Week+Five

toc Monday February 12th - Sunday 18th =//Creating your own games//=

//"To a teacher// //of languages, there comes a time when the world is but a place of many words and man appears a mere talking animal not much more wonderful than a parrot" (Joseph Conrad)//

Outline
Making your own computer games doesn't have to be difficult. As well as exploiting webquests as games, and interactive stories, we will be looking at student classroom projects involving learners designing their own computer games. We will also examine tools such as Gamemaker (http://www.gamemaker.nl/), which allow you to make your own computer games.


 * //Synchronous Session:// //Skypecast//. Join us for a round table discussion on game design, etc. [|Saturday February 17th 15.00GMT] - IM **eflbridges** to join the conversation- This will be followed by another trip to Second Life (see below for details) ||


 * **Language & Culture in Second Life :** We also met on [|Sunday 18th February at 23.30 GMT] for the first meeting of the Second Life 'Language and Culture' group. **[|Download / listen to the recording here]** We were also at [|iMagiLEARNING island] in Second Life: http://slurl.com/secondlife/imagiLEARNING/42/190/21/ ||

Reading

 * [|Let the Games Begin] - **Edutopia** article which, among other things, argues that "having students design their own games is a great way to reinforce a lesson or connect it to other skills and ideas".
 * **Webquests.** Setting up a [|Webquest] might be an easy way of involving students in a project about games or game-making, If you don't already know about webquests, read about them here, and take a look at some off the webquests that have been devised by teachers for their learners. Here's one that was designed to go with the computer game, [|Carmen San Diego]. This one is about [|the debate over violent video games].
 * [|Powerpoint Games] - involving students in this type of game making has its benefits, [|according to this study].
 * **Thinking Worlds** ( http://www.thinkingworlds.com/ ) is a versatile educational games authoring engine, which allows you to play, edit, create and even share games with other members of the Thinking Worlds community. Read about how students are becoming involved in creating educational games using this tool in [|this BBC Newsround article] and this [|BESA educational report]. Read about an example of the software being used by teachers in a language teaching context here: [|Catalonia Report]
 * **[|Gamemaker]** is a proven and popular software package. Look at the [|Information for Teachers page of their website] to get an idea of the kind of projects being developed for education.
 * **[|Stagecast]** is another type of software that allows you to create interactive simulations, stories, games, etc. [|Read how this is being used in education].
 * [|What is a game designer?] Psychochild's blog provides an answer to this question.
 * Social Studies Central Bibliography - **Video Games in Education** : http://www3.essdack.org/socialstudies/videogames.htm

Viewing

 * Ravi Purushotma at MIT on **how to use commercial off the shelf games as language learning tools**: [|GDC 2006 presentation video]. [|Ravi's thesis]. Lots on 'game modding' in education: http://web.mit.edu/ravip/www/grim_project_no_intro.mov
 * [|College Saga] is a video parody of role-playing games

media type=
 * Making a simple game with Gamemaker**

Activities

 * [|Download the trial version of Thinking Worlds software] (warning: only if you have several hours to play! ) and explore the way it works. Report back to the [|Yahoo Group] (see //Discussion// below)
 * Download the free version of [|Gamemaker] (once again, only if you have the time!). Look at some of the games that have been made, and experiment with editing or making a simple game yourself. [|Download some of the games] (some that are recommended include [|the cooking simulator] and the editable game [|Cocktail] ) and [|resource packs] to help you. Report back to the [|Yahoo Group]. If you have tried both of these game authoring tools, which one (if any) do you think is suitable for language learning environment?

Discussion

 * Do you think the [|Thinking Worlds] or the [|Gamemaker] software would allow you and/or your learners create something interesting? Do you have learners that might be interested in a project work using this software? Or is this kind of software really not viable (too time consuming / too difficult) in your teaching situation? If not, which types of language learners do you think this would work with?

media type=
 * Game Designers - what does it take to be one?**


 * Making games with actual software may be out of the scope of your classroom needs/objectives, but there's nothing to stop you involving a class in the planning of a computer game. You could ask them to decide on the characters, setting, plot, etc. in the same way you might ask them to talk/write about a film they might make. What age group /language level would you expect this activity/project to appeal to? Share your thoughts in the Yahoo Group.

=Second Life=

Outline

 * Second Life:** //Language Learning Games in Second Life.// We will be looking at some of the possibilities for self-access language learning possibilities, in the Adult Grid as well as the Teen Grid. You are also encouraged to read about and explore more in this exciting virtual world.
 * **Second Life presentation.** After the round table, there will be a presentation/update at [|Boracay] of a new language learning project for Teenagers in Second Life [|Saturday February 17th 16.00GMT] ([|Skypecast details]) . ||
 * Language & Culture in Second Life :** We will also be meeting on [|Sunday 18th February at 23.30 GMT] for the first meeting of the Second Life 'Language and Culture' group. **Skyecast details** here: http://tinyurl.com/2rn7gt (Please IM eflbridges if there are any problems). We'll also be at [|iMagiLEARNING island] in Second Life: http://slurl.com/secondlife/imagiLEARNING/42/190/21/
 * Language & Culture in Second Life :** We will also be meeting on [|Sunday 18th February at 23.30 GMT] for the first meeting of the Second Life 'Language and Culture' group. **Skyecast details** here: http://tinyurl.com/2rn7gt (Please IM eflbridges if there are any problems). We'll also be at [|iMagiLEARNING island] in Second Life: http://slurl.com/secondlife/imagiLEARNING/42/190/21/

Reading

 * **Aaron Delwiche**, Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) in the new media classroom: http://www.ifets.info/journals/9_3/14.pdf
 * [|The New Media Consortium] and the [|EDUCAUSE] Learning Initiative (ELI) : [|Horizon Report 2007] - **Massively Multiplayer Educational Gaming** (pg 25-27)

Listening

 * [|Second Life: What do we learn if we digitize everything?] //(right-click to download this mp3 podcast).// [|Summary & Notes here]. Philip Rosedale, creator of **Second Life** talks about as part of [|the Long Now foundation series of talks].

Viewing
media type= [|Social Autopoiesis, one of the first fully-formed interactive NPC avatars in Second Life.] //better quality video:// http://mirror.video.blip.tv/Slhamlet-AdamBrokkensLibsecondlifeChatBot782.wmv

Activities

 * Investigate [|the Second Life Forums], especiallty [|the Educators forum.] Discover anything interesting? Please share it with the Yahoo Group.

media type=
 * Report in French about Second Life**

Discussion

 * Reflect upon your experience of Second Life so far and share with us how you feel about the environment's possibilities for fruitful language learning / teaching