Gayithri Jayathirtha, Deborah Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai and Joseph Chipps
The purpose of this paper is to report changes when a classroom-based makerspace moved from face-to-face to an online setting.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report changes when a classroom-based makerspace moved from face-to-face to an online setting.
Design/methodology/approach
To better understand changes in teaching maker activities, as they move from face-to-face to online contexts, the authors analyzed video and interview data from six weeks of an introductory computer science high school classroom (38 youth) that was implementing an electronic textiles unit, shifting to asynchronous online teaching and learning during the March 2020 state-wide school closure because of the pandemic. The authors analyzed field notes and videos of face-to-face and online interactions between the teacher and his students in learning to craft and code their electronic textiles projects.
Findings
The analysis revealed changes in the role of physical and code artifacts, in improvising teaching, and channels for communication between the teacher and students.
Research limitations/implications
This study discusses the implications for future pedagogical design and research efforts, as the authors continue to engage youth and work toward designing equitable learning opportunities with maker activities online.
Originality/value
In maker activities such as electronic textiles, youth design, sew and program circuits to make personalized three-dimensional, textile artifacts. However, nearly all research on supporting and teaching making has been conducted in face-to-face settings.
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Keywords
Luis Morales-Navarro, Deborah Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai and Deepali Barapatre
The purpose of this paper is to examine how a clinical interview protocol with failure artifact scenarios can capture changes in high school students’ explanations of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how a clinical interview protocol with failure artifact scenarios can capture changes in high school students’ explanations of troubleshooting processes in physical computing activities. The authors focus on physical computing, as finding and fixing hardware and software bugs is a highly contextual practice that involves multiple interconnected domains and skills.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper developed and piloted a “failure artifact scenarios” clinical interview protocol. Youth were presented with buggy physical computing projects over video calls and asked for suggestions on how to fix them without having access to the actual project or its code. Authors applied this clinical interview protocol before and after an eight-week-long physical computing (more specifically, electronic textiles) unit. They analyzed matching pre- and post-interviews from 18 students at four different schools.
Findings
The findings demonstrate how the protocol can capture change in students’ thinking about troubleshooting by eliciting students’ explanations of specificity of domain knowledge of problems, multimodality of physical computing, iterative testing of failure artifact scenarios and concreteness of troubleshooting and problem-solving processes.
Originality/value
Beyond tests and surveys used to assess debugging, which traditionally focus on correctness or student beliefs, the “failure artifact scenarios” clinical interview protocol reveals student troubleshooting-related thinking processes when encountering buggy projects. As an assessment tool, it may be useful to evaluate the change and development of students’ abilities over time.
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Yasmin B. Kafai and Deborah A. Fields
This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16 that includes game and science activities. The goal is to examine how the development of cheats can present learning opportunities for players and designers alike.
Design/methodology/approach
The types of cheats were categorized and science content examined in hundreds of cheat sites created for Whyville. The work of a cheat site designer in developing a cheat together with other Whyville players was observed.
Findings
It was found that a great variety of cheats are available in educational worlds and that science games that require more than one simple answer also require the development of more sophisticated cheats.
Originality/value
Cheating is a transgressive practice widely accepted in gaming but mostly condemned in schooling. The features of cheating and its associated practices allow us to consider transgressive designs for learning in virtual worlds that offer opportunities for youth to participate in creative and critical media production, to engage in science inquiry, and to raise ethical issues.
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Beatriz Blanco, Julia Stateri and Lucas Goulart
This work discusses gender issues related to the video game medium, addressing its production, consumption, and media repercussions. It begins with an overview of the emergence of…
Abstract
This work discusses gender issues related to the video game medium, addressing its production, consumption, and media repercussions. It begins with an overview of the emergence of the video game with the targeting of audiences that focused on sales campaigns to consumers along gendered lines that amplified the dominance of men in the space. The discussion then focuses on numerous ways that the gaming industry as a whole perpetuates a culture of misogyny. Empirical examples are provided of harassment, attacks, and the controversial event known as GamerGate. Subsequently, the complicated history of Brazilian video gaming development is presented to draw parallels with the development of the industry and the market in the United States. Finally, the chapter concludes with suggestions to stimulate new producers, developers, and video game scholars who are committed to building a more aware and diverse community.
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Shuiqing Yang, Kang Lin, Xi Wang, Yixiao Li, Yuangao Chen and June Wei
The metaverse enables users to create their own avatars in a shared virtual space, giving rise to a new avatar personality that differs from their real-self personality. The aim…
Abstract
Purpose
The metaverse enables users to create their own avatars in a shared virtual space, giving rise to a new avatar personality that differs from their real-self personality. The aim of this research is to explore how users' real-self and avatar personalities may affect their behavioral engagement and satisfaction in the metaverse context.
Design/methodology/approach
This research applies self-discrepancy theory to investigate how the big five traits of both real-self and avatar personalities influence users' engagement and satisfaction in the metaverse. The present research employed a mixed-methods approach, beginning with a qualitative study to identify prevalent personality cues among users on metaverse social media platforms. Subsequently, a quantitative study was conducted to further validate the findings of the qualitative study.
Findings
The results indicated that avatar personality scored higher than the real-self personality in the dimensions of openness, conscientiousness and extraversion, while scored lower in the dimensions of agreeableness and neuroticism. Both real-self and avatar personality traits positively influenced metaverse satisfaction via behavioral engagement in the metaverse. Notably, avatar personality traits had a stronger impact on behavioral engagement compared to real-self personality traits, which further influence metaverse satisfaction.
Practical implications
The present study offers practical insights for metaverse developers and managers to enhance user satisfaction by focusing on users’ big five traits of both real-self and avatar personality. It suggests implementing personalized tools, organizing personality-based social activities and other initiatives to encourage user’s behavioral engagement and ultimately enhance metaverse satisfaction.
Originality/value
Unlike existing research that concentrates on a single facet of personality traits, this research employs a mixed-methods approach to conceptualize users' real-self personality and avatar personality, further exploring their impacts on metaverse satisfaction.