Video Games and Libraries

presented by Beth Gallaway
July 11-31, 2005

Class Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/mwgaming

Week 1 July 11-17: What Are Games and Who are the Gamers?
Required Reading:
Beloit College. Mindset Lists. http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/. July 7, 2005.

Grossman, Lev and Kristina Dell. "From Geek to Chic in 33 Years: Three decades after video games invaded our space, it's finally hip to be square." Time, May 23, 2005 v165 i21 p50. (Access via InfoTrac General Reference
Center Gold Elec. Coll.: A132449635)

North Star Leadership Group. The Gamer Generation. http://www.nslg.net/game.pdf. July 7, 2005.

Richtel, Matt. "Video Game Industry Sales Reach Record Pace in 2004." (Business/Financial Desk: Technology). New York Times, January 19 2005 pC3 col 05. (Access through Newsbank; open URL:
http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/...)

Supplemental Reading
Beck, John C. and Mitchell Wade. Got Game? How the Gamer Generation is Reshaping Business Forever. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2004.

Howe, Neil and William Strauss. Millenials Rising: The Next Great Generation. New York: Vintage/Random House, 2000.

Games to play:
Pong. http://www.xnet.se/javaTest/jPong/jPong.html
Pong 4-D. http://www.yomgaille.com/pong/#
Radial Pong. http://www.puzzlechoice.com/pc/Radial_Pongx.html
These are three different versions of one of first video games. The goal is
to not let the ball get past your paddle. Move your mouse (or use the keyboard) to slide the paddle and deflect the ball.

Set Game (puzzle)

  1. Go to http://www.setgame.com/set/puzzle_frame.htm
  2. The goal is to locate 6 sets of three from the 16 cells
  3. Click on three cells to create a set
  4. View complete rules at http://www.setgame.com/set/rules_set.htm

Chicktionary (Word Game)

  1. Go to: http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/chicktionary
  2. Select "Play Online"
  3. The object it to mix and match the eggs to create as many new words from the letters as possible within the allotted time

Week 2 July 18-24: Why Game? What Makes a Good Game?

Required Reading:
Bedigan, Louis. "Professor James Paul Gee Shows the World the Importance of Video Games." PC Game News, July 7, 2003.
http://pc.gamezone.com/news/07_03_03_06_17PM.htm. July 7, 2005.

Jenkins, Henry. "Videogame Virtue." Technology Review. August 1, 2003.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/03/08/wo_jenkins080103.asp?p=0. July 7, 2005.

King, Brad. "Educators Turn to Games for Help." Wired Magazine. August 2003.
http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,59855,00.html. July 7, 2005.

Whelan, Debra Lau. "Let the Games Begin! Researchers say that computer games are crucial to learning--and about to hit schools in a big way." School Library Journal. Vol 51 no 4. April 1, 2005. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA514020.html. July 7, 2005.

Search Institute. 40 Developmental Assets for Adolescents.
http://www.search-institute.org/assets/forty.html. July 7, 2005.

Squire, Kurt and Constance Steinkuehler. "Meet the Gamers: They Research, Teach, Learn, and Collaborate. So far, without libraries." Library Journal, April 15, 2005 v130 i7 p38(4) http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA516033.html. July 7, 2005.

MLA/YSS. Standards for Public Library Service to Young Adults. Revised May 2005. http://www.masslib.org/yss/YoungAdultStandards.pdf. July 7, 2005.

YALSA. Young Adults Deserve the Best: Competencies for Librarians Serving Young Adults. Revised, October 2003.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/profdev/youngadultsdeserve.htm. July 7, 2005.

Supplementary Materials
Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave MacMillan, 2003.

Levine, Jenny. "Games, Learning and Society Notes: GSL01-GSL08." The Shifted Librarian. June 23-24, 2005.
http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2005/06/23/gls01_henry_je.... July 7, 2005.

OCLC. OCLC Symposium: Gaming and the Significance for Information Literacy. January 19, 2005. http://www.oclc.org/community/default.htm#top. July 7, 2005.

Games to play:
Diner Dash (Simulation)

  1. Go to http://www.shockwave.com/sw/content/dinerdash and download the free trial; install game
  2. The goal is to keep the customers happy – seat them quickly, take their orders, deliver the food, keep their coffee cups full, drop off the check, clean off the tables, and repeat!
  3. Use your mouse to direct Flo throughout the restaurant and complete different tasks.

Week 3 July 25-31: The Positive Impact of Gaming
Required Reading:
AP. "New York Study Finds Video Games Help Surgeons Build Laparoscopic Skills." New York Daily News. April 7, 2004.
(Access through InfoTrac Gen Ref Center Gold: CJ118573774)

Demarest, Kandie. "Video Games: What Are they Good For?" Lesson Tutor, October 14, 2000. http://www.lessontutor.com/kd3.html. July 7, 2005.

Gee, James Paul. "High Score Education: Video Games, Not School, Are Teaching Kids How to Think." Wired Magazine, vol 11, no 5 May 2003. http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view_pr.html. July 7, 2005.

Jenkins, Henry. "Media Literacy Goes to School". Technology Review. January 2, 2004.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/04/01/wo_jenkins010204.asp?p=0. July 7, 2005.

Sawyer, Ben and Kurt Squire. Dr. PacMan? Smart and Healthy Video Games Transcript. Connect for Kids, July 13, 2005. http://www.connectforkids.org/. July 7, 2005.

Ward, Lucy. "Computer Games Can Help Children Learn." The Guardian. October 27, 2004.
http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1336802,00.html. July 7, 2005.

Supplementary Media:
Green, Brain, Jamie Hale, Daniel James and Steve Salyer. "Real Money in Virtual Economies." Accelerating Change, November 5-7, 2004. http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail377.html. July 7, 2005. (podcast, 45 minutes)

Jenkins, Henry. Transmedia Storytelling. Technology Review. January 15, 2003.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/03/01/wo_jenkins011503.asp?p=0. July 7, 2005.

Johnson, Steven. "Your Brain on Video Games." Discover Magazine, vol 26 no 7 ( July 2005). http://www.discover.com/issues/jul-05/features/brain-on-video-games. July 7, 2005.

Gunn, Moira. "Dr. Henry Jenkins: Video Games and Education." Tech Nation. March 15, 2005. http://www.itconversations.com/shows/detail435.html. July 7, 2005. (podcast, 25 minutes)

Games to play:
Neopets (pet simulation)

  1. Go to http://www.neopets.com
  2. Click "Create a NeoPet"
  3. Fill in the forms and register for a FREE Account
  4. When you're finished, Click "Pet Central"
  5. Click "Your Items" and get your Newbie Pack
  6. View the flash tutorial if you need some help getting started.

Lemonade Stand (busines simulation)

  1. Go to http://www.lemonadegame.com/
  2. The object is to make money selling lemonade
  3. Set a price, buy lemons, sugar and ice, and click "Ok" to play

Evaluation for Video Games and Libraries Online Class (please complete an evaluation if you access any of the materials on this page)