Atlantis Remixed & Quest Atlantis Sam Bragg Proseminar 1

Its Purpose “intended to engage children ages 9–16 in a form of transformational play comprising both online and off-line learning activities, with a storyline inspiring a disposition towards social action.” ("Overview of arx," ) “To play transformationally, a player must become a protagonist who uses the knowledge, skills, and concepts embedded in curricular content to make sense of a fictional situation and make choices that transform that situation.” (Barab & Gresalfi, 2009) “the goal is to help people experience why conceptual understandings matter, to see themselves as people who have changed something meaningfully, and to see the world as having situations upon which they can act. Such play is transformational in that it changes the context in which play is occurring, at the same transforming the player and his or her potential to interact with the world.” ("Dr. sasha barab:," ) 

Educational Use #1: Quest-Based Learning “At the core of student activity with the Atlantis Remixed Project is the completion of Quests in Quest Atlantis.”  “A Quest is an engaging curricular task designed to be educational and entertaining.” “In completing Quests, students are required to participate in simulated and real world activities that are socially and academically meaningful, such as environmental studies, researching other cultures, interviewing community members, and developing action plans.” (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atlantisremixed.org/

Educational Use #2: Collaboration Atlantis Remixed & Quest Atlantis “provides students with opportunities for collaboration through Co-Questing, bulletin boards, blogs, and other group activities” “Children have the opportunity to interact with users from around the world in a protected virtual environment” “Teachers can collaborate with classrooms from other schools and countries” ("Benefits for classrooms," )

Educational Use #3: The Social Agenda The 7 social commitments in Atlantis Remixed & Quest Atlantis: • “Personal Agency (“I have voice”): The child should articulate issues of concern to him or her and implement a fair plan to address the issues.” • “Diversity Affirmation (“Everyone matters”): The child should value others while, at the same time, appreciating the qualities, differences, and viewpoints of others.” • “Healthy Communities (“Live, love, grow”): The child should express feelings of connectedness and support members in building interpersonal relationships.” • “Social Responsibility (“We can make a difference”): The child should develop a commitment to altruism, honesty, integrity, dependability, and justice.” • “Environmental Awareness (“Think globally, act locally”): The child should comprehend and respond locally to environmental issues that are of global concern.” • “Creative Expression (“I express myself”): The child should find multiple ways in which he or she can bring forth and foster his or her personality.” • “Compassionate Wisdom (“Be kind”): The child should act in empathetic ways to all, using his or her understanding of complex issues to find understanding and forgiveness.” (Barab, Dodge, Thomas, Jackson & Tuzun, 2007)

Web Videos http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q2sRp5YM8Y (Quest Atlantis on the Learning Channel) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GBDAaXEvDo (Big Thinkers: Sasha Barab – the professor behind Quest Atlantis thoughts about Quest Atlantis) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7UYif8MQ_A (7th grade teacher’s testimonial about Quest Atlantis) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wD0yCsmYTg (an example of what a Quest Atlantis quest can look like )

References Barab, S., Dodge, T., Thomas, M., Jackson, C., & Tuzun, H. (2007). Our designs and the social agendas they carry. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 16(2), 263-305. Retrieved from http://crlt.indiana.edu/research/qa.html Barab, S., & Gresalfi, M. (2009). Why educators should care about games. Educational Leadership,67(1), 76-80. Retrieved from http://atlantisremixed.org/main/research/barab_EL_transPlay2.pdf Benefits for classrooms. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atlantisremixed.org/site/view/Educators Dr. sasha barab: Research. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://inkido.indiana.edu/barab/rsrch_qa.html Overview of arx. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.questatlantis.com/ (n.d.). Retrieved from http://atlantisremixed.org/