Time to End the Honeymoon for Game Studies

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesIt’s not often that we get to see a new discipline be born and grow up these days, but that’s exactly what we have with Game Studies. Although there were indeed people looking at and writing about games before 2002 … Continue reading

Why can’t EdTechs get along with IT, and how that effects Education

Approximate Reading Time: 3 minutesWhy do so many people in Ed Tech denigrate people who actually know tech? Isn’t knowing tech supposed to be a good thing? Do people with Education degrees feel that they are somehow better than the rest of us because … Continue reading

All Simulations are Educational????

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesI’ve had more than one educator tell me that they thought all simulations were educational. If you are looking at simulations designed to be educational, then, sure – it’s a tautology. But coming from CS and having some experience with … Continue reading

A Programming Language does NOT count as a second language

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesAlthough I still think learning several is good for you. Hello Worlds (why humanities students should learn to program) « Matthew G. Kirschenbaum. (May 23, 2010) While I do agree with some of what he says, his misconceptions convince me … Continue reading

Knowing ‘X’ does not imply knowing ‘Y’

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesEarlier this spring, I had a lovely conversation with a fellow game researcher and enthusiast (Jostein Hassel) about how digital games are related to non-digital games. I learned a lot from this conversation (more on that in an upcoming post). … Continue reading

Ed Tech is an Interdisciplinary Field

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesSo why is it possible to get an Ed Tech degree by taking ONLY Education courses? It shouldn’t be. IT  (Information Technology), Education, Management, … are all APPLIED disciplines – if all you know is the one of these, you … Continue reading

Designing Things You Don’t Understand

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesJust because you use some application or piece of software does not mean you know it. There is a reason why race car drivers often start out as (professional or amateur) mechanics: In order to get the best performance out … Continue reading

Why Interdisciplinary Teams Often Don’t Work (though they could….)

Approximate Reading Time: 2 minutesI came across this the other day (thanks! to Bonnie Bracey Sutton) Building an Interdisciplinary Identity in a (Mostly) Non-Interdisciplinary Academic World – ProfHacker – The Chronicle of Higher Education. There are a few things in here that really struck … Continue reading