Video games may not be the solution to educational problems, but they are an excellent tool to help educate and train young minds. This week’s readings the authors, Salen and Zimmerman, (Salen & Zimmerman, 2004) discussed in chapters 11, 12, and 13 how the  rules of games have an effect on the enjoyment and understanding of how they function. A detailed analysis of some popular games gave insight into how the rules and strategy of the game help the players understand the goals and outcomes when playing. Rules help create the structure of the game. The rules are the component that makes it a game. Without rules, the game has no structure. They define games as being separate from real-world which separated them from ordinary life. Listed in Chapter 11 where the six characteristics that distinguish a game.
Rules:

• limit player actions
• are explicit and unambiguous
• are shared by all players
• are fixed
• binding
• repeatable (Chapter 11)

Using several popular games, they described how each characteristic affects the game and the player's enjoyment of the game. In the next two chapters (12 & 13) the levels of game rules where discussed and explained. It helped to identify the components of how rules are developed and how they help in the cooperation of playing and enjoying the game. These explanations helped to identify the way game rules are fashioned to separate one game from another. The levels explained in Chapter 12 were (1) constituative, dealing with the abstract core mathematical rules; (2) operational, dealing with how the game is played; and (3) implicit, the unwritten or understood rules of etiquette of any game. In the explanation of these concepts, the discussion focused on some popular board games that everyone is  familiar. Finally, Chapter 13 compared these characteristics to digital games and how they relate to program coding. Though the board game and digital game are very similar, the digital version has a core logic or constituative rules, that contain some form of coding to create the internal events of the game.
The video TEDTalk with McGonigal contained information that gave a deeper perception of how the act of playing games can add to the coping skills of society. Since gaming beyond board games is so new to me, there were many perceptions that I had not given any thought of the impact that playing video games can have on individual growth, coping and learning skills. I checked out two YouTube videos that gave additional insight into the challenges that games provide for the young mind: Games for Change 2018 Festival (https://youtu.be/1O8F2GgrfU4) and #GameOn-88 Seconds of Video Games (https://youtu.be/pWZtbfBGjIg). Both of these videos added some insight on how involved and wide-spread this arena of learning has grown in the last twenty years. Out of this growth, there are two really good educator resources that I found: Digital Games Handbook for Teachers by Patrick Felicia, Guide to Digital Games & Learning by J. Shapiro Game Educator’s Handbook by they were loaded in information that would be helpful to any educator. Both of these sources would be helpful in the planning of incorporating digital games into the learning environment and adding additional pedagogy to the experience.
Several strategies (Fradkin, 2017) that I found during my search that can help to integrate games into any learning experience were:

• Develop an arsenal of games that will fit many different areas of our subject matter.(31 Game-Based Learning Resources for Educators; and  The Game Educator’s Handbook)
• Create Badges that student s can earn while learning a new game
• Create Leaderboards makes the classroom more engaging and fun
• Multi-player action so they can compare their skills in the game to fellow classmates
• Change classroom to accommodate the medium which will facilitate a better learning environment
• Establish a clear theme and create a narrative to accompany the game.

There are many before, during, and after activities for reading, math, and social studies skills and gaming is no different.

Before activity:
Allow students to name their teams;
Let them create a storyline to accompany why they are on a particular quest;
Build excitement before the games begin;
If it’s a new game that students have never played give them a chance to get familiar with the rules and game pieces within the game. (be it the board or digital);
If it’s a digital game allow them to view the video short of the game.

During: 
Computer game playing will enhance spatial skills, so find ways for them to show that they have a clear understanding of that skill by how they play the game and maneuver the components. Allow students to discuss and show their ability to read images, such as pictures and diagrams. Gaming allows teachers freedom of movement while the student is playing to monitor how well they keep track of a lot of different components of the game at the same time. (Gros, 2007)

After:
 Review the objectives of the game;
 Ask students to answer questions about the game;
Ask students to relate their experiences while playing;
Link the game experience to related learning objectives and real-life experience;
Discuss what they learned while playing the game.
Create pointed questions that answer questions about the scene where the game takes place;
Discuss the goal of the game and identify the main characters and their role in the game;
Have students identify the challenges faced by the main character;
Have students identify what it would take to be successful in this game; what weapons, tools or items the character has use of to pursue their quest; and
Who is the antagonist and protagonist in the game? (Felicia, 2018)

References:
Felicia, P. (2018, September 24). Digital games in schools: A handbook for teachers. Retrieved from Digital Games: http://games.eun.org/upload/gis_handbook_en.pdf
Fradkin, A. (2017, April 3). How to roll out game-based learning and boost engagement--In your classroom. Retrieved from Technology in School: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-04-03-how-to-roll-out-game-based-learning-and-boost-engagement-in-your-classroom
Gros, B. (2007). Digital games in education: The design of games-based learning environments. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 23-38.
Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of play: Games design fundamentals. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

I’ve chosen to review Spider-Man PS4, produces Insomniac Games. My daughter recently purchased the game, and we have spent the last few nights playing it late into the early morning.  Not a good look for getting up the next day for work, but I have found this to be a remarkably well-organized game as far as its design and playability. I did more watching others play than actually playing myself.  The views of Manhattan are so realistic its as if you are actually flying over the city yourself with old Spidey. If you have ever been to New York, you can easily identify landmarks and look across the water to see New Jersey. The character’s appearance reminds of the movie Beowulf that was done in CGI (Computer-generated imagery) which was also used in parts of the Hobbit for Gollum, Star Wars for Yoda and the Hulk’s exaggerated muscles in The Hulk. The realism was unsurpassed in any CGI I have ever seen. As I know very little about other superhero games, this one captured me and drew me in as I observed my daughter and her friend manipulate the characters through fight scenes and interactions with other characters in the game. I even tried my hand at the controls.  The game system console made a remarkable visual impression with its bright red color with the Spiderman logo on top.The items I focused on, just because of what I have learned recently about games and their development, was the little items around Peter Parker's apartment; the way the street scenes appeared and how smooth the transition from flying through the city to having an active and aggressive fight scene. No stops just a smooth move from one aspect of the game scene to the next aspect of the game.
I’m sure as the game is viewed by more users they may find some weaknesses or disadvantages in how it was designed but as a newbie, I can’t see any. My daughter and her friend describe this game as raising the bar on all other video games, and even with my limited game experience I wholeheartedly agree. Check out reviews from such game reviewers as ScreenRant, IGN, and GamesRadar the commits where all strong and positive. The features of the game are amazing, and every character has their own motivations that are easily identified by the game player. Business Insider list five ways PlayStation 4’s Spider-Man games raise the bar for all other video games. (Smith, 2018)

1. Traversal feels the best it’s felt in any video game (movement throughout the city smooth and just plain fun).
2. “Spider-Man” for PlayStation 4 respects player’s time. Some of the features that they listed and I noted as well were:
   1. You can save and quit at any point in the game, even in the middle of a scene
   2. You can abandon any mission, or skip any cutscene, at any point
   3. You can change your suit at any time, even in the middle of a scene or fight (which I found so cool)
   4. Loading times are quick
   5. Navigating your menu is fast and easy to understand ( even a newbie would have no trouble understanding how things work)
   6. You can retry some missions for higher scores, or reload from past checkpoints if you mess up (As a newbie I found that feature very helpful, it lowered the frustration levels)
   7. The game provides plenty of fast travel checkpoints in case you don’t feel like swinging  (I always wanted to swing, for me, I could swing continuously through New York.) (Smith, 2018)
3. “Spider-Man” raises the bar for alternative costumes for your character. This aspect reminds me of the game of the Sims game, but I did not like the costume changing in this Role Play game.
4. The game constantly gives you new powers and tools so you can customize the way you play. (That I really enjoyed as you advanced through the game. I have other games that you can earn weapons and tools, but this was the best.  Again this is based on my very, very, limited experiences with games.)
5. The story is well-written and makes you care about the characters. (Since I love Spider-Man this aspect did not need to be in place since I love the characters, but it made you have compassion even for the villains. (Smith, 2018)

As I played the game, I felt as if I had found my flow as described by Csikszentmihalyi's Ted Talk. I could easily identify various conditions that he described that are conditions of flow, such as:

1. Step 1 Completely involved in what I was doing—totally focused and concentrated
2. Step 4 The feeling that the activity was doable and that my skills where adequate enough for the task (As a game newbie that was really a step in the right direction). The game developers had folks like me in mind when they created this game.
3. Step 6 Timelessness because I was thoroughly focused on the present, and the hours did get away from us.

After playing this game, I feel as I have found the game that would take up a lot of my allotted game time.  It was exciting and easy to play.  I had only limited frustration with the game itself my problem was getting familiar and comfortable with the game controls. But I feel that will definitely get better with time well spent. I can see games like this having an effect on student literacy skills as described in Harper’s articles about games and literacy. It was a fun read, but it was also loaded with food for thought.
It was easy for me to identify some of the system interactions in this game even with my limited knowledge of games. I had never heard of “Magic Circle” as it relates to  games, but only as it related to crocheting. The authors define the magic circle as it relates to games is where the game takes place. When you play a game, you are entering the “magic circle.” Salen and Zimmerman (2004) described it as a physical component of a game like the game board or the playing field. I definitely felt that way as I played Spider-Man PS4 almost, otherworldly as if I had been transported into in an alternate reality. I definitely felt a lusory attitude as I became more involved in the many ins and outs of the game.
Websites:
https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/09/04/marvels-spider-man-ps4-review
https://www.gamesradar.com/marvel-spider-man-ps4-review/
https://screenrant.com/spider-man-review-ps4-game/
References
Salen, K., & Zimmerman, E. (2004). Rules of play: Games design fundamentals. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Smith, D. (2018, September 6). The new Spider-Man game raises the bar for all other video games. Retrieved from Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/spider-man-ps4-review-marvel-playstation-4-2018-9

There are several differences between games and simulations as listed by Gredler (Gredler, 1992) and Sauve, et al (2007) these are the basic attributes of games:

1. Can have one or multiple players
2. Can have conflicts or cooperation
3. Clearly defined rules
4. Predetermined goals
5. Can be a fictitious activity with no reference to reality that can have mental, physical or social images that do not exist in real world situations.
6. Immersion in a fictitious situation is where the player can experience fun
7. Can multitask while learning.
8. In a game the player can play first, understand after, and generalize to apply it to the learning situations. (2018)

By contrast simulations attributes are:

1. A model is first defined as an abstract (digital) or concrete representation of a real system where the variables are clearly specified and their behavior around a phenomenon is like that of the system being modeled (Arthur, Malone, & Nir, 2002)
2. A form of controlled reality where learners can experiment with differing aspects of reality that would be impossible to study outside of real life. (Such as a flight simulator or a physician’s operation simulation.)
3. They copy the essential elements of reality in a dynamic model that allows participants to control the reality to study it.
4. They place learners in real situations in which they can act and make decisions with the aim of obtaining real-time feedback, which is a dynamic model.
5. They can also be placed in a simplified model where “learners can have a degree of abstraction necessary for understanding the system’s functions and inherent tasks.” (Goldenberg, Andrusyszyn, & Iwasiw, 2005)
6. Simulations address multidimensional evolving problems and can last from an hour to several days
7. They require participants to apply cognitive and metacognitive abilities to a role. (Gredler, 1992)

The advantages of simulations is they can bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world as well as reveal student misconceptions and understandings about the content. Last, they can provide information about a student’s problem-solving skills. Gredler identified two categories of simulations; experiential (social microcosms) and symbolic or microworlds (a dynamic representation of the functioning or behavior of a work or decision-making environment) (Gredler, 1992). The chapter further listed three types of experiential simulations; social process (actions are embedded in a scenario), diagnostic (dealing with patients in a health care situation), and data management (dealing with the specifies relationships among quantitative variables). (Gredler, 1992)
For symbolic simulations the chapter listed two types laboratory research (students function as researchers) and system simulations (they function as trouble shooters to analyze, diagnose and correct operational faults in the system).
While reviewing simulation games such as the Sims and World of Warcraft I found some unique differences that made me enjoy the adventures in WoW a lot more than the situations of the Sims. In WoW I really enjoyed the personification of the animals and the story line.  The gaming cinematography was highly engaging. While the characters and images in Sims did not appeal to me on any level and the stories did not interest me.  The ability to design your character on this elementary type level did not appeal to me either. As I was researching I would a list of Twelve Types of Computer Games Every Gamer Should Know by Jane Hurst (2015). It helped me with the many acronyms that are used in this arena as well as to better understand the jargon. Here is the list:

1. Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) – games that are played over LAN (local area network)
2. Simulations -games involving taking control of real-world vehicles such as tanks, ships, and aircraft.
3. Adventure -single player games that are set in fantasy or adventure worlds (like Gamestar Mechanic)
4. Real-Time Strategy (RTS) -games that build up your inventory of items, armies, etc.(Like Sword Art OnLine)
5. Puzzle -difficult puzzles.
6. Action -requires excellent reflexes and fighting with the enemies (like WoW)
7. Stealth Shooter -war games or spy-based games. (like
8. Combat -One on one battle with an opponent up close.
9. First Person Shooters (FPS) -the game is viewed through your eyes as the protagonist.
10. Sports – real-world sports games, such as baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. Your game will mimic real sports professional athletes.  (Like Fantasy Leagues)
11. Role-Playing – where you get to act out the part of the main character and make decisions that go along with the story lines.
12. Educational- they help with the learning process. They can train you on various subjects and help make the learning fun.

 
I spend several hours researching other games and found that the ones I enjoyed most where those associated with some type of adventure simulation; Sword Art on Line was one and the Legends of Zelda. As a science teacher I know the value of classroom simulations for dissecting and understanding anatomy and physiology. There are many interactive simulations that are sold for science from elementary to college level course work. You can find Virtual Learning Environments (VLE) where students can learn real-world situations where they can drill basic concepts to simulating work in a laboratory setting.
These types of simulations can help students to translate from multiple scenarios, build digitally controlled working models, create chemical reactions, and serve as a vehicle for collaborative learning situations.
References
Arthur, D., Malone, S., & Nir, O. (2002). Optimal overbooking. The UMAP Journal, 283-300.
Goldenberg, D., Andrusyszyn, M., & Iwasiw, C. (2005). The effect of classroom simulation on nursing students' self-efficacy related to health teaching. Journal of Nursing Education, 310-314.
Gredler, M. E. (1992). Games and simulations and their relationship to learning. In M. E. Gredler, Designing and evaluating games and simulations (pp. 517-581). Kogan Page Ltd.
Sauve, L., Renaud, L., Kaufman, D., & Marquis, J.-S. (2007). Distinguishing between games and simulations: A systematic review. Educational Technology & Society, 247-256.
Shaffer, D. W., Squire, K. B., Halverson, R., & Gee, J. P. (2018, September 11). Video games and the future of learning. Retrieved from http:www.academiccolab.org/resources/gappspaper1.pdf.

How did I feel?
Everything has changed since my initial experience with Gamestar Mechanic.  First, I feel a little more confident as I moved through the quests. But since I am not a seasoned gamer each level was a real contest for me in many ways.  Becoming familiar with how to play each quests and learning new skills as I moved forward gave me insight on how games can progress and teach.  It was a challenge but I have learned to embrace it and not let it intimidate me. After spending a lot of time trying to move through the quests I decided to look up some information on older adults who have gaming experiences.
What did I learn?
Because I have never played very many video games, not even ones on my smart phone, this gaming experience was similar to a babe learning through small baby steps. Each challenge taught me a new usable skill that I could see helping me to conquer learning how to game. Once I stopped fighting with myself and just relaxed the process was most rewarding and enjoyable.  My determination now is to find the game that will motivate me to spend many hours learning to maneuver through the varied skill levels.  I realized it’s about the journey not the conquest. So that’s what I did.  I tried to learn the new skills that were being taught and tried to figure out how they would benefit me later in some other game.
I found out so much information as it related to young learners I decided to see what gaming could do for older learners over the age of 60. I found a Pandora’s Box of information on research studies conducted on older learners. The first article I came across was titled “Video games for elderly people: keep your brain young.” Which was a simple blog about the effects of gaming on helping older senior citizens increase their cognitive skills. The second dealt with the benefits of gaming on older minds called “Games keep you young.” The third was a study done by Jung, et al (Jung, Li, Janissa, Gladys, & Lee, 2009) where their research dealt with the effects of Wii games on older individuals perceptual and cognitive abilities. I read about five different articles that I have listed in my references below and they all helped to convince me that this is definitely something I want to learn and learn well for my own well-being. (Clark, Lanphear, & Riddick, 1987), (Drew & Waters, 1986) (McFadden, Whitman, & Connor, 2016) (Soong, 2018)
References
Clark, J. E., Lanphear, A. K., & Riddick, C. C. (1987). The effects of videograme playing on the response selection processing of elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology, 82-85.
Drew, B., & Waters, J. (1986). Video games: Utilization of a noval strategy to improve perceptual motor skills and cognitive functioning in the non-institutionalized elderly. Cognitive Rehabilitation, 26-31.
Jung, Y., Li, K., Janissa, N. S., Gladys, W. L., & Lee, K. M. (2009). Games for a better life: Effects of playing Wii games on the well-being of seniors in a long-term care facility. Proceedings of the Sixth Australasian Conference on Interactive Entertainment. Sydney, Australia: ACM Digital Library.
McFadden, C., Whitman, J., & Connor, T. (2016, February 17). Can brain games keep aging minds young? There's an app for that, says scientists. Retrieved from Today: https://www.today.com/health/can-brain-games-keep-aging-minds-young-there-s-app-t73811
Soong, J. (2018, September 5). Are video games the new fountain of youth? Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/games-to-keep-you-young#1

​Reflecting on past experiences with a “meaningful play” required a few deep remembrances.  My family often spent long hours playing board games and cards.  My specialty was board games, such as scrabble, monopoly,  checkers, and dominos. One very bad experience in my high school years was learning a very difficult card game that my mother would not let me quit until I learned how to play.  To this day I still am not a favorite of card games.
Later in life, my children became obsessed with playing video games because of their step-father.  He would take them to the arcades and spend loads of money on playing arcade games. I hated the cost, but the children loved it. So in the early years of Atari, Nintendo, PacMan, Mario, and later Play Station, they were totally indoctrinated.  Much to my dismay, I never seem to get involved on any level.  It felt akin to wasting time.
Nevertheless, as they grew and gaming became a part of our culture, they feel right in.  Competing in competitions and going to conferences. Never did I see me as wanting to become a part of this culture.
Then, here I am, taking a class on gaming. What an irony! Since beginning this class, I’ve perused some background research efforts to try to get a handle on the world of gaming.  Reading one of my favorite research theorist Vygotsky’s take on play and learning and doing additional research on Kurt Lewin’s (Schein, 2003) theories it has given means a deeper understanding of the value of this type of high-level inactive play. While I was not looking gaming has developed into a learning tool for all students, young and old.  Just from the brief moments that I spent trying to educate myself on how games motivate and trigger skills of higher-level thinking that I was not aware.  The challenge of figuring out the strategies used in the game and then to manipulate the objects to outmaneuver the game was a difficult task. No gaming dexterity. Moving arrows and pressing a key to do two different things simultaneously was next to impossible, but with persistence, it was done.  It was very difficult for me to master, and still, the frustration levels were so high I had a tension headache that lasted for hours.  I have been reluctant to go back to meet the challenge but I must.
As a child, I played many of the childhood games and pretend characters that most children played and had great fun with all of them.  But I never transitioned to the gaming arena. The reading from the National Institute of Play (National Institute of Play, 2018) the section on The Game Design Sequence, Chapter Five, (Crawford & Peabody, 2018) I see there is a lot that can is learned from gaming.  Practice is what is needed to help me develop the skills needed to become a gamer that enjoys the challenge of a good game.  I have been advised by family members and articles that I have read that if I find the right game, it won’t be a problem for me to be absorbed in the game. That remains to be seen.
References
Crawford, C., & Peabody, S. (2018, August 29). The Art of Computer Game Design. Retrieved from What is a Game?: https://www.digitpress.com/library/books/book_art_of_computer_game_design.pdf
National Institute of Play. (2018, September 3). National Institue of Play. Retrieved from The Science of Play: http://www.nifplay.org>
Schein, E. H. (2003). Kurt Lewin's change theory in the field and in the classroom: Notes toward a model of managed learning. Semantic Scholar.