Monthly Archives: June 2007

Visual-Syntactic Text Formatting

Posted on June 29, 2007 by Katrin Becker

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anything really new when it comes to presenting text, but this one looks like it has a lot of potential. Here is a link to the original article (the samples below come … Continue reading →

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Software Ethology, a new approach to design and analysis

Posted on June 22, 2007 by Katrin Becker

I have recently been working on a new methodology for the analysis of commercial video games in order to uncover mechanisms used to support learning. I am calling this new approach Instructional Ethology. It combines structural analysis based on black … Continue reading →

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On Game Length

Posted on June 16, 2007 by Katrin Becker

On Game Length [started Dec. 4 2006] http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20061201/qotw_01.shtml Talks about the length of games. This is of value to me because [I say] long games are ill-suited to school environments. School learning comes in bite-sized chunks, single lessons; units that … Continue reading →

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On Wasting Valuable Lesson Time

Posted on June 16, 2007 by Katrin Becker

On “wasting valuable lesson time” We must. When ‘content’ is stripped of its context, which MUST include those pesky extraneous details, it becomes disconnected. No wonder learners can’t remember stuff. Virtually all of the memory tricks we use to help … Continue reading →

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The Massively Multi-Player Online School

Posted on June 10, 2007 by Katrin Becker

A typical encounter at a yet-to-be built massively multiplayer online school: Suddenly, Amy realized that unless they all worked together, they wouldn’t get out alive. She wiggles the fuzzy slippers dangling from her swinging feet and glances out the window … Continue reading →

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There are no wrong answers

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Katrin Becker

I was at a conference recently, at a workshop where we were given an exercise that included a brainstorming activity. Among the guidelines was the now-all-too-common refrain: “There are NO wrong answers!” Poppycock. There are too wrong answers! Plenty of … Continue reading →

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The ID / AI Connection

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Katrin Becker

I’ve noticed that quite a few big names in ID (Instructional Design: Papert, Schank, Merrill,..) have backgrounds in AI (Artificial Intelligence, rather than the other AI) I find this a little disconcerting. In some sense the application of concepts from … Continue reading →

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Great Simulations and a Kitten

Posted on June 8, 2007 by Katrin Becker

Do Animals Play Games? I guess it is always possible to discuss definitions, but if one is willing to accept a common-sense definition of play, then animals absolutely play. Kittens (and almost all adult cats) often ‘play’ when alone, which … Continue reading →

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