The study lasted three years, included 800 subjects, and 5000 hours observation of online behavior. The research was led by Mizuko Ito over at UC Irvine. The New York Times reported on the study here. The executive summary can be found here.

References:
Lewin, T. (2008, November 18). Teenagers’ internet socializing not a bad thing. The New York Times. [Online]. Retrieved November 23, 2008 from: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/us/20internet.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all

Anyway, I was perusing Jussel’s blog when I discovered an entry in which she mentioned the MacArthur Foundation’s new book series with MIT Press. Her entry linked to HASTAC.org, which stands for Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory.

The MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning is available through MIT Press in paper format. However, thanks to the foundation’s funding, MIT Press is offering the texts in digital format free. Of most likely interest to readers of this blog will be, The Ecology of Games. Here is the TOC:

Foreword
Mizuko Ito, Cathy Davidson, Henry Jenkins, Carol Lee, Michael Eisenberg, Joanne Weiss
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: vii–ix.

Toward an Ecology of Gaming
Katie Salen
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 1–17.

Part I: Learning Ecologies

Learning and Games
James Paul Gee
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 21–40.

In-Game, In-Room, In-World: Reconnecting Video Game Play to the Rest of Kids’ Lives
Reed Stevens, Tom Satwicz, Laurie McCarthy
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 41–66.

E Is for Everyone: The Case for Inclusive Game Design
Amit Pitaru
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 67–86.

Part II: Hidden Agendas

Education vs. Entertainment: A Cultural History of Children’s Software
Mizuko Ito
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 89–116.

The Rhetoric of Video Games
Ian Bogost
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 117–139.

The Power of Play: The Portrayal and Performance of Race in Video Games
Anna Everett, S. Craig Watkins
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 141–164.

Part III: Gaming Literacies

Open-Ended Video Games: A Model for Developing Learning for the Interactive Age
Kurt Squire
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 167–198.

Why I Love Bees: A Case Study in Collective Intelligence Gaming
Jane McGonigal
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 199–227.

Education Unleashed: Participatory Culture, Education, and Innovation in Second Life
Cory Ondrejka
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 229–251.

Why Johnny Can’t Fly: Treating Games as a Form of Youth Media Within a Youth Development Framework
Barry Joseph
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 253–266.

Glossary
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 267–273.

Games Index
The Ecology of Games: Connecting Youth, Games, and Learning: 275–278.

The NSF-Funded WolfQuest (screenshot below) will be featured in a discussion by David Schaller from eduweb. This game has players assuming the roles of wolves in Yellowstone National Park and learning about their habitats and nature. Sawyer and Peter Smith over at U. Central Florida will present a taxonomy for serious games. Sawyer will also serve along with Eric Zimmerman at Gamelab as moderator for a panel discussion on the difficulties of measuring learning in games.

Most all the discussions look very interesting. Check out the Serious Games Summit page for a list of all the topics that will be covered.

The criteria for inclusion were simple. The game must be free and preferably available online. Some of the games are modifications of existing games (mostly Neverwinter Nights). So, mods are free but to run them you will need to purchase the original engine. But that’s a minor quibble since they are free if you already own the engine.

I am interested in other titles, so if you have a favorite that is not on the list, drop me an e-mail and let me know about it. Finally, I also included the learning objectives, host URLs, and my comments on the games. So, give these educational games a look-see, and consider using them in a classroom or other formal learning situation. And let me know about it if you do.

1. Revolution
Type: Modification of Neverwinter Nights Gold
Learning Objective: Experience historical incentives for the American Revolution from the grassroots level.
Host URL: http://www.educationarcade.org/revolution
Comment: This is the game that started folks talking about seriously using the modifiable Neverwinter Nights engine for educational purposes. Several papers were published on this game, focusing on its interactive means of teaching students about the American Revolution. It was perhaps best introduced to academics in a widely read article by Joel Foreman over at George Mason in the first issue of Innovate.

2. Re-Mission
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.re-mission.net/
Learning Objective: Understand cancer better and develop a positive attitude toward defeating it.
Comment: It’s a big download, but well worth the wait. The game from HopeLab is aimed at teaching young cancer patients about the disease and providing opportunities to enhance understanding in a positive environment. It offers the latest in educational videogame design, with backing from a well-funded sponsor. Also available in Spanish and French, and can be ordered for free on CD by mail.

3. River City
Type: Multi-user Virtual Environment
Host URL: http://muve.gse.harvard.edu/muvees2003/index.html
Learning Objective: Develop an understanding of the scientific method through inquiry and teamwork, as well as an appreciation for history and environmental issues.
Comment: One of the two big NSF projects for educational gaming on this list, with several years of research following its progress. This Harvard product is freely available to schools, but only on disc through the mail. The team prefers sending it to teachers wishing to use the program in science classes. Chris Dede spearheaded the project.

4. Quest Atlantis
Type: Multi-user Virtual Environment
Host URL: http://atlantis.crlt.indiana.edu
Learning Objective: Help students understand social studies, environmental concerns, current events, and scientific standards.
Comment: Although this Indiana University project offers a guest area where interested parties can explore the Quest Atlantis universe, the NSF-funded project requires teachers contact the team before allowing full access. Several thousand participants have joined QA, and research is ongoing. Sasha Barab spearheaded the project

5. Arden
Type: Modification of Neverwinter Nights Diamond
Host URL: http://swi.indiana.edu/arden/index.shtml
Learning Objective: Attain an appreciation of Shakespearean authorship and Elizabethan England.
Comment: As part of the Serious Worlds Initiative over at Indiana University, Arden was initially funded by the MacArthur Foundation. Executive producer is Edward Castronova, whose book Synthetic Worlds covers many of the economic and social issues in MMOs. Castronova has professed that Arden is not very exciting to typical gamers (no monsters to slay). However, the notion of exploring Shakespeare’s world should prove interesting to English majors and other aficionados of the Bard’s work.

6. The History Canada Game
Type: Modification of Civilization III
Host URL: http://www.historycanadagame.com/
Learning Objective: Understand social forces surrounding Canadian history since 1534.
Comment: O Canada! Down here south of the border, we hardly know ye! But, an initiative funded by Canada’s National History Society and The Historica Foundation aims to change that, for Canadians as well as those outside her borders.

7. America’s Army
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.americasarmy.com
Learning Objectives: Teamwork, and a greater understanding of US military expectations for recruits.
Comment: Critics decry this free videogame as a recruiting tool for the military. The Army shrugs its collective shoulders and says, “So?” Actually, America’s Army has many fans with no military expectations. One Ph.D. candidate I work with is a self-described “America’s Army widow.” Almost 3 gigs for the full version; its free nature ensures many adherents for years to come.

8. Food Force
Type: Executable
Host URL: http://www.food-force.com/
Learning Objectives: Understand world hunger and efforts to alleviate it.
Comment: Classroom materials and instructions are available on-site. Besides English, the UN-backed Food Force is available in (alphabetical order): Chinese, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, and Portuguese.

9. Whyville
Type: Instructional Online Virtual World
Host URL: http://www.whyville.net/smmk/nice
Learning Objectives: Provide a student-centered, hands-on environment for exploring various school subjects.
Comment: This Numedeon-backed product is aimed at elementary and middle school students, in hopes of encouraging “scientific discovery” and “social responsibility.”

10. SimCity
Type: Web-based
Host URL: http://simcity.ea.com/play/simcity_classic.php
Learning Objectives: Understand variable manipulations for urban management while having fun building a simulated city.
Comment: Critics have attacked its oversimplification of urban management, but countless children the world over have learned such truisms as the correlation between higher taxes and a disgruntled populace. Also, if you deplete the fire departments’ budget, disasters will devastate your city! The original SimCity is available online gratis from Electronic Arts, with adverts for the newest version, SimCity 4.

Update:
This list is getting long in the tooth, and many new games have been developed or improved since its introduction in 2007. For one, check out Selene from Wheeling Jesuit University’s Center for Educational Technologies. It is free, available online, and promotes science learning along with lunar exploration.

More great educational games are discussed on this blog on a regular basis. Subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up with the latest posts. Thanks.

For English majors, and other fans of The Bard’s work, visit Arden and play a while.

• Examining how young people are changing as a result of digital media AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $6.2 million

• Exploring the development of new learning environments AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $8 million

• Studying how social and civic institutions could change in the future AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $4.8 million

• Helping build the field of research and development in youth and digital media AMOUNTS AWARDED TO DATE: $4 million

Constance Yowell, director of education for the MacArthur Foundation, is quoted extensively. Other prominent mentions include Sasha Barab over at Indiana (Quest Atlantis); Nichole Pinkard, director of technology, Center for Urban School Improvement, University of Chicago (Chicago charter schools and Remix World); Barry Joseph, director of the non-profit after school organization Global Kids (efforts in Teen Second Life); Katie Salen, director of the Institute of Play (New York City Game School); and Mizuko “Mimi” Ito, over at USC (ethnographic studies of digital media consumers).

Trotter mentions another project Salen is involved in:

Katie A. Salen, the director of the Institute of Play, in New York City, is a partner in two projects supported by MacArthur grants. One, led by game researcher Jim Ghee and involving a commercial game company, is creating an online, narrative game in which teenagers are game mechanics who learn to fix and modify broken games in a game-driven world.

I’m wondering if “Jim Ghee” is a reference to James Paul Gee?

Regardless, it’s a good article and well worth the read. The $50 million in grant funding from the MacArthur Foundation will no doubt continue to yield important findings on educational videogames and other components of digital media for years to come.

References:
Trotter, A. (2007, December 5). Projects probe new media’s role in changing the face of learning. Education Week, (27)14. 10.

In explaining the name, Steinkuehler notes that pop cosmopolitan refers to, “the ways that virtual worlds are becoming novel contexts for the development of new forms of civic engagement in a global, networked world.”  

The blog will serve as a platform for the research team to discuss ongoing research as well as transfer information regarding after school projects and other related goings-on. In a post on Terra Nova, Steinkuehler elaborates on the research team’s raison d’être:

… we empirically investigate key literacy practices that constitute successful MMO gameplay (such as scientific literacy, computational literacy, and reciprocal apprenticeship) & how those literacy practices connect up with life and learning beyond the virtual worlds themselves. Then, based on this understanding, we develop after school instructional programs that leverage MMOs to get kids involved in what we see as core 21st century skills (that are often under-emphasized in classrooms).

It looks like an interesting blog, and those interested in ongoing research of virtual worlds in education should stop by to take a look.