Inspiring Videos (For Me Anyway)

I've been browsing the Internet a bit after that last post, and I found a couple videos I'd like to share.  This first short video shows some great examples of scenes from video games that contain strong narratives and recurring themes.  It looks like this was a short project arguing for the inclusion of video game-based projects that focus on the narrative of games.  Though I want to emphasize a lot more in my own video components, it's still encouraging to see!

And just before I hit the post button, here's another encouraging video!  This one is primarily gameplay footage with voice overs and text- definitely something I would like to do.  Also, the video focuses on some of the principles of James Paul Gee, applying them to Western RPGs in order to see what makes this genre so appealing. 

I for one will be sleeping happily tonight, and will be able to sleep even more comfortably once I actually learn how to make videos like this for myself.  

Link vs. Beowulf: Nerd's Dream Fight or An English Lesson?

Going back to Roger Travis' ideas for a bit, I wanted to take a look at how an action-adventure video game may help "lift the fog" off of the classical epics.  Specifically, the video game The Legend Zelda:  The Ocarina of Time is worthy of comparison to the great Beowulf for a great number of reasons.  First and foremost, the temperment of the respective protagonists could not be any more different.  Beowulf is a braggard, speaking in long, drawn out speeches right from the moment he arrives at Heorot.  The young hero Link, on the hand, literally does not speak throughout the entirety of his adventure.  At first glance, the two could appear to be polar opposites.  But upon further analysis, a reader/player can see that Link and Beowulf share several qualities that make up the Germanic heroic code:  Courage, loyalty, strength, generosity, and selflessness.  Also, both character possess a common flaw in that they refuse to back down when outmatched.  While Beowulf met his demise at the hands of the powerful dragon, fully aware that he was not as powerful as he once was, Link was lucky enough to escape with his life, as he was far too young and weak to hope to defeat the evil wizard Ganondorf. 

There are several other aspects of The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time that are commonly found in classical epics.  The world of Hyrule is gigantic in scope, with Link often riding horseback or teleporting via magic to different locals across the map.  Also, the game requires several hours to complete—just as any notable epic is rather lengthy.  Furthermore, Link’s tale is broken up into two sections, first as a courageous albeit naïve twelve year old who takes up a sword and dives headfirst into adventure (and trouble), and later as the nineteen year old Hero of Time who knows that his actions can save the world.  Similarly, Beowulf’s story is broken up between his younger heroic days, where he tackled any challenge that came his way without much consideration of the takes, and then later as a wisened king.  The traits of an epic are all in plain sight, so why does it matter that the epic is experienced through a video game as opposed to being read about?  While the epic poem is intended to elicit a form of national pride, the video game epic adventure provides the player with an endless and inimitable sense of personal pride as he or she conquers monsters as hideous and destructive as Grendel or the dragon.   The player must learn and master game play mechanics to defeat powerful enemies, think of ways to solve difficult puzzles, and read and remember crucial pieces of information that help unlock secrets.  The player becomes the hero through Link as a result of the three identities that James Paul Gee introduced.  Rather than being localized to a specific region, video games are the epic of the digital generation.

I think that teachers will be amazed by the amount of discussion that can be generated by incorporating video games in the classroom.  Travis words it best when he says that video games can “lift the fog off of” the classical epics, as in the case of Zelda and Beowulf, students may find it easier to recognize the presence of epic themes in the video game, and then transfer that knowledge over to the written epic.  This is not a new tactic, as teachers have preached teaching by “any means necessary” for decades now.  Movies are shown in high school English classrooms to try and make difficult content more accessible and relatable.  However, movies typically do not have nearly as much reading or interactivity as video games do, and cannot provide as immersive an experience as video games.  This will prove to be an invaluable resource to those teachers who struggle to inspire their students to read, as video games can provide depth and engagement in the classroom. 

Oh, and as for the nerd dream fight...

 VS 

Sorry nameless Anglo-Saxon author, I think we know who everyone is rooting for...

Another Brick in the Wall

For this post, I thought it would be best to post something that I had submitted for my Colloquium course that accompanies the thesis.  I thought that this post in particular really captured what is going on internally at the moment as I continue researching and writing.  It also explains why I haven't posted in roughly a week.  But the assignment was to respond to Joan Bolker's Writing Your Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day, chapters 7-9. 

Bolker had a lot of useful things to say in the latest batch of chapters. As I got lost in the research and writing process, I forgot how reassuring her book was. Writing is indeed a lonely experience, and I can't help but feel it at this point. I hope I haven't hit a wall, as I keep thinking about the project, but I have found myself actively keeping away from adding more content to the written draft. Aside from the Thesis Colloquium, I really don't have anyone to talk to about this project. Friends and family who are from an Education/Teaching background are too far removed from video games to comprehend any of the ideas I discuss, whereas my video gaming friends don't seem to want to discuss the educational merits that their favorite titles have to offer. No one seems to take the project seriously, or at least that is the impression I get. The blog is getting hits, but no comments. People ask how the thesis is coming along, but don't want to hear the content.

Just reading Bolker's words are a huge help though. It's not an experience that is unique to me just because I am writing about video games. Everyone who writes a thesis or dissertation has to endure the lonely period of writing, and they might feel like they hot that wall and see the "impossible barrier" between now and the due date. So rather than feeling sorry for myself, I am going to try and turn this into motivation. If people are uninterested or uninformed, then it is my duty to make my project as informative and as engaging as possible. When I am at that "more general" stage of selecting readers to take a look at my work, these same friends and family may be able to gain a new understanding on the subject.

That's pretty much it for my Rocky moment of the week. There was still plenty of great content here, specifically with the revision process. I am an English tutor at MCC, and many of the revision techniques that Bolker preaches are practiced at the community college. One of my favorites, as ridiculous as it might sound, is reading the work aloud. This puts you in the position of a reader, so you can hear how the words sound, listen for repetition or confusing rhetoric. I may even have to steal a few tips for tutoring this weekend!

That about sums it up.  I am inspired at the moment by the challenge I am presented with.  While before I was excited about a new notion, I have witnessed firsthand what it's like when people either don't agree with you or only have a passing interest in the subject.  So it is my duty to make this thesis as strong and intriguing as possible, otherwise I will have failed in my goal of making a convincing argument for the inclusion of video games in the curriculum at the high school level.

When Something Doesn't Work...

I don't mean for this post to come across as whiny, so if I appear to be "QQing" as my fellow dweebs would put it (or crying for those who are not down with our sweet lingo), I apologize.  However, right from the first meeting of our weekly Thesis Colloquium, our advisor asked us to express what we found most difficult about the Thesis project.  My response was a fear of wasting my time on "sources that just don't work."  When I first answered that question, I had recently finished Ian Bogost's Persuasive Games, which made a great argument about the rhetoric of video games and how it can persuade players through immersive gameplay.  However, this great argument fits in nowhere within the scope of my project.  While I got a couple of great quotes out of the book, between work and everyday life, that book took roughly two weeks to get through.  While I don't have Persuasive Games in front of me at the moment, its description made it sound as though it were discussing rhetoric in the larger scope, meaning what the language was within the video game world, and what perceptions those outside of this affinity group (as James Paul Gee calls it) have of gamers. 

I suppose the point of this post is to address what I see as a serious issue of investing precious time in sources that seem like they might be helpful, but then in the end fall extremely short of expectations.  When I find myself reading essays or articles like Catherine Compton-Lilly's "What Can Video Games Teach Us About Teaching Reading?" or another work of Ian Bogost (what was I thinking going back to him?) "The Rhetoric of Video Games," and then only come up with a few quotes that only serve to emphasize/bolster points that I have already made in the draft of essay I have so far, I am not sure that I consider that a success.  Granted, it's much better than coming up empty-handed (thank you very much slew of random NY Times articles), but I still see very little reward in investing considerable effort with some of these.  I understand why college professors have research assistants and other resources available to them; between weeding through sources to see which might be usable, and then having to pour over these in order to see what actually is valuable to the thesis, extensive research can be mind-numbing. 

I must reiterate that I'm sorry if this seems like a rant or drawn out complaint, but I do see this as a huge obstacle that I am having difficult overcoming, especially in a field where the articles are so scarce.  It is almost December, and the bulk of my research should be finished within the next month or so, or at least that is what I had hoped for.  There is still a gi-normous elephant in the room, which comes in the form of my lack of video production, but I'm sure I can gripe about that another day.  If anyone has completed their MA or doctorate, if you have any tips or suggestions for a quick way to rule out sources, I would be much obliged! 

Early Video Attempts

Rather than conducting more research, I got a bit sidetracked by my last post, and have continued looking at the logistics of recording content for the final project.  Now I hadn't planned on recording much anything from WoW, but I found out that major equipment really isn't necessary in order to produce videos.  Here is a quick examples of what I could record using an unregistered (aka unpaid for and therefore limited) version of the program FRAPS:

Steelbolt the Goblin needs to learn how to drive...

Obviously, this is some pretty crappy quality because I am using random free conversion software and my underpowered PC.  But if I wanted to spend some money, and found some simple video editing software, I can add text, and audio that would record over the soundtrack and sound effects.  While I still don't see WoW playing a huge part in the videos that accompany the final project in order to demonstrate aspects of narrativity found in video games, I do hope to utilize the game (and its audience) to crowdsource information.  I am toying with the idea of interviewing Role Playing players through the medium of the game itself, which would require that I would have to role play in the process.  I'd like to see either what players feel they gain by role playing, what aspects of the story made them want to create a character who resides within the game world and its rules, or what benefits RP or game story could bring to an English classroom. 

What Lies Ahead

Well then, the amount of blogging has definitely slowed down.  In retrospect, I didn't think of the fact that I would be writing twice as much while conducting research-- once in my informal tone for the blogs and then again in an elevated academic language.  I am going to try my best to meet my 8-10 posts per month, but as December approaches, I can't imagine there being a need for deep, insightful posts past January, as the bulk of the inquiry will already be finished. 

Anyway, for any loyal readers out there, I am forming my Christmas list keeping in mind the necessary equipment to record material off of the PS3 to make videos for Heavy Rain, amongst other videos.  If you see anything in there that could help, please feel free to buy, wrap, and gift to me!  On a serious note, I will definitely be spending some money, as I believe the videos will be essential to the project.  How can I argue to include video games in the English classroom as a result of the immersion they provide if I can only talk about them in print?  The immersion must be shown-- perhaps a video of the game play, as well as of the players playing the game?  There isn't exactly a rush on this, but I will have to toss some ideas around.

Master Chief and Aeneas - A New Way of Teaching Classical Lit

First and foremost, MY POWER IS BACK ON!!  After 10 flippin' days, I can finally sleep in my own home, restock my fridge, and enjoy blogging from my ass groove on the couch once again. 

Now that that's done, on to the point of this post.  After learning about the WoWinSchool's program, I wanted to see if there were any other English Language Arts programs that tried to integrate video games as a way of understanding literature.  I looked back at the Immaculee Harushimana article because I remembered her briefly mentioning a professor Roger Travis from UCONN who drew comparisons between the Halo series and The Aeneid.  I used the ol' Google machine, and found a write up from UCONN's own website with a bit more information on how Travis relates narrative video games to classical epics, as well as an article written a year later which provides a lot more insight on Travis' approach to games and education in general.  

I am going to go ahead and say that I like Travis' views on stories a whole lot more than James Paul Gee-- even though Gee is the godfather of the serious games movement, he seriously undervalues the stories that games can tell.  I love that Travis utilizes these games to "help make complicated material — epic poems from antiquity — more understandable and entertaining," and think we can even take this a step further by appreciating the games on their own as art as well.  Ancient epic poesm were meant to symbolize an entire culture's sense of pride (ie Beowulf was Denmark's epic, the Odyssey was Greece's, etc.).  I think that epic adventure video games keeps this going, but it no longer is about a single nationality. Rather, the digital medium is so connected via the internet, that individuals from all societies, nations, and cultural backgrounds can share the experience.  These epic games aren't meant to bring forth pride from a country, but from all digital participants.  Take a raid from World of Warcraft for example-- 25 individuals from all walks of life can conquer huge enemies, and enjoy the rewards both in-game (items, achievements) and in real life (sense of pride and achievement, renown amongst other players on the server).  Anyone who can pick up the video game and play will gain the familiar sense of adventure and pride, but it isn't limited to a specific group of people. 

Back to Travis' views though, he goes on to mention how epic adventures like Halo are just like the epic poems in our literary tradition, as the hero must conquer larger than life enemies that normal humans like you and I would easily be squashed by.  The audience goes along with the hero for the ride, rooting for his or her success and watching/listening in awe as the protagonist conquers every challenge thrown at him or her.  Travis goes on to say that a bard reciting epic poems to an audience is just as immersive an experience as playing a video game, as the audience cannot read what happens next, but instead must wait in anticipation as the bard continues documenting the hero's deeds.

I am also loving the line by Michael Young, an educational psychology associate professor, who explains why the concept of video games is so lost on most administrators and teachers today: 

Our research suggests teachers and principals simply do not play, and therefore do not understand, multiplayer online games and thus have difficulty even imagining how they could help teach math, science, second languages, or the classics.

I have noticed that the majority of doubters/confused looks come in the form of those who have no familiarity with video games whatsoever.  But how do you go about showing doubting teachers and principals what video games can do?  Merely showing games can only go so far, whereas the immersion that a player experiences while playing a game houses the true potential of the medium. I will definitely be mentioning Young and Travis' findings, as it will speak directly to any thesis readers who find themselves skeptical of the argument, indicating that they should reserve judgement until trying games for themselves. 

I hope Travis has room in his Serious Games in Education course, I would love to audit the class if at all possible.  For anyone interested out there, he is his official blog from his Living Epic online course.

Progress Report 2: A Chilly October Update

Although I have made a lot of progress in my final project this past month, I have to admit that my mind has not been entirely focused on my work these past few days.  What, with the 11 inches of wet cement-like snow that dumped on the Northeastern states, knocking out my electricity and heat in the process.  It's pandemonium out here, or at least the jackasses on the road certainly think it is.  Yes soccer mom in gigantic SUV talking on cell phone while taking up two lanes on the highway, that one was aimed at you!  I don't know what's more discouraging, the constant backup and concurrent bickering at the gas stations, or the ridiculous lines out the door at every Dunkin Donuts I pass.  Really?  We need Dunkin that bad?  And we wonder while childhood obesity is up in America, have another donut Junior!

But I digress.  I think this is the first time in a long while where I am actually glad to be at work, since the heat is blasting over here.  And as you may have guessed, there isn't a whole heck of a lot to be done today, which allows me a moment to breathe, and refocus on my task. 

SO!  First order of business, my books have arrived!  I have just started H. Porter Abbott's The Cambridge Introduction to Narrative, and will then move on to Hamlet on the Holodeck:  The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace by Janet H. Murray.  The former will be utilized to demonstrate what elements make up a "narrative" and how these are present within the video game narrative, and also to examine the different roles that a protagonist serves in both text and video game.  As for the latter, Murray was a visionary, accurately predicting that the digital medium would have a great impact in reshaping the stories we know.  I want to see what some of her ideas are, and then compare these to what are being done in video games- in both titles that literally remake some of the classics, as well as those which borrow major themes from our traditional canon.

As for video games, as I continue reviewing titles for my thesis, I have decided to include the following:  Heavy Rain, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy X and/or Final Fantasy VI, and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.  I know there are a lot of games out there with a lot of great stories, but I feel like these titles will work extremely well in a grade 9-13 setting, and will be relatively easy to find a parellel text to teach alongside the game.  Here are some ideas:

• Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Beowulf, The Iliad, or any epic poem for that matter.  While epics typically evoke a sense of national or cultural pride, it would be worth discussing the culture that Zelda may represent.  Also, if Beowulf's pride and Achilles' rage are the cause of their respective downfalls, even though the hero Link does not fail in his quest, what does his weakness appear to be?  Why is he more successful than these other heroes (aside from being controlled by smart players)? 
• World of Warcraft - World of Warcraft novels, Lord of the Rings, King Arthur's Tales, Greek Mythology - There is so much content in WoW, as it is truly its own world complete with a timeline of lore.  As WoWinSchool showed us, there are several different creative assignments and lessons that can be taught alongside the game.  I suppose I would argue that heroic deeds and adventure would have to be present in an accompanying text, so there is plenty of material out there that is taught at the high school level and can be enhanced through video games.  (On a side note, I do realize that the God of War series' narrative deals directly with Greek Mythology, and the tale of the protagonist Kratos could make for some interesting classroom discussion, but the insane amount of over-the-top violence in the games would never see the light of day in a classroom.)
• Final Fantasy X and/or Final Fantasy VI - Here is where I am having a bit of trouble. The major themes of FFX are strained parental relationships, corruption, and dreams (both aspirations and the movies we see in our heads at night).   I thought this game in particular would be a great parallel to an Adolescent novel or series of short stories that focus on the difficult relationships families face oftentimes when a son or daughter reaches adolescence.  As for FFVI, there are so many wonderful themes at play in this title, and it would be nice to see the older generation of games represented (released in '94), but I can't help but wonder if this is just the fanboy in me trying to include a game in the thesis because it is my favorite of the Final Fantasy series.  It has its own narrative, and the characters all have their individual flaws and motives, but is it enough to incorporate within a school curriculum?  I am going to have to speak with my advisor about these two titles at length.
• Heavy Rain - I would argue in favor of not having a parallel text for this title, because, as I mentioned in a previous post, the branching story arc this game possesses is unlike anything in film or literature today.  This game should be studied on its own in order to appreciate the potential games have. 

Looking at the bullets, I can see that I seem to be drifting further and further away from strictly Adolescent Literature titles, at least for literature.  I think I'm okay with that, because the video games have young adult characters (except Heavy Rain, and arguably WoW as your character is not really given an age) that the students will be able to relate to, which could help them with the content.  I am going to have a lot to chat about with my advisor, as I am wondering if this is more of a "fringe student" aid, where video games help them with the material?  And is that fair that just those at risk of failing out get to play the games? 

Lastly, in terms of written progress, I mentioned a few posts ago that I have 10 pages written, which have been edited since.  I now have 12 pages, and could possibly add a few more if I charge up my laptop enough while at work.  I hope to have an entire section done by the end of November, specifically on the advantages of the video game medium in English class, and the common elements found in text and video game.  Until then, stay warm my friends!