Comments on: What’s epistemic and what’s not http://epistemicgames.org/eg/whats-epistemic-and-whats-not/ building the future of education Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:38:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Glenn J Tison http://epistemicgames.org/eg/whats-epistemic-and-whats-not/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Glenn J Tison Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:41:32 +0000 http://epistemicgames.org/eg3/?p=434#comment-70 Interesting but circular logic. All games are teaching machines, low level games teach low level concepts or reactions. Yes, even conditioned reflexes are learning. What we need to know is not what the game maker is teaching, usually. There are some good comercial games, there are some good educational games, but most of both suck. The militay were heard to mutter "Its not like the game" while marching into Iraq. The logic and pardigms of the designer are immediately challenged by the logic of transendence: why should I play by your rules? Tilt: Transendence is the ultimate logic. All finite logic can be outmanuvered. All finite state machines are vulnerable to the monkey wrench. You have to teach those monkeys to be mechanics, and build a better world. Is the world we are building a game worth playing? That is the real question. Interesting but circular logic. All games are teaching machines, low level games teach low level concepts or reactions. Yes, even conditioned reflexes are learning. What we need to know is not what the game maker is teaching, usually. There are some good comercial games, there are some good educational games, but most of both suck.
The militay were heard to mutter “Its not like the game” while marching into Iraq. The logic and pardigms of the designer are immediately challenged by the logic of transendence: why should I play by your rules?

Tilt: Transendence is the ultimate logic. All finite logic can be outmanuvered. All finite state machines are vulnerable to the monkey wrench.

You have to teach those monkeys to be mechanics, and build a better world. Is the world we are building a game worth playing? That is the real question.

]]> By: Derek http://epistemicgames.org/eg/whats-epistemic-and-whats-not/comment-page-1/#comment-49 Derek Thu, 18 Jan 2007 22:03:09 +0000 http://epistemicgames.org/eg3/?p=434#comment-49 I agree, the idea that if there were a range of epistemic games available to address many curricular areas would be something that would help transform learning and make it accessible, relevant and appropriate. However, such a range does not really exist as far as I am aware. In the meantime, what we can continue to do is to adapt and imaginatively use commercial games that offer so mmany avenues into 'traditional curriculum'. I look forward to the future development of games that would directly allow teachers to develop skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes within frameworks that are explicitly linked to curricular aims. I agree, the idea that if there were a range of epistemic games available to address many curricular areas would be something that would help transform learning and make it accessible, relevant and appropriate. However, such a range does not really exist as far as I am aware. In the meantime, what we can continue to do is to adapt and imaginatively use commercial games that offer so mmany avenues into ‘traditional curriculum’. I look forward to the future development of games that would directly allow teachers to develop skills, knowledge, understanding and attitudes within frameworks that are explicitly linked to curricular aims.

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