Blogging Assignment

Introduction

The EdGames blog is an integral part of the course. It's a place in which to share and comment on web sites whose content overlaps with this course. Because the pages are archived, it's also a way to pass knowledge from one year's offering of the course to the next.

We’ll be working together to share resources in the hopes that each of you will use your classmate’s posts to help build your own personal learning network. You are not required to use a newsreader like Google Reader or Bloglines, but this exercise is a great way to get started. (Don’t know what I’m talking about?  Watch RSS in Plain English or Google Reader in Plain English for more information.) Ideally, you’ll put together a list of sites that will continue to educate you even when this course has finished.

This year’s EdGames blog has a slightly different format than previous years, so don’t let the archives fool you.  Follow the directions below to make sure you meet the blogging requirement for this year’s course.

Your Assignments

Each month, you’ll write one post following the theme for that month and comment on at least 3 other posts. Be sure to follow your classmate’s posts. At the end of each month, you’ll be asked to vote for the month’s best post.  We'll crown a blogging champion each month.

Each of your posts should include the following:

• A written response to the monthly prompt. Your response should be brief and concise.
• Make it longer than a tweet, but not more than a few paragraphs long.
• Do not duplicate a post from your classmates.  I’d prefer a new topic, but if you must write on the same topic, be sure you have something different to say about it.
• Include a graphic that corresponds with your post.
• Share links to find out more about your topic.

September: EdGames People, Institutions, Organizations and Conferences

For our first month, you should explore the world of Educational Gaming.  We are not looking for specific examples of EdGames yet.  This month’s post should share information about a (relatively) famous educational game designer, or researcher.  What institutions review games and train game designers?  What professional organizations are out there, and what conferences are key for people in the world of Educational Gaming and Simulations?

Post due on or before 9/28; comments due on or before 10/5

October: Educational Board Games

Your post for October should be about board games.  This should overlap nicely with the research you’re doing for your own board game.  We’d like to you pick a game that’s interesting.  This game can be interestingly good or interestingly bad.  Briefly describe who the game is for, what content it’s covering, and how it’s played.  Then use what you’ve learned as a board game designer to critique this game.  Evaluate why it works (or doesn’t) and share comments on it’s design.

November: Electronic Games & Simulations

In your final post you should be able to integrate (at least) one of motivational theories we’ve discussed so far with some sort of electronic game or simulation. Describe the game or sim and what the designers have done to make the target audience motivated to play it.

Post due on or before 11/30; comments due on or before 12/7.