Recognizing New Literacies: Teachers and Students Negotiating the Creation of Video Games in School


Sanford Kathy Madill Leanna
2007 DiGRA '07 - Proceedings of the 2007 DiGRA International Conference: Situated Play

Designing and creating video games in a high school classroom is fantasy for some students, but a reality in computer classes at a large sized Western Canadian high school. Classes of Information Technology and Programming have been engaging in video games as the entry point into learning programming skills. Powerful learning and teaching practises are apparent and through observations, interviews, and video recordings coupled with students' articulation of their process we have been carrying out the first year of a three year ethnographic research study of the educative value and potential of video games within a school setting.

 

“I’m not afraid to die, Mom”:Parental perceptions & stories of their adolescents gaming [Extended Abstract]


Madill Leanna
2009 DiGRA '09 - Proceedings of the 2009 DiGRA International Conference: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory

Media reports such as “Virtual Worlds threaten ‘values”(BBC news, 2007); “Violent youth crime rising, statisticsshow” (The Vancouver Sun, 2007); “Hooked on games:battling a cyber-addiction” (Times Colonist, 2007); “Newvideo games sell sex instead of mayhem” (Times Colonist,2006) sensationalize video games and imply a dire state ofviolence, health related problems, isolation, and addictioncaused by video game play. Parents appear to be situatedbetween these frightening and guilt-ridden reports of doomand knowing their own child, his/her abilities andpotentials. What are parents thinking or feeling about videogame content and play for themselves and for theiradolescents? How do they interact with their children andvideo games? What do parents want to know more about?What are their stories?