Uses and Gratifications

The activity is intrinsically rewarding

Intense and focused concentration Merging of action and awareness Loss of reflective self-consciousness

A sense of control Distortion of temporal experience

Kinesthetic skills› Exergames

Cognitive skills› Cognitive skills as a basis for higher learning

Strategic thinking (general)› Fran’s work on strategic thinking in games

› Types of critical thinking, e.g., scientific

Cooperation

Individual differences in cognitive skill will predict game score and liking.› 3D rotation – Pipedown r = .44› Verbal fluency – Flipwords r = .41 › Targeting - Missile Command r = -.29› Memory – Concentration r = .25

Results remain after controlling for sex

Weber argues that flow is a discrete state that arises due to binding of attentional networks and results in a ‘super-attentional’ state of enhanced processing

A couple key features of complex systems with multiple feedback loops› Distal causation› Unintended consequences

Phase transition at the edge of chaos- where the interesting stuff is

Sensitivity to initial conditions

Deterministic unpredictability and leverage points

John Sherryjsherry@msu.edu

Content emphasizing systems- elements & relationships› Cellular biology› Eco-systems› Human physiology/problem diagnosis

› Urban planning

Kinesthetic skills Cognitive skills Strategic thinking (general) Cooperation

Player presented with an overall goal

Player learns controls Player investigates environment

Player adds skills relevant to game play

Player overcomes a series of related, escalating challenges

Manifest challenges› Obvious enemies or tasks that must be overcome to win

Intrinsic challenges› The unique allowances, limits, rules, and strategy of a particular game

› Elements and relationships Mastery of intrinsic challenges is necessary to overcoming manifest challenges and realizing game motivations

Terminology and relationships become intrinsic challenges

Skill learning is layered on› Appropriate strategy or skill

Transfer is facilitated by teachers (Hays)

Use is limited to learning situations in which there is a clear advantage of gaming (Hays)