LDT401

Main Content

Schedule

The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames, readings, and activities.

Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).

Week 1

Module 1: Introduction to Games and Learning
Read, watch, play	Read Squire, K. (2015). Creating the future of games and learning. Independent School, 74(2), n2. Steinkuehler, C., & Squire, K. (2023). Gaming in educational contexts. In P. A. Schutz & K. R. Muis (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology (4th ed., pp. 674–695). Routledge. Watch Game Maker's Toolkit. (2024, May 16). The 100 games that taught me game design [Video file]. https://youtu.be/gWNXGfXOrro?si=1yOejo5kAw5lcHdN provided in course content
Activities	Discussion: Memorable Gaming Experience

Week 2

Module 2: Foundational Theories of Games and Learning
Read, watch, play	Read Aguilera, E., & de Roock, R. (2022). Digital game-based learning: Foundations, applications, and critical issues. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. McGonigal, J. (2011). Introduction: Reality is broken. In Reality is broken: Why games make us better and how they can change the world. Penguin Books. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258–283.
Activities	Discussion: First Try - Design a Game

Week 3

Module 3: What Is a Game? Toward Meaningful Play
Read, watch, play	Read Anthropy, A. (2012). What is it good for? In Rise of the video game zinesters: How freaks, normals, amateurs, artists, dreamers, drop-outs, queers, housewives, and people like you are taking back an art form (pp. 43–55). Seven Stories Press. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] De Koven, B. (2013). Guidelines. In The well-played game: A player's philosophy (pp. 32–35). MIT Press. De Koven, B. (2013). Searching for the well-played game. In The well-played game: A player's philosophy (pp. 1-6). MIT Press. Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2005). Game design and meaningful play. In J. Raessens & J Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of computer game studies (pp. 59–79). MIT Press. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Watch Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2021, March 22). How to get a job as a game designer [Video file]. https://youtu.be/PMXf0e8n2Oc?si=PKbjFST_yO1bOgKT provided in course content Play Tag Chess (in-person) or Chess (online) Checkers (in-person) or Checkers (online) Hide and Seek Table Tennis (in-person) or Table Tennis (online)
Activities	Discussion: What Is a Game?

Week 4

Module 4: Gamification Is Not Working, But Can It?
Read, watch, play	Read Dah, J., Hussin, N., Zaini, M. K., Isaac Helda, L., Senanu Ametefe, D., & Adozuka Aliu, A. (2024). Gamification is not working: Why? Games and Culture. Huang, R., Ritzhaupt, A. D., Sommer, M., Zhu, J., Stephen, A., Valle, N., ... & Li, J. (2020). The impact of gamification in educational settings on student learning outcomes: A meta-analysis. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68, 1875–1901. Focus on concluding sections. Interaction Design Foundation. (n.d.). Gamification. www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/gamification Isaacs, S. (2015, January 15). The difference between gamification and game-based learning. ASCD Blog. www.ascd.org/blogs/the-difference-between-gamification-and-game-based-learning Klein, E. (2022, February 25). Transcript: Are we measuring our lives in all the wrong ways? Ezra Klein interviews C. Thi Nguyen. The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/podcasts/transcript-ezra-klein-interviews-c-thi-nguyen.html Zimmerman, E. (2022). Against gamification. In The rules we break: Lessons in play, thinking, and design. Chronicle Books. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Watch McGonigal, J. (2010, February). Gaming can make a better world [Video file]. https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world provided in course content
Activities	Preparation for Gamification Analysis

Week 5

Module 5: Analyzing Gamified Settings
Read, watch, play	none
Activities	Assignment: Gamification Analysis

Week 6

Module 6: Game-Based Learning
Read, watch, play	Read Gee, J. P. (2013). Games for learning. Educational Horizons, 91(4), 16–20. Gee, J. (2007). Introduction: 36 ways to learn a video game. In What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Gee, J. (2007). Semiotic domains: Is playing video games a "waste of time"? In What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave. [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Klopfer, E., Haas, J., Osterweil, S., & Rosenheck, L. (2019, February 19). Our game could be your life. In Resonant games: Design principles for learning games that connect hearts, minds, and the everyday. MIT Press. Watch FCPS Media. (2020, June 15). Hopscotch skip counting multiples [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1KiMyGmzaM provided in course content Play Bond Breaker Quantum Game iCivics (login required) Minecraft: Education Edition Backside Attack (organic chemistry concepts for iOS) Number Line Hopscotch Space Science Investigations: Humans in Space (NASA game)
Activities	Preparation for Game-Based Learning Analysis

Week 7

Module 7: Gamification or Game-Based Learning Analysis
Read, watch, play	none
Activities	Assignment: Game-Based Learning Analysis

Week 8

Module 8: Empathy, Impact, and Games for Change
Read, watch, play	Read Johnson, A. (2019, November 4). Using empathy games in the social sciences. Educause Review. er.educause.edu/articles/2019/11/using-empathy-games-in-the-social-sciences Ruggiero, D., & Becker, K. (2015). Games you can’t win. The Computer Games Journal, 4, 169–186. Watch GameSpot. (2014, December 17). Life Is Strange reveal trailer [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AURVxvIZrmU dukope1. (2013, April 11). Papers, Please trailer [Video file]. https://youtu.be/_QP5X6fcukM?si=dlJGhpGQywxFAtgy Play Spent The Uber Game Sim Nimby Cards Against Calamity DATAK Depression Quest Fake It To Make It Harmony Square Interland City of Immigrants The Climate Game anything else from here (search for free browser or PC/Mac OS games)
Activities	Play Three Games

Week 9

Module 9: Interactive Fiction and Story-Driven Games
Read, watch, play	Read Campbell, C. (2019, January 10). How to write a video game story. Polygon. www.polygon.com/features/2019/1/10/18165611/how-to-write-a-video-game-story-narrative-building-tips Ellison, C. (2018, January 8). The warning of Edith Finch: What we love is killing us. Polygon. www.polygon.com/2018/1/8/16841956/what-remains-of-edith-finch-year-in-review-cara-ellison Juul, J. (2001). Games telling stories? A brief note on games and narratives. The International Journal of Computer Game Research, 1(1). Sheehan, J. (2017, September 2). Reading the game: What Remains of Edith Finch. NPR. www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/09/02/547922336/reading-the-game-what-remains-of-edith-finch Thomsen, M. (2014, June 11). A Dark Room: The best-selling game that no one can explain. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/a-dark-room-the-best-selling-game-that-no-one-can-explain [Available in Library Resources as E-Reserve] Watch Carrot Helper—100% Walkthroughs \| No Commentary. (2022, January 5). What Remains of Edith Finch: Full game walkthrough, all achievements [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9wypyFz38w Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2020, March 11). How level design can tell a story [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwlnCn2EB9o Play A Dark Room (text-based game) Seedship (text-based game) Spider Web (text-based game)
Activities	Interactive Fiction Gameplay

Week 10

Module 10: Role-Playing Games
Read, watch, play	Read Parish, J. (2019, January 17). How the Ultima trilogy took a genre from tabletop to hi-tech. VG247. www.vg247.com/how-the-ultima-trilogy-took-a-genre-from-tabletop-to-hi-tech Parish, J. (2019, January 17). How Wizardry cast story aside in favor of casting spells. VG247. www.vg247.com/how-wizardry-cast-story-aside-in-favor-of-casting-spells Watch Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2020, July 10). How RPGs invaded Japan [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg70NfLNjF4 TEDx Talks. (2019, July 23). Saving your brain with Dungeons & Dragons \| Cade Heaton \| TEDxBallStateUniversity [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv0okhnpffo Play RuneScape (browser-based RPG) Choose a Game (browser-based RPG)
Activities	RPG Gameplay Process Letter 1

Module 11: Multiplayer and Collaborative Games
Read, watch, play	Read Aladdin, J. (2024, May 2). The evolution of multiplayer gaming: A journey through time. Medium. medium.com/@Jamal_Aladdin/the-evolution-of-multiplayer-gaming-a-journey-through-time-e34ef59294c2 Charity, J. (2023, January 26). The golden age of multiplayer: How online gaming conquered video games. The Ringer. www.theringer.com/video-games/2023/1/26/23572057/online-multiplayer-gaming-video-game-culture-single-player Greitemeyer, T., & Cox, C. (2013). There’s no “I” in team: Effects of cooperative video games on cooperative behavior. European Journal of Social Psychology, 43(3), 224–228. Watch Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2021, September 23). Making It Takes Two’s best level [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbMF1nCiIkQ Gameplay Only. (2021, March 25). It Takes Two gameplay walkthrough, full game (no commentary) [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2VB6nbsUI Pasquariello, M. (2021, September 17). It Takes Two creates an almost-perfect union of story and gameplay. Kotaku. kotaku.com/it-takes-two-creates-an-almost-perfect-union-of-story-a-1846576907 Play Gartic Phone (multiplayer game, minimum of four players needed) Buddy Board Games (classic board games online with multiplayer)
Activities	Multiplayer Gameplay/Viewing

Week 11

Module 12: Simulations, Strategy, and Puzzle Games
Read, watch, play	Read Squire, K. (2006). From content to context: Video games as designed experience. Educational Researcher, 35(8), 19–29. Watch Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2018, March 14). What makes a good puzzle? [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsjC6fa_YBg Play Civ Hero A Game of College Lunium
Activities	Simulation Gameplay

Module 13: Immersion and Immersive (AR/VR) Games
Read, watch, play	Read Solferino Academy. (2021, November 11). Escape to the future. solferinoacademy.com/escape-to-the-future/ Nakamura, L. (2020). Feeling good about feeling bad: Virtuous virtual reality and the automation of racial empathy. Journal of Visual Culture, 19(1), 47–64. Watch Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2022, January 13). The power of invisible choices [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HZuSzlN2eI Game Maker’s Toolkit. (2019, June 26). Why Metro Exodus is so immersive [Video file]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8geGHbWIMXA Play 1,000 Cut Journey A Blind Legend Heirloom Homestay
Activities	Immersive Learning Possibilities Process Letter 2

Week 12

Module 14: Future Trends in Games and Learning
Time frame	Wednesday, August 6 to Wednesday, August 13, 2025
Read, watch, play	Read Bartels, D. M. (2023, January 3). Reflections on 50 years of game-based learning (Part 3). EdSurge. www.edsurge.com/news/2023-01-03-reflections-on-50-years-of-game-based-learning-part-3 Breen, B. (2023, October 18). Simulating ancient Ur with ChatGPT. Res Obscura. resobscura.substack.com/p/simulating-ur-with-chatgpt Nightingale, E. (2024, May 29). How AI is changing video game development forever. Eurogamer. www.eurogamer.net/how-ai-is-changing-video-game-development-forever Pérez Cortés, L. E., & Kessner, T. M. (2023). The future of games scholarship: An interview with James Paul Gee. Games and Culture, 18(7), 907–918. Radoff, J. (2023, June 23). Creating a text adventure game with ChatGPT: Building the metaverse. Medium. medium.com/building-the-metaverse/creating-a-text-adventure-game-with-chatg-cffeff4d7cfd Play AI Dungeon
Activities	Second Try: Design a Game Final Project Final Reflection and Grade