[SNGR] From FB (3)

April 2nd 2010

it's been a while that i haven't updated, guess i'm a little bit out of mind and forget what i plan to do, or more precisely, i'm not determined enough to keep my own words...anyways...here's some updates:

1. automatic or systematic rewards or remind: i'm build up the Maison and Horse Stable in my Farmville, both of which required certain amount of categories of materials such as nails, boards, window panes, etc. I can buy the materials by myself, or I can ask friends to send me some materials. Of course, it always takes some time to receive the gifts and it is not guaranteed that your friends will send you whatever and whenever you want. I notice that the Farmville system seems sometimes send me the materials as well. I assume the system may perceive that recently i don't have much progression in building up the Masion/Horse Stable and guess i am short of materials. Therefore the system automatically send me some materials for me to build.

Implication: this may be applicable to e-learning / gaming curriculum design. designers can design some auto-reward or remind function for learners to keep their learning interests...

[SNGR] From FB (2)

March 21 at 12:33am

1. motivation mechanism: shelf-disciplined short-term and long-term goal (e.g., strawberry will be fully grown in 4 hrs and i have to finish sth within this 4 hrs, so that i can get harvest of the strawberry-working with strawberry)
2. curriculum package based on Farmville logic: level-up notion (e.g., you can purchase some stuff once you have certain amount of cash or coin) and collaborative working idea (e.g., fertilizing your friends' crop or cast away fox...)

[SNGR] From FB (1)

Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 5:08pm

It's the 3rd day of playing Farmville.Everything is so far so good. I hope I can keep working on my initial purpose of playing this game, trying to investigate how, if any, social networking sites and games can promote teaching and learning, esp. in literacy education.

I hope I can keep the experiment diary at least once two days, taking down all my feelings, thoughts, ideas, experiences, and findings when playing with this game. I hope I won't be addicted to this game, so that I can keep my own promises.

Some quick notes so far:

1. learning some vocabularies
2. math questions and even the business model
3. how to avoid being addicted
4. how networking with people can boost learning

Social Networking Game Research - Preview

Decided to move all the fieldnotes from Facebook to this blog, as a blog serves more functions than Facebook in terms of taking down notes.

The title will be abbreviated as [SNGR], meaning social networking game research.

This research starts on March. 17th, 2010. Here are some questions I want to investigate:

1. Can social networking games promote learning / teaching?
2. What benefits social networking games may bring to learning / teaching?
3. How social networking game can promote learning / teaching?

I chose Farmville to be the game I investigate and start playing it by myself. It's a farming game that players grow produce, raise animals, and build their ranch by engaging the game over time. Players can add neighbors and friends, helping each other to fertilize or water the crop, to feed chickens, to cast away crows or pest. Meanwhile, they can send gifts to each other and they earn their farm coins, cash, and levels of mastery in farming. Players can only access to certain materials only when they reach certain levels.

I will also read some relevant books. Books I have right now are:

1. E-Learning and Social-Networking Handbook: resources for higher education
2. E-Learning: the key concepts

Some professors and related researches I think I may be able to seek for help or implications are:

1. Natalia (EDUC816): video games and education research
2. Kevin O'neill: Civilization video game, see wiki

That's pretty much it so far.