Share Paper: What's up with the World of Warcraft

  1. Melissa Rhodes, Marshall University, United States
Wednesday, June 27 10:00 AM-11:00 AM Mount Evans B

Abstract: Video games are often deemed a waste of time, blamed for acts of violence and the corruption of American youth. As a former critic of video games, I never considered the potential of games to increase and enhance learning until I read Gee’s (2007) What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy. The book discusses 36 learning principles related to the skills individuals acquire through gaming. To investigate further, I interviewed a 34 year old gamer about his experience with World of WarCraft. What I found was surprising. Gaming has provided him with the opportunity to socialize, ...