Welcome! We are doing a MOOC! A Games MOOC!
Come join us for the Summer 2013 offering.

Designed using the connectivism learning theory, the Games MOOC is a Massive Online Open Course focusing on game based learning in education. Connectivist MOOCs or cMOOCs started in 2008. Since then there have been a series of these free connectivism open online courses offered. The Games MOOC is informed by their design and implementation.

Since it's a connectivism MOOC, it will not look like a course from Coursera. Besides connectivism learning theory, this MOOC is informed by gaming guild culture and the Gamer Disposition http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2008/02/the_gamer_disposition.html

If you would like to take a look at the Games MOOC site please go to http://gamesmooc.shivtr.com/

The Summer Games MOOC will be divided into two parts. Each part will be designed to be a standalone MOOC, so feel free to sign-up for only one part or both.

Part I will focus on exploring collaboration, cross-functional teams and multi-player game based learning. We will take a close look at the features of multi-players games by going into MMORPGs (Massively Online Role-Playing Games) and also livestreaming from them. We will be exploring and even experiencing what makes these games so engaging. We will invite you in to explore and play in MMORPGs. Part I will run from June 3 - June 24, 2013.

Part II will be a tour of online and immersive environments for game based learning. There will be an emphasis on you building your game based learning PLN (Personal Learning Network). We will visit multiple virtual learning environments, virtual worlds, sandbox games and MMORPGs. In Part II, we will also be collaborating with the rgMOOC, or "Rhetoric and Composition: The Persuasive Power of Video Games as Paratexts being offered by Sherry Jones and Kate Guthrie Caruso http://storify.com/sherryjones/rgmooc-a-rhetoric-and-game-based-mooc Part II will run from July 7 - July 29, 2013.

The Games MOOC is an open course for all educators. The model for participation is based on social network knowledge construction. Learners will be able to be active in the course in several ways from lurking (reading the discussions), to being engaged in game-play to actively creating content in the course with the MOOC designer and Advisory Group. We do understand that a participant’s level of activity may vary based on the individual’s interest in the weekly topics or other time commitments.

So feel free to lurk!  As one of our MOOC Advisory Board member says, "Lurk and Learn!"