COMPUTER GAMING, LEARNING & LITERACY

RDG 440 (#26862) Spring 2012

Monday/Wednesday 2:00-3:15 pm
Hayes/McKnight
COURSE DESCRIPTION
If you are an undergraduate in the 2010s, you are part of what some authors call the gaming
generation. During your lifetime, computer and video games became an integral part of our
society, with games such as Farmville, World of Warcraft, and Grand Theft Auto attracting millions
of players. These games are having a cultural impact far beyond their role as entertainment or
economic commodities; they offer a myriad of experiences that can change the ways we learn,
tell stories, interact with one another, acquire technology skills, and understand the world.
In this course, we will take a closer look at the games we play and in particular, how they serve
as focal points for what is commonly called 21st century learning. We will utilize ideas,
examples, and readings from a wide range of different fields, including game studies, the
learning sciences, literacy studies, educational technology, and media studies. Potential
questions we will address include: How do games engage players in complex problem-solving?
How do the communities that form around games promote new forms of collaboration and
knowledge-sharing? What does gaming have to do with literacy? What do players learn from
the content of games?
The course format will be a hybrid of in-class and online discussion, and solo and collaborative
gameplay. A significant portion of the required coursework will consist of "new media writing:"
blogs, reviews, videos and other creative work. Much of the coursework will require extensive
collaboration among students with different backgrounds and interests.
Undergraduate students in all majors are welcome. No prior experience with games is
necessary, just a willingness to play and learn.
The course instructors are Dr. Elisabeth Hayes, Professor of English in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences; and Mr. John McKnight, Adjunct Professor of Law at the Sandra Day
OConnor College of Law, and a PhD student in Human and Social Dimensions of Science and
Technology, at ASU. Both instructors bring many hours of game play experience to the course,
in addition to their more academic credentials.

For additional information, contact the course instructors at elisabethhayes2@asu.edu or

john.mcknight@asu.edu

Course Format
This class will be held in a hybrid format; this is, instead of meeting face-to-face twice a week, we
will be holding online discussions in place of some Monday class meetings. See the course
schedule for specific meeting information. In some cases, we will require small group meetings
in lieu of a Monday class session. Since online interaction is taking the place of in-class time, it
will be an important part of your course grade (see Grading below).
Note that we will have face-to-face meetings every Wednesday throughout the entire semester.
Ning
This course does not use ASU Blackboard at all. Instead, we will make extensive use of Ning, a
social networking site. Links to all course readings (beyond the required books) will be posted
there. You will post all your assignments there. Discussion on the Ning site will be a significant
portion of your grade. Before class starts, all enrolled students will receive an invitation to join
the class site. Your first assignment, due on the first day of class, is to create a profile on the site
using the instructors as models and upload a Facebook-style current, recognizable picture of
yourself to it.
Attendance and Plagiarism
1. Do.
2. Dont.
Time and Planning
This course is demanding: it isnt hanging out with your buds playing Call of Duty till 5 AM.
Theres a lot of work; we know. We do expect you to do it. That said, a lot of this course does
involve playing games, lots of games, in depth. Please make sure your work for other classes
gets done, and you keep meeting your other life obligations!
And please dont use us for an excuse for why youre not doing your work for other professors! If
we get calls from other departments asking why were telling students to play Call of Duty till 5
AM instead of studying for their midterms, itll be a bad thing for everybody.
If you find you are having time management issues, please come talk to one of us privately. Weve
been there, and we can probably offer you some good strategies.

Classroom and Online Conduct

This class, online and offline, is a safe space from racist, sexist and homophobic speech. Dont do it.
If you do use hate speech in any forum associated with the class (including in-game chat in any
assigned game), you will be subject to removal from class and possibly University disciplinary
action. We dont care how you talk with your friends (actually, we do), but keep it clean, polite
and respectful on class time.
Similarly, violation of the Terms of Service, Code of Conduct or other similar agreement for any
game or site associated with or assigned by the course will be grounds for dismissal and/or
disciplinary action.
If youre unsure, ask one of us before you do it, say it, copy it or take it.

Required Materials
From the bookstore of your choice:

Bissell, Tom: Extra Lives: Why Videogames Matter $10-12 on paper or Kindle
Juul, Jesper: Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds $10-$16 on
paper or Kindle
Koster, Raph: A Theory of Fun $3.99 on Kindle, $16 on paper

In any format PC or console:

Mass Effect 2: PC version available for $9.99 at steam.com
Retail or Battle.net
World of Warcraft Battle Chest $18-$20 (be careful not to buy the Warcraft or Warcraft
III Battle Chest!) Available from https://us.battle.net/account/management/get-agame.html for digital download or retail stores.
Youll also need to set up a monthly subscription to run through April.
Setting Up World of Warcraft

Go to http://us.battle.net/wow/en/ Youll have to create a Battle.net account. This

process authenticates your software and creates a master ID for you that can be used for
in-game communications.

Once thats done, install WoW, either from purchased disks or digital download. Then
run your installed WoW software. Log in with your Battle.net ID and password. NOTE:
installation and patching will take a long time and may need to run overnight on
slower connections.

You will be asked to choose a realm. Please choose Misha-US from the list. This is
essential for you to be in the same place as the rest of the class.

New players: Create an Orc character only. Please see below for some advice on what
kind of class to create. What class of orc you choose is entirely up to you, and if you
dont like your first character, you can always create another: you get 10 characters per
realm. Well do a training session outside of class where the instructors will work with
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you to get up to speed in WoW, but well need you all in the same place (the Valley of
Trials in Durotar) in order to do that.

Veteran players: feel free to create any new level 1 character. You will need to bring your
new character (no higher than level 10) to the inn in Razor Hill in Durotar for class
activities in Week 4. Youre free to level to 10 however you like.

Character Class Suggestions

o

Do you like to fight hand-to-hand?

Warriors: the classic heavy hand-to-hand fighter

Rogues: uses stealth, poisons and quick strikes

Do you like to fight from a distance?

Hunters: bows or guns, and a fighting animal pet

Mages: magic flingers

Warlocks: magic flingers with a fighting demon pet

Priests: magic flingers who can heal the people theyre with

We dont recommend Shaman or Druids for your first time out.

Still unsure? Pick a hunter: theyre survivable, easy and fun.

Ventrilio (voice chat software free and required)

Download the Client software from http://www.ventrilo.com/download.php
Follow the tips for installation and configuration here:
http://jokaydia.wikispaces.com/jokaydiaventrillo
Except: instead of entering the jokaydia server information in Step 4, enter the
following:

Server: ASUGamers
Hostname: vent37.light-speed.com
Port: 11424
Password: (none)

Assignments
1) Reading Questions: Beginning with Week 2:
a) By 8:00 AM Monday each week post one substantive question or comment related to the
readings for the following Wednesday. We will create a separate discussion thread for
each weeks questions.
b) By 8:00 AM Wednesday before class, post at least one substantive response to another
classmates post. See Reading Questions & Responses at the end of this syllabus for
more information.
The question assignment is designed to do several things.
One, it shows us whats interesting to all of you: are there particular points or issues that
draw the classs attention?
It also highlights things people might not have understood, or would like to see
expressed more clearly.
It also helps us all get to know *you* better are you the one who always asks about
economics, or typography, or coding?
A *bad* question will be superficial, like a grade-school pop quiz question: How does the
author define X? How many copies of Halo Reach were sold last year? Bad questions have
answers in the material or are stock questions that could be applied to anything, without
thought. Isnt this bad for kids?
A *fine* question asks for explanation or clarification: Does Huizinga mean that games played
for money arent games at all, or that they somehow stop being games when people get paid?
A *great* question links the reading to something else: How does Huizingas attitude towards
being paid to play relate to the role of amateurism in the Olympics and European aristocratic
attitudes towards labor?
A sentence or two is fine. You wont get more credit for more words: conciseness and clarity are
good things.
Below are two examples of questions from a previous class that represent fine and great
questions.
Example #1:
I want to primarily focus on "Bow, Nigger". How has the internet and by extension online
gaming allowed for individuals to express racial views that are considered socially
unacceptable? Do these people truly feel this way or is there some sort of stimulus that
promotes this usage online?

Example #2
I'm talking about Alter Ego . . . . The more options and choices that were presented, the more
unrealistic portions of the game seemed. . . . At what point do we sacrifice realism in favor of
control over the story? And at what point do we sacrifice control for the sake of realism? In my
experience some of the best entertainment has come from finding the proper balance of these
two, be it in a book, video game, or other form of media. . . . It is this choice that leads to the
complexity and realism in life that I don't think video games are able to capture in its
complexity and nuances.
2) Blog: By 8:00 am Monday beginning with Week 2, please post 500-1200 words and an image on
either the assigned blog topic, of if no topic is assigned that week, an analysis of issues that
youve spotted in your past weeks gameplay. Use your personal blog on the Ning site for this
post. Read your classmates blogs and post at least one comment to another classmates post.
We will be discussing examples of various game-related blogs in class and the attributes of
effective blog posts more generally.
Week 3 Edit: Beginning with Week 4, we will begin a rotating cycle in which you will be writing a solo
blog post once a month and a group blog post once a month. We will cycle by week, with everyone in
Group 1 writing a solo post, then the following week Group 2, then Group 3, then a full-group post, after
which we will change up the groups and start the cycle over. When the schedule permits, group blogs will
be due on Wednesday at 8 am, with class time on Monday to collaborate. Solo blogs will continue to be
due Mondays at 8 am.
3) Term Project: Your term project will be the in-depth analysis of anything of interest to you
related to the course content, which youll pick in consultation with the professors.. Youll have
the option of doing a term paper or a creative project. We prefer projects, and strongly
encourage collaborative ones with small groups of your fellow students. We will handle honors
projects on an individual basis; talk to us as early as possible to discuss options.
a) Preliminary Prospectus: By 8:00 am on Monday, March 26th please post to the
appropriate discussion thread on the Ning site a 500-750 word prospectus outlining
your topic or project, the field of questions you will be asking and answering, and the
academic literature youll be drawing on for your analysis. This will be required of
everyone, whether you plan a solo paper, solo project or group project.
b) Preliminary Presentation: The week after Spring Break, on Wednesday, March 28th,
you/your group will deliver a 3-5 minute in-class presentation. You will explain your
research question (what it is you want to find out about), how youre going to research it
(academic journals? an experiment? interviews?); and identify at least two sources for
helping you answer your question. Presentations will be videoed, and available for you
to watch afterwards. Watching yourself on video is one of the best ways to improve
your performance abilities.
c) Final Class Presentation: Scheduled for April 30th, during the class final exam session.
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We will use the popular PechaKucha format for final project presentations. Pecha kucha
(a Japanese term that means "chatter") was created as a way to revitalize the traditional
powerpoint format by ensuring that presentations stay concise and fast-paced,
prompting presenters to think in terms of performance rather than information dump.
The rules are simple:
1. Your presentation should consist of 20 slides, no more and no less.
2. Each slide is onscreen for 20 seconds.
(To do this in PowerPoint: There should be a menu called Slide Show. On this
menu, theres a choice called Slide transition (or just Transitions) . . . When
you select it, youll see options for advancing the slide. Clear the check box
beside On Mouse Click, and put 20 in the box: Automatically after _______
seconds.)
3. You thus have a total of 6 minutes and 40 seconds for the presentation.
The presentation will state a thesis, some idea that you have about your topic, supported
by in-depth research, and will not be a game demo or description.
See: http://www.pecha-kucha.org/
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/magazine/15- 09/st_pechakucha#
d) Final Documentation/Artifact: Due on April 30th (the final exam period). For most of
you, this will simply be a writeup of your class presentation, around 3,000 to 5,000
words. Some of you may choose to do a movie, game or other media artifact. Some,
particularly students on honors contract, will want to do an academic research paper.
Delivery location and format will depend on what youre doing: youll discuss this with
the professors in advance. Papers and multimedia projects will be due on the Ning site
immediately prior to the last class session.
Grading
Assignments:
Term Project
Prospectus:
Preliminary Presentation:
Final Presentation:
Final Artifact
Weekly Blogs:
Session Questions:
Class Participation
In-class Participation:
Online Participation:

60%
5%
5%
5%
25%
10%
10%
40%*
25%
25%

*extra credit points are available here, that you can use to offset shortcomings in
another category
Class Schedule
*Note: Readings and games are listed under the date they will be discussed, so look ahead!
Questions are due at 8:00 AM the Monday before each class no matter what: theyre not listed
under each classs assignments. Youre responsible for posting your own and reading and
commenting on your classmates before class: this goes to the forum participation part of your
grade.
Sometimes we wont meet in the classroom: check ahead to be sure you go to the right place!
Part 1: Thematic Overview
Games: Artemis, World of Warcraft
1. (Jan 9th/11th) Logistics; Intro to learning & literacy
Read (for Jan 11th)
a. Bissell, Tom: Extra Lives pp. 3-16 Fallout
b. Koster, Raph: A Theory of Fun, chapters 1,2 and 6, Why Write This Book, How
The Brain Works and Different Fun For Different Folks
c. McKnight, John Carter: Games Studies: Why Are We Here?
http://www.johncartermcknight.com/blog/?p=1026
Do: (by Jan 9th) Set up Ning profile, post introductory blog. Actually read the syllabus.
Play: Create your WoW character, following the instructions in the syllabus. Begin
leveling.
In class:
January 9th: Introductions. Course structure, expectations.
Evaluation and grading.
January 11th:: Overview of learning and literacy.
Monday (Jan. 9th) blog: Complete your profile on the Ning site.
NO CLASS JANUARY 16 MLK DAY
2. (Jan. 18th) Big Picture
Read:
a. Brown v. EMA (except Thomas dissent)
http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/08-1448.pdf
b. Wikipedia article on Brown (for context of the legal challenge):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_v._Entertainment_Merchants_Association
Play: Continue WoW
In class:
January 16th: OPTIONAL WoW Bootcamp in Farmer 140
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January 18th: Debate the issues: are games like or not like other
media? Do violent games cause violence? How do we find out
whether they do or not?
Monday blog (Jan. 16th): What are the messages youve gotten (from teachers, parents,
the media) about the value of games? What do you think?
3. (Jan. 23rd/25th) Artemis: Collaboration & transmedia
Read:
a. Roig et al., Videogame as Media Practice: An Exploration of the Intersections
between Play and Audiovisual Culture
http://con.sagepub.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/content/15/1/89.full.pdf+html
b. Chen, Mark: Leet Noobs, Communication, Coordination and Camaraderie
Research: Find your assigned Artemis station on the Ning site. Figure out how to play
the game, and thoroughly research your station.
Play: Artemis, in The Fixx Caf
In class:
January 23rd: Artemis, in The Fixx Caf
January 25th: Artemis, in The Fixx Caf
Monday (Jan. 23rd) blog: What do you anticipate will be the biggest challenges in
learning to play Artemis as a team? What prior knowledge and skills will you draw
on?
Part 2: Learning Theory and Games Studies
Games: World of Warcraft
4.

(January 30th ) Critical/Close Reading of Games and Texts

Read: Review Chen
Play: Level your WoW character up to 10; run at least one dungeon. Plan in your
groups for a level-appropriate quest chain to run for next weeks group blog.
In class:
January 30th: Mark Chen, guest speaker
February 1st: Blogging, analyzing for how rather than what
Monday (Jan. 30th) blog: What actually happened with learning in Artemis? How did
you learn to play the game with your group, and how did your techniques differ
from other groups. Refer to the readings if they provide support or insight.

5. (Feb. 8th) Learning theory

Read:
a. Gee, James Paul: Learning and Games
http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1162/dmal.9780262693646.021
b. Koster, Raph: A Theory of Fun, chapters 3 and 4, What Games Are and What
Games Teach Us

c. Spinksville: Tutorial zones, and experienced players

http://spinksville.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/tutorial-zones-and-experiencedplayers/
d. Review McKnight, Your Place In The World, Please Will You Destroy Me
Play: WoW
In class:

February 6th : Group time to work on blog

February 8th : How do games reflect current theories of learning?
Why is learning central to good game design?
Wednesday (Feb. 8th) blog: Group blog: Take a quest chain (a set of more than one
linked quests: a good example is the set that takes you from Far Watch Post to
Crossroads ask if you need more examples). Write a close reading (with
screenshots) explaining how and what the sequence teaches, about mechanics, the
game world and/or values. This should be a double-length post, and will count
accordingly.
6. (Feb 15th ) Games and literacies, old and new
Read:
a. Bissell, Tom: Extra Lives pp. 49-66 The Grammar of Fun
b. Gee, James Paul: Literacy, Discourse and Linguistics: Introduction and What is
Literacy?
c. Zimmerman, Eric: Gaming Literacy: Game Design as a Model for Literacy in the
Twenty-First Century
http://llk.media.mit.edu/courses/readings/Zimmerman-Gaming-Literacy.pdf
Play: WoW
In class:
February 13h: Dont attend. Read and comment on blogs for those not
blogging.
February 15nd: What is literacy? What kinds of literacies do games require
and develop among players?
th
Monday (Feb. 13 ) blog: GROUP ONE ONLY (solo blog): Apply Gee and
Zimmermans ideas about literacy to WoW or Artemis. Describe examples of
different literacies involved in playing these games.

7. (Feb 22nd ) Advertising, Literacy and Video Games

Read:
a. Salen and Zimmerman, "Games as the Play of Meaning"
https://www.box.com/s/13fbkll7asne46cgzhrd
b. Wojtulewicz, "Video Game Advertising," http://prezi.com/dti8njrf8hil/gameadvertising/?auth_key=0ac4394d248f056ae799489943f1b07f0306eb56
c. Wojtulewicz, "Ads' Hidden Messages" (attached to the "Syllabus" Forum post below)
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Play: WoW, start Mass Effect 2

In class:

February 20th: Don't attend. Read and comment on blogs for those who
aren't blogging.
February 22nd: Guest speaker, Jennie Wojtulewicz, Advertising, Literacy
and Videogames.

Monday (Feb. 13th) blog: GROUP TWO ONLY (solo blog): Pick one of the ads in the
"Video Game Advertising" Prezi. Use the questions in "Ads' Hidden Messages" as a
guideline for crafting your post. Write a coherent blog post about the ad and its
meaning, don't just write up short answers to the numbered questions.
7. (Feb. 29nd) Play and story
Read:
a. Bissell, Tom: Extra Lives pp. 33-47 The Unbearable Lightness of Games
b. Juul, Jesper: Half Real pp. 121-196, Fiction, Rules and Fiction (SKIP pp. 141156, Time in Games
c. Munkittrick, Kyle. Why Mass Effect is the Most Important Science Fiction
Universe of Our Generation http://io9.com/5886178/why-mass-effect-is-themost-important-science-fiction-universe-of-our-generation
d. Watch Mass Effect: Assignment (Interactive Fan Film) through at least two
different endings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_165498&src_vid=
NhR-pRs4eOA&feature=iv&v=d9nhkD-Q7lc
Play:
Mass Effect at least far enough to unlock 3 new dossiers
In Class:
February 27th : Don't attend. Read and comment on blogs for those who
aren't blogging.
February 29th: Meaning and use of narrative and story in games
Monday (Feb. 27th) blog: GROUP THREE ONLY (solo blog): Juul says "Rules and
fiction are attractive for opposite reasons." Do you agree or disagree? Pay careful
attention to his definitions, and support with examples from one or more games.
8. Games as cultural and political artifacts (March 7th)
Read:
a. Winner, Langdon: Do Artifacts Have Politics?
https://www.box.com/s/z3rrxt28b0cl7cln2dsc
b. Latour, Bruno: Where are the Missing Masses? The Sociology of a Few
Mundane Artifacts http://www.scribd.com/doc/54169714/Latour-Where-Arethe-Missing-Masses
Play:
Keep playing Mass Effect
In class:
March 5th : Group blog time in the classroom and Game Lab
March 7th: Cultural models and games
Monday (Feb. 27th) blog: GROUP BLOG: Apply the readings to games as artifacts. Be
specific with examples.
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9.

(March 14th) Gender in Design and Play

Read:
a) Raymond, Alex: Beyond Gender Choice: Mass Effects Varied Inclusiveness
http://www.gamecritics.com/alex-raymond/beyond-gender-choice-masseffects-varied-inclusiveness
b) Doolittle: Are Game Developers Ethically Responsible for Gender Roles in
Games? http://www.gamecritics.com/mike-doolittle/are-gamedevelopers-ethically-responsible-for-gender-roles-in-games
c) How Hard is it not to be Gay in Mass Effect
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/03/08/how-hard-is-it-notto-be-gay-in-mass-effect-3/
d) Dealing with Gender Issues in Game Development
http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/gdc-2012-dealing-with-genderissues-in-games%E2%80%94and-game-development/
e) Family Groups Mount Campaign against Bioware
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2012/03/07/family-groups-mount-emailcampaign-against-bioware-swtor-same-sex-relationships
Play: Continue Mass Effect & WoW
In class:
March 5th: classroom open for group use
March 7th: Gender in design and play
Monday (Mar.5th) blog: GROUP 1 BLOG: Apply the concept of games as sociotechnical
systems (see the diagram of designer, user, artifact discussed in class on the 7th) to
the issues of gender, race or sexual orientation discussed in the readings. You can
refer to the slides that John posted from class. Be specific with examples: you can
use ME2, Dragon Age or another game if you prefer.

10. SPRING BREAK

11. (March 28th) Proposal presentations
Read: n/a
Play: n/a
In class: Presentations
Monday (March 26th ) blog: Post your project proposal
12. (April 4th) Proposal presentations
Read: n/a
Play: n/a
In class: Presentations
Monday (April 2nd)blog: None: work on your projects.
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13. (April 11th) Deviant Play/Serious Games

Read:
a) CCP Games, "The 2012 Alliance Panel at Fanfest"
http://community.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=28575
b) The Mittani, "My Apology"
https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=86980 (read
through some of the comments too)
c) Jester, "Hats" http://jestertrek.blogspot.ca/2012/03/hats.html (read through
some of the comments too)
d) Paul, "Don't Play Me" https://www.box.com/s/38b149fe8e4b4c7e3bab
e) Gee, The Projective Stance
https://www.box.com/s/3d33bcca9c9bd7343f56
Play: n/a
In class:
April 9th: Kelly Bergstrom, guest speaker
April 11th: Alan Gershenfeld, serious games
Monday (April 9th) blog: GROUP 2 BLOG: Analyze the event in light of this week's
readings and prior readings on player behavior and socio-technical systems. Do you
agree with Jester's analysis? With CCP's actions?
14. (April 18th) Games, Learning and Identity in Social Science Research
Read: [materials re White House initiative]
Play: n/a
In class:
April 16th: classroom open for group meetings
April 18th: James Paul Gee, guest speaker
Monday (April 16th) blog: GROUP 3 BLOG: What is your conception of games for
impact? Pick three papers, briefly summarize their key arguments, and discuss how
they compare to your conception.
15. (April 23rd) Using Research Data
Read: n/a
Play: n/a
In class:
April 21st: Andrew Stephens, guest speaker, Pecha Kucha formatting for
final presentation. Review of presentation/documentation requirements.
Monday (April 23rd) blog: none
Monday, April 30th: FINAL EXAM SLOT (12:10 2 pm)
Project presentations

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