The children's machine: rethinking school in the age of the computer
The children's machine: rethinking school in the age of the computer
“We have never-forgetful flowers in our garden”: girls' responses to electronic games
Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Does Jane Compute?
Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet
Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet
Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation
Growing up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation
Understanding game design for affective learning
Future Play '08 Proceedings of the 2008 Conference on Future Play: Research, Play, Share
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The present paper explores social and cognitive considerations in the context of a computer-game microworld or learning culture environment. Forty-one boys and 57 girls, aged 8 to 12 years (Grades 4, 5, and 6) were observed playing a computer game called Phoenix Quest. This computer game, featuring an adolescent female protagonist, is an interactive, mystery-adventure with embedded language and mathematics activities. The issues discussed include (a) the development of a computer game learning culture or microworld, (b) interdependence in the process of learning social skills, (c) computer game-playing strategies, (d) gender differences in computer-game play, and (e) mathematics concepts explored in the Phoenix Quest environment. These findings not only contribute to the understanding of how students create and shape a microworld around a computer game like Phoenix Quest, but also indicate some of the inherent teaching and learning limitations of educational software when the guidance of a teacher is absent.