How Can Gaming Save the World?

This is the question Jane McGonigal asks in her inspired Ted Talk, “Gaming Can Make a Better World”:



After launching On the Path of the Elders last week, it was rewarding to listen to McGonigal’s compelling talk. Not only does she reconfirm the value of gaming, but -- more importantly -- her argument speaks to many of the ideals at the heart of PathoftheElders.com.

McGonigal argues that gaming develops skills and beliefs vital for solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. In particular, she claims that gaming produces individuals with a strong conviction that they are capable of changing the world. Too often, however, these individuals limit their influence to a virtual landscape.

As game designers, educators, and role-models it is up to us to convince these gamers that their skills have real value: the same optimism, team-work, resourcefulness, and determination that makes gamers successful in online worlds can and must be brought to real world problems. 

But how much difference can gamers make?
McGonigal brings some hard-hitting statistics to the table:

• Today, the average youth in a country that has a large gaming culture will have spent 10 000 hours playing online games by the age of 21 (to put that number in perspective, they will have spent 10 080 hours in school between grades 5 and 12).

• Globally, we spend 3 billion hours a week playing online games.

• There are currently 500 million virtuoso gamers (defined as people who have spent at least 10 000 hours gaming).

• As gaming companies continue to expand globally, there will be a billion more virtuoso gamers in the next decade

In other words, the number of highly skilled gamers is increasing exponentially. If we don’t start figuring out how to use gamers’ abilities to solve real world problems, we’re wasting a huge resource. 

Our Vision

From the beginning, using gaming to solve real world problems has been one of the aims of On the Path of the Elders. It is our hope that PathoftheElders.com will serve to:

1. reconnect Aboriginal youths with their culture and history
2. decrease Aboriginal youth suicide rates
3. create a bridge between Non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal cultures

By promoting leadership, negotiation, and decision-making skills, PathOfTheElders.com will demonstrate to players that they have the ability to become advocates for change. We want youths to recognize their connection to a rich and vibrant culture, and realize that the skills they use in the role-playing games are the same skills needed to be leaders in their communities.

Building PathoftheElders.com has been an intense, challenging, and thought-provoking journey. Speakers like Jane McGonigal remind us why we have invested so much of ourselves in this project and what might be its rewards for future generations.

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Launch Party for PathoftheElders.com a Success!

The public launch of PathoftheElders.com on Wednesday, March 24th was celebrated by the project’s collaborators and select members of the public at Carleton University’s Art Gallery.

Terry Hoganson, member of BlackCherry Digital Media, describes the event as magical: “It was amazing to have all of these people, who have dedicated countless hours and limitless energy into making On the Path of the Elders a reality, come together and share their stories. Really inspirational.”

Speakers included Mr. John Mark Seck, president of BlackCherry Digital Media; Stan Louttit of Neh Naak Ko; Greg Spence of the Mushkegowuk Council; Dr. Kimberly Matheson, Carleton University Vice-President (Research and International); Franziska von Rosen of Our Incredible World (formally Pinegrove Productions); Dr. Elaine Keillor and Dr. John Medicine Horse Kelley Cle-alls, co-directors of Carleton's Centre for Indigenous Research, Culture, Language and Education, known as CIRCLE.

Each of the speakers spoke with a passion and intensity that demonstrated their deep commitment and dedication to PathoftheElders.com. 

Amongst the many memorable moments were:

• Dr. Cle-alls performing a opening prayer.

• Mr. Louttit vividly describing his own experiences growing up, and the need to give today’s youth access to Aboriginal perspectives on history.

• Ms. von Rosen recounting with obvious emotion the experiences she and her team had while interviewing and recording Elders for the website.

• Dr. Cle-alls giving an impassioned speech about the disconnect in Aboriginal communities that has arisen as a result of disastrous colonial interventions such as residential schools, and the need for resources such as PathoftheElders.com to show Aboriginal youths that they are part of a deep and meaningful tradition and culture. 

• Mr. Seck unveiling the site’s stunning graphics and high-quality animation to a captivated audience.

But what was most striking about the launch party was the vision everyone was carrying for the future.

It was clear that each person at the launch believed PathoftheElders.com will make a difference in helping Aboriginal youths reconnect with their culture and history.  

And of course, during the reception everyone was eager to play the role-playing games, and explore the archival photographs, watch the videos, and listen to the audio clips!

Visit PathoftheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

On The Path Of The Elders Launches Today!

We’re pleased to announce the launch of PathOfTheElders.com!

What:

PathOfTheElders.com is a free online educational resource exploring the culture and history of the Mushkegowuk Cree and Anishinaabe Ojibway of Northwestern and Northeastern Ontario, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Ideal for youth aged 13-17, PathOfTheElders.com reconnects Aboriginal youths with their past, while developing leadership, negotiation, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

Features: 

• Six innovative role-playing games

• Video and audio clips of Elders 

• An essay about Treaty No. 9 written from an Aboriginal perspective

• Over 300 archival photographs

• Downloadable Teachers' Kits and Curriculum Connections

Visit PathOfTheElders.com today and let us know what you think!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

Check out On the Path of the Elders at pathoftheelders.com!

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with BlackCherry Digital Media, Archives Deschâtelets, the Doug Ellis Collection at Carleton University, Our Incredible World (Pinegrove Productions), the Mushkegowuk Council, Neh Naak Ko, the Archives of St. Paul University, Carleton University, and Wendy Campbell, Educational Consultant (Learning Methods Group).

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.

Part 2: Winning through Game-Based Learning

Reading my previous post, you may have come to the conclusion that I am against the concept of winning in game-based learning.

This is not true.

Winning defines the majority of our lives: we’re always struggling to achieve our own definition of success, whether that means getting a B- instead of a C, completing a project ahead of schedule, or having the courage to push for a sale.

At its best, winning creates a sense of mastery; it shows what you are capable of achieving; it demonstrates you have the ability to develop and sharpen your skills.

Winning becomes a problem when:

A)    Winning becomes the sole focus of the activity
B)    The reward for winning is extraneous to the required action
C)    Your ability to win is decided solely through comparison with others

There must be a rational and significant link between what you do and how and what you win.

Part 1: Winning through Game-Based Learning

You may remember my first post discussed how game-based learning gives students freedom from failure. 

So I think it’s time we talked about winning.

Gaming vs Reality

Jesse Schell, Professor of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University, gave an impassioned and compelling speech at the 2010 DICE (Design Innovate Communicate Entertain) summit. He argued that the divide between “real life” and gaming is becoming increasingly blurry: games are “breaking through into reality.”

Even if you haven’t played them, you’re probably familiar with some of the past year’s most successful games, such as Farmville, Mafia Wars, Club Penguin, Webkinz, and Wii Fit.

Prof. Schell argues that each of these games crosses the boundary between reality and fantasy. The player is encouraged to invest money, compete with friends, or perform physical activities to play the game.

Most significantly, Prof. Schell mentions a case where Lee Sheldon, a professor at the University of Indiana, gives his students “experience points” instead of grades. Consequently, Dr. Sheldon has seen increased class attendance and participation and higher quality work.

In other words, gaming increasingly affects our actions in real life.

Game-Based Learning: Revolutionary or Reactionary?

Do you “walk and use your feet” to get to work? Do you “work and write a report”?

Of course not. The “and” is self-evident.

So why do we use phrases like “education and technology” or “education and gaming”, as though gaming, technology, and education were entirely separate?

Why does education carry around this “and” like its very own force field?

How Self-Governance Can Save Lives

“Not all Aboriginal communities experience youth suicide. ... 90 per cent of the suicides take place in just 10 per cent of B.C. communities.” (Honouring Life Network)

These were the findings by researchers Michael J. Chandler and Christopher E. Lalonde in 2008. They conclude:

“individual and cultural continuity are strongly linked, such as that First Nations communities that succeed in taking steps to preserve their cultural heritage culture, and that work to control their own destinies, are dramatically more successful in insulating their youth against the risks of suicide.”

In other words, there is a direct link between self governance and lower suicide rates.

Online History Games Pose a Challenge to Education

The benefits of integrating online games – particularly role-playing games – into the classroom are endless:

• Rather than passively absorbing content to be regurgitated at a later date, students are encouraged to take control of their own learning
• Creativity, critical thinking, decision making, and leadership skills are employed to achieve desired goals
• There is freedom from failure, so students can try out different solutions in unfamiliar situations and can feel comfortable relying on their own abilities

In other words, role-playing games shifts the power in the classroom: educators are able to act as facilitators, rather than directors.

How Can Online Gaming Foster Positive Self-Identity?

This was one of the questions we faced while creating On the Path of the Elders -- a free, online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, in particular the signing of Treaty no. 9.

It’s not an idle question:

In 2008, the Educational Policy Institute submitted a report concerning Canadian Aboriginal Self-Identification. It states, “Canada’s Aboriginal population grew 45 percent in the past decade and now exceeds one million people, comprising 3.8 percent of the nation’s population. This population surge can be accounted for in two ways: the high birth rates of Aboriginal people and a population that is increasingly choosing to self-identify as Aboriginal” (emphasis added).

Yet at the same time Health Canada reports “Suicide rates are five to seven times higher for First Nations youth than for non-Aboriginal youth.”

So, at a time when more people than ever are choosing to self-identify as Aboriginal, the suicide rate amongst Aboriginal youths is sky-rocketing.

We wanted On the Path of the Elders to have an effect on this appalling suicide rate, and we thought an online role-playing game would be a relevant way for youths to celebrate and explore their culture. Even though youths are increasingly using the Internet for socialization, education, and entertainment, there are surprisingly few quality online resources aimed at aboriginal youths.

To be effective, we knew that On the Path of the Elders had to:

1) enable youths to identify with characters, drawn from their culture and history and outside the mainstream gaming personas

2) be based in Cree and Ojibway concepts of negotiation and cooperation, as opposed to the usual “I win/you die” gaming premise

3) and, of course, it had to be fun.

In other words, On the Path of the Elders had to re-conceptualize what it meant to connect education and technology.

On the Path of the Elders is a significant (and entertaining) game. It allows youths to freely explore different facets of Cree and Ojibway culture, to drive their own narrative, and to take control of their own learning process.

But it goes even deeper than that...

The website contains a rich archive of historical and cultural materials. Archival photos, historic audio recordings, video interviews with Elders and a detailed essay examining the treaty from an Aboriginal perspective, all enrich the user’s experience.

On the Path of the Elders is revolutionary, and a groundbreaking resource for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. We hope that On the Path of the Elders is only the first of many such educational games and online resources that help youth explore their culture in a positive, entertaining manner.

Have you come across any online resources you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you!

Collette Jackson, Content and Marketing Specialist at BlackCherry Digital Media, is writing on behalf of On the Path of the Elders, a free online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, and the signing of Treaty No. 9.

On the Path of the Elders launches March 24, 2010. Check it out at pathoftheelders.com.

For more information, email us at info@pathoftheelders.com

Created in partnership with the Mushkegowuk Cree, Carleton University, BlackCherry Digital Media, and Pinegrove Productions.

This project was made possible with the support of the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Culture Online Strategy. Created with additional financial assistance from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and the Inukshuk Fund.