MEETING NOTES October 23, 2001

 

Date: 10/23/01
Attendees: Johanna, Jerry, Nathan, Andrea, Steve, Geoff, David, Beth
Guests: Aldona Towner

JD: Serious business meeting next week. What would we need to do to write a spec at this point.

This week, assessment of where we've been. What are the next steps?

NP:

What do we want to get out of points?
encourage community rather than solipsism
some way to determine who wins
constrain self-indulgence--can't make endless moves or endless
sequence of moves
motivation for challenges
motivate game play

What do we want to reward?
challenges
responses to challenges
synthesis--linking one move to another move

Do we want to reward people for reviewing other's work? For evaluating other's moves?

Different types of points. public service points and self-interest points

What do points get you at the end of the game?

1. Creating a role requires points.

2. Points have to allow you to do more.

3. Fame.

Aldona: What is your desired outcome? What do you want the players to do to finish?

BN: Two types of points. Heaven and Hell points. Get heaven points for public service "moves." Get hell points for moves of self- interest. Players could win either way. Devise different strategies for the game.

Aldona: Many funders will want to know how you will evaluate the students' comprehension after playing the game. Is there a test of some sort? Do you evaluate each student?

JD: Maybe a test isn't such a bad idea. Have students write something or take some exam before playing the game and then again after the game. Compare the results of the test with the results of the game. Do the winners of the game also score the most points?

GR: 5 types of points:
clear writing
creative writing
points awarded for evaluating others
bibliographic references

JD: Two types of points: ones to be spent; ones to be gained

Total sum of points can be increased. Idea is to push everybody as far as possible.

What are the core decisions that we have to make here?

SR: Could these things be variables that the game master sets? For this game, the creative moves get lots of points while clarity is less valued.

JD: Great for pedagogical purposes. Teachers could emphasize any one skill for any instance of a game. For example, teach argument one week and emphasize that in the game.

NP: Need to flush-out a model of points.

JM: Does this have anything to do with end game?

BN: Each players sets own winning conditions. Set this at the beginning of each game, each role choosing her own conditions.

GR: When you match your profile you win.

JD: But you winning doesn't prevent another player from winning. All you have to do is meet your predefined condition.

GR: All points are assigned by players.

BN: Game master defines categories to begin.

NP: How can you spend points?

I'll put together a straw man scenario for points. This will be emailed out.

Visualizations.

JD:
seductive
cognitively oriented
respects relationship to materials that we're using

Continuum between analogy and abstraction. We want something between these two.

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