Learning and Gaming

1.) The main argument that the author is making in chapter five is that there is a relationship between learning (well-created) video games and academic learning.

2.) Gee refers to "patterns and principles" that make a theory of learning. He says, "Learning is not infinitely variable and there are patterns and principles to be discovered-patterns and principles that ultimately constitute a theory of learning. Indeed, what I am offering her is a case study meant to offer suggestions for a theory of how deep learning works".

3.) The author struggled to learn how to play Warcraft !!! because he didn't interact with it in a way that the game was designed for. In his own words he says, "...Failed to engage the good learning principles that are built into the games". What needs to happen before good learning principles is the "motivation for an extended engagement with the game".

4.) The authors' struggle to learn the game can be compared to a struggling learner in school. In a school setting, his struggle would have been interpreted as failure.

5.) "Horizontal" learning might be a better way to approach at risk students. This strategy implies that leaning experiences do not progress up or down but stay on level for an ample amount of time. Not until exploring the concept will the students' learning progress onward.

6.) The schools' interpretation of "at risk" only leads to a "dumbed-down" curriculum. It is basically interpreted by the student as not having faith in their potential to learn. Therefore, this leads to a bad experience for them.

7.) In order for schools to function more like a good game, they need to implement lessons that encourage students to take on identities in another "world". Students can then see and think like the "character" they are playing to see the concept in new ways.

8.) In the school system, students are assessed by taking tests, quizzes, presentations, etc. The teacher then assigns them a grade by looking at how they think the learner should handle the problem. Games on the other hand allow the student to do a self assessment and then decide on how they want to proceed in the game.

9.) A fish tank tutorial is one that (when finished) is a simplified version of information that can bring out "basic and important relationships". Information is given at crucial times and is shown to meet all learning style needs (visually, linguistically, and orally). Schools however don't give much verbal information up front, but are expected to remember it when needed in the future.

10.) A sand box tutorial allows the player to explore and have "free roam" with the game at your own pace. However, the game doesn't allow anything "bad to happen" because it offers hints and explanations. This is effective because it puts the player/student "in the game" but they can't lose without giving a good effort. Duirng school based learning students can fail because they don't want to explore or take risks because they could fail.

11.) Genre refers to a specific type of something. For example there are different types of books and music. It is crucial for good learning because students need to know what "type of thing they are being asked to learn and do". Learners also need to experience this in action and not just be given a set of rules.

12.) Gee says, "For humans, real learning is always associated with pleasure and is ultimately a form of play-a principle almost always dismissed by schools". Learning and gaming also have the sense of "pleasurable frustration" when succeeding.

13.) The skills tests in games are developmental whereas the skills tests in school are evaluated by authority figures.

14.) RoN supports collaborative learning by providing websites and online groups where learners can share their experiences and knowledge with peers.

15.)

•  Dewey: They allow learners to practice enough so that they routinize their skills and then challenge them with new problems that force them to re-think these taken-for-granted skills and integrate them with new ones. 
• Vygotsky:  They offer supervised fish tank tutorials. (simplified versions of the real system)
• Piaget: They let learners create their own unsupervised sandboxes
• Gardner: They give information via several different modes.
• Bandura: They ensure that the learners have and use an affinity space wherein they can interact with peers and masters.
• Skinner:They allow learners to practice enough so that they routinize their skills and then challenge them with new problems that force them to re-think these taken-for-granted skills and integrate them with new ones.