Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Mon Nov 11, 2024 9:22 pm
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Meta » General META Discussion
ARG as a College Course
Moderators: imbri, ndemeter
View previous topicView next topic
Page 1 of 1 [12 Posts]  
Author Message
witsEkr
Boot

Joined: 28 Jan 2009
Posts: 40

 		ARG as a College Course
I am teaching an online undergraduate course at the University of North Dakota this summer that will occur completely within the framework of a music-related ARG. I am wondering if anyone knows if this type of course has been offered at other institutions, and if so, where?

I am particularly interested in the assessment aspects involved in evaluating this type of experience and would like to connect with other instructors that have any helpful advice or resources to share.

The course is titled "The Alternate Reality of Music" and starts on May 17. I am fairly confident in my ability to PM the game itself, but it is somewhat uncharted territory from an assessment standpoint!

Any assistance is welcomed! Smile

PostPosted: Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:06 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
lifegospel
Unfettered

Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 715
Location: Calgary, Alberta

 		... If I was attending the University of North Dakota... I would register and love you forever.

However, if you need some actors or help running the game, just ask me, I have connections and experience as a PM.
_________________
Lurking: The Baldulc will Rise | Lurked: Hallucine
Playing: MarbleHornets, Not so Different | Played:
PM'ed: I am 9
Quote of the month: RIP Chayse Yaganoichi

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:55 am
 View user's profile MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
Fishjp
Entrenched


Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 875
Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.

 		As for evaluation, 2 thoughts come to mind. First is to have some sort of OOG forum which you monitor and then award points based on participation in that forum. Not really looking for who solves the puzzles but who shows up to discuss things. Sort of like taking attendence.

The second thought is a comprehensive final covering all of the things you feel they should have learned throughout the game. Did they get it?
_________________
An Arg Experiment

If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:35 am
 View user's profile Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
notgordian
Unfictologist


Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 1383
Location: Philly

 		Was Henry Jenkins the professor who used experience points as a grading system, or was that someone else?

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:09 pm
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
lifegospel
Unfettered

Joined: 02 Aug 2009
Posts: 715
Location: Calgary, Alberta
notgordian wrote:
Was Henry Jenkins the professor who used experience points as a grading system, or was that someone else?


I remember reading an article about that. I wish my teachers would do that Wink

Anyways, I think it was him, but I'd have to dig up the article again, which shouldn't be too hard.
_________________
Lurking: The Baldulc will Rise | Lurked: Hallucine
Playing: MarbleHornets, Not so Different | Played:
PM'ed: I am 9
Quote of the month: RIP Chayse Yaganoichi

PostPosted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 9:44 pm
 View user's profile MSN Messenger
 Back to top 
catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
notgordian wrote:
Was Henry Jenkins the professor who used experience points as a grading system, or was that someone else?

How about a class where the students form guilds and go on quests? The one I heard about was by Lee Sheldon. I might be taking the thread off track here, because what this link describes is more like "a college course as an RPG".
http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2010/03/build-your-own-sheldon-syllabus.html

PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:30 am
 View user's profile AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
notgordian
Unfictologist


Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 1383
Location: Philly

 		You're right, cath -- I was thinking of Lee Sheldon. Whenever I think of his name, I automatically start thinking about Skeleton Chase and leave off there.

PostPosted: Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:33 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
distilled
Unfettered


Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 732
Location: Midlands, UK

 		If I had access to that course whilst at Uni I would have been all over it! Sounds really good.

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:17 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
witsEkr
Boot

Joined: 28 Jan 2009
Posts: 40

 		Thanks!
Thanks to all who have replied! It is always great to have input from the unfiction community!

Here is a link to the course description for those that are interested:

http://distance.und.edu/collegecourse/?id=MUSC399_1040_14166

As you can see, my music-related objectives are at the synthesis level (i.e. I am not setting out to actually teach NEW musical content) and I have included additional more general objectives related to communication / collaboration, critical thinking and use of technology.

I am running the OOG component through the Blackboard LMS, which has the ability to track participation by student (so that lurking will count!). In addition to participation, I am considering a game "enclyclopedia" group wiki page as well as individual blogs for each student, and possibly group blogs, if I get enough students and it seems beneficial.

There will also be an ongoing discussion board forum (like this) for game-related discussion as well as periodic "debriefing" discussions.

Keep the contributions coming - I am checking out everything you post! If anyone is interested in my "in progress" syllabus or anything else related to this, message me here and I'd be happy to share!

(If you know of anyone who may want to actually take the class, it is open to anyone with 2 semesters of music theory / musicianship classes or a comparable amount of musical knowledge!)

P.S. The "game" is actually already running as a way to lure students into the course... and it's working! Smile

PostPosted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:58 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Fishjp
Entrenched


Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 875
Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.

 		Re: Thanks!
witsEkr wrote:

I am running the OOG component through the Blackboard LMS, which has the ability to track participation by student (so that lurking will count!).


I would be careful with the lurking aspect counting towards participation. If I knew my grade depended on participation and that lurking counted I would just leave my comp signed in to the website 24 hours a day. So maybe you shouldn't advertise that lurking counts.
_________________
An Arg Experiment

If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 9:36 am
 View user's profile Yahoo Messenger
 Back to top 
notgordian
Unfictologist


Joined: 23 Nov 2006
Posts: 1383
Location: Philly

 		I think using an experience points-based system is going to require care no matter how you do it, since people will try to find ways to game the system.

Points per post? You'll be flooded with non-responsive / non-constructive posts like "I agree" or "I'm in."
Points per page view? The refresh button will be abused.
User-generated voting? Alliances to upvote (plus the points per post problems.)

That's not to say it's a bad idea...it just needs to be handled with care since it would be an integral part of the experience, shaping how people engage with it.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:33 am
 View user's profile Visit poster's website
 Back to top 
witsEkr
Boot

Joined: 28 Jan 2009
Posts: 40

 		Participation
Quote:
I think using an experience points-based system is going to require care no matter how you do it, since people will try to find ways to game the system.


Very true, and I am attempting to trouble-shoot this aspect of the assessment. I experimented with a leader board system in a mini-ARG I ran as part of a different class last year and awarded points based on the content, rather than the frequency of posts (which was also roughly aligned with Bloom's Taxonomy).

For example, a post that simply relayed a clue at the knowledge level ("I received an e-mail from the Damsel that contained a string of numbers") was worth 1 point, but a post at the analysis level that relayed information and asserted a hypothesis ("I got a string of numbers and I think the numbers may be GPS coordinates") was worth 2 or 3 points, an actual "solve" ("The coordinates are a building in Salt Lake City") was worth 3-5 points, etc.

You're right, though, it is a balance between maintaining the spirit of the game without inadvertently encouraging players to engage in the "grading game" instead.

I'm essentially looking for quality interactions with the game and need the grading system to reward this. I wouldn't go to this much effort to design a class this way if I didn't believe so strongly in the benefits of the immersive, engaging and motivational qualities of this game genre! Smile

PostPosted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:26 pm
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 1 of 1 [12 Posts]  
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Meta » General META Discussion
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group