Dissertation Literature Summaries

This site formerly complemented the work in disCourse with Dr. Suthers, serving as a place to write up summaries of literature.

Efforts here were only temporary; I redirected my efforts towards my dissertation proposal and document once it began to take form.

For the latest on my progress, visit my web site or:

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Literature Summaries, By Topic

Motivation and Interest ()
Virtual Reality ()
Immersion and Affect ()
Distributed / Group Cognition ()
CHAT (see collab. learning lit review)
FAS: R & D Challenges
(potential topics in games for learning)

My Reading Template (HTML) / (Word)

Opposing Arguments to Game Based Learning

My Mind Map of Research Opportunities for Games in Education (based on FAS: R & D Challenges)

More articles: http://wwics.si.edu/subsites/game/resourcelist.htm#Articles

Federation of American Scientists: R & D Challenges (for game-based learning)
(potential topics in games for learning)

Independent Variables I'm considering:

School system: needs to change, currently inhibits game-based learning

Media / medium affordances: affordances of gaming make it a better for learning

degree to which human communication is supported

level of immersion / involvement of users

requirements that the media puts on the user to participate (partially the affordances of the media, partially the rules set by the game / simulation)

As usual, all of the above can apply. I'm most interested in the affordances of the media, and all that it can add to learning, but an introduction to current school systems can give a 'motivational' point- explain why schools need to be changed and all the benefits that gaming can provide.

Affordances of gaming: social interaction (different properties than traditional classroom: avatars, less face-threatening acts), group cognition, peer tutoring, extending reality, motivation, online resources, online communities...