A post that explores the implications of abundant digital content for teaching and learning. The course exercise was to research a topic for a few hours, answer prompt questions about abundant content [given a reading – Weller (2011)] and provide an example of how the content could be developed for learning.
A post that explores the implications of abundant digital content for teaching and learning. The course exercise was to research a topic for a few hours, answer prompt questions about abundant content [given a reading – Weller (2011)] and provide an example of how the content could be developed for learning.by Fiona Prince and Nicolette Young
What we investigated:
We decided to discover if there were enough resources available for someone to learn how to create a simple video game for adult learners. Specifically, we wanted answers to the following questions:
- What software is available and recommended?
- How long would it take someone to learn how to create a game?
- Are there free software or free trials available to practice?
- What technology do you need to create a game (software and hardware)?
- Are there active and supportive learning communities and user groups to help newcomers create games? (Some user groups may be too technical for the average person).
What we found:
A Google search on “create video games” returned articles that claim you do not need any experience to create a video game. This seems unlikely because at the very least, a person needs to know the fundamentals of how to use a computer.
We also found that we needed to be more specific about the type of game we wanted to create. The amount of effort and time required to create even a simple video game will depend on the genre, such as puzzles, shooters, adventures, to name a few.
Using the search string “how to create educational video games”, we found a plethora of websites and resources including:
- Many commercial blog posts with lists (top 5; top 10) of how to incorporate games or gamification into learning design.
- Learning industry and community sites such as Elearningindustry.com, Articulate E-learning Heroes Community, and elearningbrothers.com, that contain informative articles and tutorials.
- Recommendations for authoring tools that include gamification elements.
- Online classes to learn how to create educational games.
- And of course, a bazillion sites trying to sell their gaming software, assets, and swag.
Confidence in the abundant content around our topic enabling us to learn about it:
We are confident that there is abundant content on how to create simple video games; however, many of the resources assume a high level of computer literacy and ability. Few resources provide a concrete timeline for how long it will take someone to create a game. For example, in his article How to Make a Video Game (Experience Not Required), Brandon Widder (2017) claimed it took ten hours for him to create one level of a simple motion game; however, he did not reveal his level of computer skills. According to his bio, he is a multi-media journalist. So, perhaps he is not your average user.
Was abundant content enough:
Abundant content actually inhibited our ability to find the targeted content we were looking for. The industry articles and tutorials seemed to be the best starting place while commercial sites seemed to entice readers to purchase their software or services through the information they provide.
To sort through the abundant content for all the relevant information took a significant amount of time which must be factored into the time it would take to learn to create a video game. Widder’s (2017) ten hours could be doubled. This supports Weller’s (2011) view that abundant content “changes the consumer’s relationship to content, [as] it is no longer the content that is [sic] scarce, but their own time and attention [that] becomes the key scarce resource”.
What you need to make use of the content:
First you need to know the offline elements for creating an educational game, including the learning outcomes, audience, technology (e.g. iOS, Android, Windows). Then you need to discern between the real experts and the marketers—those who wish to share their knowledge vs those who wish to sell a product.
Weller (2011) refers to the pedagogy of scarcity in the context of classroom learning where the lecturer is the expert; there is one expert for many learners. On the internet, in order to learn how to create a simple video game, we need to first unearth who the experts are before we can trust that the learning materials will meet our needs.
Ways we can make use of this content:
As instructors in an online course, we could design an assignment for learners to create a simple video using a specific, easy to use video-game software package. We would provide comprehensive tutorials with worked-examples for learners to follow and three scenarios (relevant to the area of study) to choose from.
We felt that by providing the software and associated assets (graphics, sound effects, music), learners would be able to focus more time on their subject matter than on getting lost in the abundant content on what software to use and how to use it.
References
Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy. 249 pp. 223–236.
Widder, B. (May 8, 2017). How to make a video game (experience not required) [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-make-a-video-game/
Image Source: “Untitled” by Matthew Henry is licensed under CC0 1
October 2, 2017 at 11:09 am
Hi Nicolette and Fiona,
I enjoyed reading your post, and coincide with you on the observation you make about the scarcity of resources… it is particularly interesting to note how dramatically the change can be, 180 degrees! When the once scarce becomes abundant, then scarcity appears on the opposite side of the table, so to speak.
On a different token, like Albert Einstein would say: “All is relative…” it all depends who you ask about how difficult it is to create a video game, educational or of any kind for that matter… a similar situation might be when you ask the waiter at a Mexican restaurant if a dish is too hot or spicy. If the waiter is used to eat hot spicy food, which is very likely to be the case, he or she would reply the dish is rather mild… then it will be up to you to decide how much water you drink while eating! LOL.
Cheers!
Alfonso
October 6, 2017 at 4:23 pm
Hi Alfonso,
Thanks for your reply and glad you enjoyed it. As you mentioned, it’s interesting to note the dichotomy that the abundance of content can mean that relevant content is scarce. This can be due to the aspects you are searching for and to a reader’s goals of seeking out more objective content that does not have product marketing ties.
You raise a good point about the relativity game of online searching. As readers and consumers of content, we constantly need to evaluate the writer’s experience and prior knowledge of the subject. This is often not made explicit by the writer, so often some investigative tactics can help to gain background on the reader (ie. Fiona and I gained information on a writer by clicking and reading through his profile).
However, not everyone has the time to validate all the content in this way. Sometimes, readers lean towards other elements to decide, such as number of followers, number of prior posts and the look and feel of the page we are on. It is a bit like real life when we seek an expert, for instance when we seek a personal trainer. Some of us tend to have confidence in his knowledge if he dresses the part and has successful client testimonials.
– Nicolette