Friday, August 11, 2006

The Kuurian Expedition

The Kuurian Expedition is a guild on War of Warcraft for teachers, education researchers and so on.

"The first Kuurian Expedition has been founded in World of Warcraft, on the Silver Hand server, Alliance side. To join, speak to a guild officer and give the secret word, which you can obtain by contacting SWI directly."

So I joined the guild and became a WoW player rather than an observer. What have I learned that I did not know as an observer? I already knew that WoW developed leadership skills , that fantasy worlds can develop new literacies, that virtual worlds are powerful tools for social research, there are big skills and conceptual age skills, that WoW could develop moral values, that raids take hours of meticulous planning, that a guild master must be adept at many skills, and that WoW has more population than Israel Denmark Finland NewZealand or Ireland.

What I have learned is that playing WoW is a continuing complex decision making process. You have to make judgements on incomplete information (or maybe the info is complete but you cant possibly remember it all) you have to decide which items to keep and trade, which quests to do and when, which attack and defensive moves to do in which order and in which circumstances, where to go and how to get there, mapreading skills, navigation skills.

I have an increased respect for WoW players

Plutarchus
Kuurian Expedition
Silver Hand

Plutarch
Frostmane

Australis Gondwana
Secondlife

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5 Comments:

Blogger Travis L Ross said...

You should really start signing off as Plutarchus the half drunk amazing healing machine.

Wyntir

Monday, August 14, 2006 11:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It was great when we took on the mage and his two companions to get the chest. Looking forward to explore the deadmines.

Veco

Tuesday, August 15, 2006 6:43:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi guys!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006 10:41:00 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Wyntr and Veco (Travis & Daniel) have been giving me some really good gear. I chose a priest, a healer, because I knew I wanted to explore the social aspects of the game. I have been in a party (inneffectually) shielding and healing them as I fumble with the keys.

Its interesting to experience the team work first hand, and see how working to establish long term supportive relationships has long term benefits.

Thanks for the gifts.

Saturday, August 19, 2006 9:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm also a computing teacher with a strong interest in computer games and teaching skills via computer games and computer game making.

I just started reading a book "What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy" by James Paul Gee (2003, Palgrave MacMillan). Although I'm barely into it, it offers a good study on what skills and processes players have to learn in order to succeed in computer games, very much along the same lines as you suggest.

Thursday, September 28, 2006 12:48:00 PM  

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