Podcasts about meaningful play

How do players create meaning in games?On today's episode we'll cover how players create meaning in games. Creating and making meaning is something that everyone does at every point of their day. Creating meaning is one of the hallmarks of sentience. We think, therefore we are. But what exactly is meaning? How does meaning making occur? How does meaning making relate to games-based learning?If you liked this episode please consider commenting, sharing, and subscribing.Subscribing is absolutely free and ensures that you'll get the next episode of Experience Points delivered directly to you.I'd also love it if you took some time to rate the show!I live to lift others with learning.  So, if you found this episode useful, consider sharing it with someone who could benefit.Also make sure to visit University XP online at www.universityxp.com University XP is also on Twitter @University_XP and on Facebook and LinkedIn as University XPAlso, feel free to email me anytime at dave@universityxp.comGame on!Get the full transcript and references for this episode here: https://www.universityxp.com/podcast/79Support the show

In Episode 24 of Meaningful Play, Sian and Heather catch up on some recent research projects before diving into a thinking exercise around the recent discussions on open world games—their MacGuffins, beauty, and all the quirks in between. What is it about this prolific genre (and its mechanics) that is at times so wonderfully compelling...Continue reading »

In episode 23 of Meaningful Play, Sian and Heather get stuck into a discussion on difficulty in video games—a subject that has resurfaced in significance with the release of FromSoftware's latest title Elden Ring. While touching on some of the rich scholarship around community behaviour and polarisation in relation to difficulty, the discussion branches out...Continue reading »

In Episode 22 of Meaningful Play, Sian, Heather and Jordana discuss one of the most controversial topics in the realm of videogames – NFTs! In discussing NFTs, they attempt to define and understand NFTs and how they can be used in relation to videogames as a distinct medium. References: D'Angelo, W (2022). [Update] Nintendo on...Continue reading »

In the twentieth episode of Meaningful Play, Sian and Jordana welcome a special guest, Heather Blakey(!), a PhD candidate focused on games and aesthetics. Together, they discuss the concept of environmental storytelling (or “embedded narratives” as termed by scholar Henry Jenkins), sharing some of their favourite or notable games that have successfully implemented environmental objects... Continue Reading →

This episode, Robby speaks with Professor Brian Winn, his colleague in the Department of Media and Information here at Michigan State University, about his unique path into academia and directing the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab. They discuss how the Meaningful Play conference came to be as a marriage of academic games research and industry/creative game design and what to expect for the Meaningful Play 2022 conference (Oct 13-15) — which is totally awesome, you should submit/attend. And Brian talks about his new game studio, Will Winn Games, producer of Plunder Panic, a game of up to 12 players which supports mixed local/online and human/AI teams!Take the SPARTIE-Cast survey and let us know what you think of the podcast!Want to live stream or video chat with your own avatar? Try Animaze for free! And if you want to subscribe, use code “spartielab” at checkout for 50% off all subscriptions. The free-to-use software is available on Steam and the Apple App Store. Code expires January 1, 2022. Thank you Animaze for sponsoring this episode!About the SPARTIE Lab:The Social and Psychological Approaches to Research on Technology-Interaction Effects (SPARTIE) Lab performs research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how the use of media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influences meaningful outcomes (e.g., education, health/safety, persuasion).The SPARTIE Lab is part of the greater academic community at the College of Communication Arts & Sciences at Michigan State University. More information on the lab's research projects, staff, and work can be found on the SPARTIE Lab website.About the host:Dr. Rabindra (Robby) Ratan, Ph. D., is an associate professor and AT&T Scholar at Michigan State University's Department of Media and Information and is the director of the SPARTIE Lab.He is also an affiliated faculty member of the MSU Department of Psychology, the MSU College of Education's program in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, and the MSU Center for Gender in a Global Context. Ratan received his Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, his M.A. in Communication from Stanford University, and his B.A. in Science, Technology and Society, also from Stanford University.Dr. Ratan conducts research on the effects of human-technology interaction, examining how media technologies (e.g., avatars, agents, automobiles) influence meaningful outcomes (e.g., persuasion, education, health/safety).  He is particularly interested in the Proteus effect, media-rich transportation contexts, perceptions of media as self-representations and/or social others, avatarification for health and education, and gender stereotypes in gaming contexts.Dr. Ratan lives near Lansing with his family. More information on his work can be found on his website.

The author of Emphasizing the Importance of Play During Distance Learning, Madeleine Rogin, shares her experiences and insights around the role of play for teachers and students. Play tends to provide intrinsic motivation, opportunities for decision making, and spontaneous immersion in the moment; all of which have positive impacts on learning. Find her article, Emphasizing the Importance of Play During Distance Learning here.  Read the NACYE article, Five Essentials to Meaningful Play here.  Contact Madeline: madeleinerogin@gmail.com

In the eighteenth episode of Meaningful Play, Sian and Jordana discuss a genre of videogames that has become increasingly popular in the last decade – walking simulators! Resultingly, this episode discusses definitions of walking simulators and how they are categorised by games audiences and games scholars, as well as dissects and muses upon some notable... Continue Reading →

Author, Kindergarten teacher, dance teacher, and parent, Madeleine Rogin, illustrates the impact of play for wellness and learning. Memories of joyful and meaningful play experiences help bind families together emotionally, even long after children are grown. A great reward for all involved. Read Madeleine's article, "Emphasizing the Importance of Play During Distance Learning" here.  Read Madeleine's article, "Five Essentials to Meaningful Play" here.  Get in touch with Madeleine: madeleinerogin@gmail.com Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

*Apologies for our extended absence and this episode’s recording quality, there were some technical issues and we have not been able to record with our usual equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the sixteenth episode of Meaningful Play, Jordana and Sian discuss Life Simulation videogames. They converse with a strong focus on what constitutes... Continue Reading →

Ned spends a few minutes talking about the idea of meaningful play in the context of video game design.

In the fifteenth episode of Meaningful Play, we continue to discuss user-generated-content related to videogames. Specifically, we discuss our favourite gaming-based YouTubers and Twitch streamers, and the reasons behind why we tune into these certain content creators – why do they appeal to us, and what use do we get out of their content? Moreover,... Continue Reading →

In this episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss user-generated-content (UGC) focused on videogames. Specifically, we explore what makes UGC appealing to audiences (i.e. the use of cultural or ‘gaming capital’ – see Consalvo 2007, and common video templates, formats, and topics) as well as discussing some of our favourite YouTubers (such as Felicia Day, and... Continue Reading →

In the thirteenth episode of Meaningful Play, Sian and Jordana discuss their favourite games of the decade, as well as the concept of a ‘canon’ of video games – what are the best games of all time, and how is their position justified? Games:Minecraft, God of War, Pokémon Sword/Shield, Death Stranding, I Love You, Colonel... Continue Reading →

In this episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss the notion of ‘realism’ in video games. Using a framework developed by scholar Ciara Cremin’s succinct typology of realism in video games, this episode asks questions such as what realism is (or is generated by) in video games and their construction, what forms of realism we personally... Continue Reading →

In the tenth and final episode of the first season of Meaningful Play, we discuss the incredibly popular open world genre in video games. Specifically, we discuss key questions and issues pertaining to the open world genre, such as what constitutes the open world genre, how the genre is generally defined in terms of constructive... Continue Reading →

In the ninth episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss horror as a video game genre. Specifically, we ask questions such as what elements we believe constitute horror, how current academic literature conceives of horror as a genre in games (with reference to scholarly research focusing on body genre), and how horror games will develop in... Continue Reading →

In the eighth episode of Meaningful Play, we reflect on our favourite kinds of games, and quickly realise that genre is quite complex in game studies. We discuss what genres are comprised of, how they are established, and how they change. In particular, we consider the role that genre has in games compared to film,... Continue Reading →

In the seventh episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss sex and romance in games once again! In this much anticipated part two, we talk about sex with greater consideration, asking how sex, as well as the distinction between sex and romance, is discussed within the relevant academic literature. Moreover, we discuss depictions of sex and... Continue Reading →

In the sixth episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss sex and romance in video games. We discuss our experiences of romance in video games, and the difficulties in portraying a believable romantic experience. One interesting aspect of this is procedural rhetoric, which Ware (2015) touches on in his discussion of how video games can encourage... Continue Reading →

In the fifth episode of Meaningful Play, we discuss Ann Takamaki from Persona 5 (2017), a character we feel is hypersexualized and objectified, and in conjunction with both audio-visual elements and mechanics, highly contradictory in her depiction. As is well documented in games studies, female representation in video games has been highly controversial, with female... Continue Reading →

Welcome to the fourth episode of Meaningful Play. In this episode, we discuss why there are so many franchises in the games market, as well as the industry’s struggle to balance innovation and familiarity. We also consider the role that nostalgia plays in game production and consumption, as well as discuss what our favourite franchises*... Continue Reading →

Welcome to the third episode of Meaningful Play. In this episode we discuss what kinds of avatars we design or choose in games, and what kinds of patterns we notice in this behaviour. We also discuss the ever-controversial concept of immersion – do you feel ‘immersed’ in certain games? How do you view yourself in... Continue Reading →

Welcome to the second episode of Meaningful Play. In this episode, we discuss our enjoyment (and frustrations!) in playing video games cooperatively. How does local coop compare to online play, and is passing the controller around enough? How do you deal with disagreements when playing with others? How is the video game industry currently approaching... Continue Reading →

Welcome to the very first episode of Meaningful Play. In this episode we briefly introduce ourselves before having a chat about our difficulties in finishing games. What constitutes finishing a game? And what factors impact whether we finish a game? Articles: Bailey, EN & Miyata, K 2017, ‘Analyzing video game completion achievements: Implications for game... Continue Reading →

Have you ever had a job that you absolutely hated? Each morning you almost need a forklift to get you out of bed to get you moving, and on your way to work. While you are there, motivation is non existent and you feel like your very life force is being sucked out of your body.I believe that most of us have felt that way at one time or another, but the big question is why do people stay in those jobs, while others move on to do things that they are more passionate about. Our amazing guest today is here to shed some light on how work can become meaningful play!As a positive psychologist, coach and writer, Lisa Avery helps individuals connect with the unique passion and purpose that drives their personal and professional success. She is fascinated by what propels a person to pursue their vocation, entwining their innate strengths, values and interests to serve both themselves and the rest of the world. Lisa fuses the art of Coaching with the science of Positive Psychology to help individuals gain the clarity, confidence and courage to become all they aspire to be. Connect with Lisa at www.workisvocation.com

LaVace Stewart Elementary School Clear Creek Independent School District Kemah, TX Under the guidance of Principal Britani Moses, LaVace Stewart helps prepare qualifying three-and four-year-olds for successful school careers by immersing them in engaging learning experiences suited to young children’s natural curiosity and energy. Pre-K classes are in Spanish or English and feature constructive play—building,… Continue Reading Meaningful Play: Pre-K Prepares Students for School Success: Stewart Elementary School

Valeta Wensloff is the outreach coordinator for the Department of Media and Information and Media Sandbox in the College of Communication Arts & Sciences. Valeta provides website, graphical, and branding support for departmental events, the Meaningful Play conference, specializations (such as Serious Games and Information Technology), the Michigan Creative Film Alliance, and Media Sandbox-related projects. In addition, she is the Internship Coordinator and facilitates for-credit internships. She received her master’s degree from the Department of Media and Information (formerly Telecommunication, Information Studies & Media) at MSU, with an emphasis on Digital Media Art & Technology, and received her bachelor’s degree from Ferris State University in Television Production. Valeta currently teaches CAS 204: Web Design and previously taught CAS 207: Media Animation, as well as undergraduate and graduate-level Independent Studies. 

UT Dallas MFA student Peter Wonica and MA student Richard Wirth meet to discuss the topic and movement known as "Games for Change", in light of their recent participation in the Meaningful Play conference. http://backward-compatible.com/

We'll explore how meaningful play and physical activity can help improve the health and well-being of children with Jill Vialet, the CEO and founder of Playworks.

Fitness durch Gamification, Weißwein genießen und Immanuel Kant vorlesen zum Einschlafen. Man kann auch komische Hobbies haben. Ich bin ein Uhu ~ mit diesem verwirrenden Satz weise ich jedoch nur darauf hin, dass ich im Moment mal wieder die “magische” Grenze von 100kg Körpergewicht unterschritten habe. Dabei geholfen hat Fitocracy, eine neue Online Community zum Thema Fitness. Dabei hatte ich in der letzten Episode recht: nicht jeder mit einem BMI > 25 ist zu dick, der Tagesspiegel singt sogar ein Loblied auf das Übergewicht. Wobei mein Punkt mit den Sportlern nur am Ende des Artikels als Pointe dient. Fitocracy hilft bei mir übrigens wirklich gut, weil ich auf den Einsatz von Spiel-Mechaniken (auf Neudeutsch “Gamification”) total abfahre. Ich bin sofort dabei, wenn ich irgendwo leveln kann! Eine wundervolle Präsentation von Sebastian Deterding, die ich bei XING auch schon live erleben durfte, ist auf Slideshare verfügbar: Meaningful Play. Getting »Gamification« Right. View more presentations from Sebastian Deterding Außerdem gibt es heute endlich mal wieder eine Weinrezension: ein Geheimwein der Kellerei Kurtatsch (leider reine Flash Webseite) in Süd-Tirol, nur erhältlich bei Remigio Polettos Winebar, und ein bisschen Immanuel Kant.