think I made that up, I actually have photographic evidence to prove it.  Take a look at this screenshot, taken of Master Chief by our friends over at IGN. 

Looks pretty standard right?  Well I thought so too... until I placed the photo under our ultra-high tech magnifier here at Stub Enterprises...

This was taken right after Obama, according to his campaign advisers, "pwned some noobs".  And with a phrase like that, it couldnt possible be made up. 

In all seriousness though, I think the game reference in last night's speech shows that even in an election that is built on the idea of change there are some things that have have remained the same.  In this case, the popular belief that gaming as a whole is something that takes time away from education as opposed to a tool that could encourage or support it.  It is especially unfortunate, given that Obama's campaign has embraced many other technologies that might have been dismissed in the same breath as video games - including Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, text messaging, and even Second Life. 

Ah well.  If nothing else, it reaffirms the importance of my own personal "campaign" to continue to try and explain the positives that video games can offer, and break the stigma that they are little more than mindless entertainment. 

And I suppose it just goes to show you that no one is perfect.  Not even the O-bomb ;-)




Images from xbox360media.ign.com and whoisbarackobama.name

The post "Who Does Number 2 Work For" from a few weeks back left me with a lot of unanswered questions.  One of those questions was "how much disruptive technology can you incorporate before you've gone too far, and lost the benefits of tried and true methods".   While I don't yet (and may never truly) have an answer to that question, I have come across a perspective that often goes undiscussed during my technology 4 life rants.

My Mom recently forwarded me an OpEd piece from the Washington Post titled "A School Thats Too High On Gizmos". Written by English teacher Patrick Welsh, the piece looks at the plight of T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia - a school which, according to Welsh, has started using technology for the sake of technology, to the point of detriment.

Though I still don't feel compelled to go out and hug an overhead projector, I do think this post helps to reinforce the idea that despite all the benefits, there is a need for balance when it comes to technology and education.  As objective as I try to be, this blog tends to be pretty one sided.  Technology is something I'm passionate about.  And whats more, I firmly believe that it can not only enhance the educational experience for a great many students, but can create learning opportunities for students who might be left behind by more traditional educational environments.

But despite all that, there is such a thing as too much.  Though it might not seem that way from my writing, not every lesson plan can be converted into a video game.  Not every concept can be expressed with a social network.  And even for a techno-junky like me, sometimes it just makes more sense to listen to a lecture or open up a book.

This blog tends to be written in the context of "why not".  But as T.C. Williams High School has reminded us, it can be just as important to ask "why".  At least every once and a while.



Comic from http://projects.cbe.ab.ca 

Its not often that I really "unplug".  If you consider that my life (my job, my personal interests, even this blog) is so techno-centric, thats probably not a very big surprise.    

As such, my trip to China was the first time in probably about 2 years (the last time I left the country) that I have left the cell phone, the internet, social networking, and of course, my beloved video games at home.

Though it might be tempting, it would be inaccurate to assume that just because I left the toys at home, my trip to China was devoid of the influences of technology.  Bedtime was accompanied with CNN, which, thanks to Richard Quest, has reaffirmed my belief that no matter what you're talking about, its made better with an overpowering British accent (and outrageously large teeth).  In a mind blowing scenario, I heard the final score of the Superbowl from an American businessman with a satellite phone... while hiking along the Great Wall of China.  Movies have long since been a part of international flights, but new to me were 20 stations of XM satellite radio.  And better still, real time GPS tracking that allowed you to watch your flight in progress (complete with exterior temperature, altitude, distance traveled, and ETA read outs).  Giddyup.

But perhaps the most interesting example of technology sneaking into my vacation came, in all places, in the back of a cab ...  

My sister and I had just landed in Shanghai, and needed to get a taxi for the 20 minute (i.e. hour and 30 minute) ride from the airport to our hotel.  When combined, the two Stubbs siblings are a force of ridiculous to be reckoned with, and require no outside entertainment to keep ourselves amused.  But we were tired, a result of travel, waking up early, and the fact that apparently Chinese red bull is not an energy drink.  This is the scene - the two of us slumped over in the back of a Shanghai Volkswagen Santana cab, when I noticed a bizarre little screen hanging over the back of the passenger side seat.  

A tv in the cab?  Thats a nice touch, I thought.  Though given that my proficiency with the Chinese language is limited to about 5 phrases, I didnt expect to be able to understand a whole lot.  But upon closer inspection, it turned out not to be a television at all.  It was a touch screen monitor.  A monitor that offered up games.  Oh snap.  Think that woke me up? =)

Our little cab screen was essential a delivery system for simple, casual, flash based AdverGames - games built to advertise.  My personal favorite was sponsored by GE, and essentially involved  scrambling to change all the old school light-bulbs in a neighborhood, to longer lasting, more energy efficient, environmentally friendly light-bulbs before the neighborhood went dark.   There were also AdverGames from Coca Cola, Pizza Hut (who knew it was popular in China?) and a handful of other notable companies that failed to make a lasting impact on me.  And if you werent down with playing games, the magic little screen could cycle through a series of more traditional television style ads.

A few things, if I may:

1)  The cab screen idea is sheer brilliance.  It filled a time period that might otherwise have been spent daydreaming with a simultaneously entertaining and informative message.  And it was, at least in my case, effective.  It was an excellent example of creating an opportunity. 

2)  The design of these games was absolutely critical.  Because there was one rather daunting detail I left out - though the games all had directions, they were written exclusively in Chinese.  All the buttons.  All the menu items.  Everything.  Did I mention I can't read Chinese?  

Thus for me, each game was made or broken by the intuitiveness of its game-play.  Some succeeded.  Others failed.  If the Boards of these companies sat back and assessed the success of these AdverGames, perhaps they are not overly concerned with the illiterate demographic, so maybe I don't count.  But then I think about the scant few people I know who actually read directions anyway...

As our own EGC starts to lift off here at Penn State, and questions involving the design of EduGames start to become more and more prevalent, I think this might need to be a lesson I keep close to home.  

3)  The fun impacts the message.  Or put another way, I love referencing this post ;-)  There is a reason the GE game sticks out the most to me.  There is a reason I was able to understand its message, despite not comprehending anything put pictures.  And there is a reason that I remember that the GE game was made by GE.  Of all the AdverGames available, it was the most fun.  Because it was fun, it was memorable.  Because it was memorable it was effective.  And perhaps equally as important, it was fun and relevant to the brand in question.  Intuitive.  Fun.   Relevant.  The ultimate trifecta for an AdverGame. And dare I say, for an EduGame as well?

4)  Life without video games is impossible.  Even when I make a conscious effort to go without them, they find me ;-)

So much for unplugging, eh?




Images from nicotinenews.blogspot.com and ngaus.org

 

If you've noticed an unusual amount of headache free days over the past two weeks, you might have attributed it to any number of things.  Weather.  Change in diet.  Better sleep.  But the truth is that you're improved mental state of late can only be attributed to one thing: a lack of reading material created by me.  *Tee hee*

So why the silence?  Well if you are not subjected to my madness on a day to day level, then you might not know that I've been away visiting my sister (who teaches English) ... in China =)  I have been outside of the continental United States before, but both times it has been for beaches and barstools.  That made this trip to China, my first trip abroad with a real cultural focus - which was exciting, overwhelming, and ultimately life changing.

I don't think that even someone of my verbosity can find the words to describe my experience.  Those of you who are seasoned veterans to world travel might share a smile at the noobcake Stub.  But to be in China.  A country with such an incredible history.  A country with a rich culture and the world's largest population.  A country which is arguably the world fastest growing player on the international stage.  A country with a language and government vastly different from anything I've ever known.

And a country with one... big... wall.  You might even call it great.  And it would still be an understatement.