The spellbound ones: illuminating everyday collaborative gaming practices in a MMORPG

  • Authors:

  • Ulrika Bennerstedt;Jonas Linderoth

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Education, University of Gothenburg;Department of Education, University of Gothenburg

  • Venue:
  • CSCL'09 Proceedings of the 9th international conference on Computer supported collaborative learning - Volume 1
  • Year:
  • 2009

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Abstract

A common argument about computer games and learning is that the commitment gamers have might be transformed and used in educational practices. In order to unpack gamers' commitment, the present study investigates collaboration in a Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG). It investigates gamers' practices in order to expose their everyday gaming activities and knowledge domains. Drawing on detailed descriptions of team gaming practices, the paper highlights that gamers' of MMORPGs are hands-on experts in handling a game interface. Their expertise is about skilled stances tied to gaming structures. Also, gamers are members in certain communities and adhere to both community specific epistemologies and to generic ones. These gaming stances are from certain educational approaches difficult to make-sense of, while gamers' commitments in other perspectives become means for learning. Lastly, in relation to MMORPGs and education, a neglected issue concerns social pressure in gaming communities, resulting in various forms of participation.