The Total Learner Experiencetag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-18735612010-02-22T06:44:35-08:00Helping connect the dots... between you and your learners.TypePadStrategic Playtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83516c72c53ef012877ac3693970c2010-02-22T06:44:35-08:002010-02-22T19:15:19-08:00Part 4 of a six-part series reviewing examples of the six activity modes. Read Parts 1 and 2, and 3. Strategic Play emphasizes the manipulation of resources – military, financial, or “human” – over a longer term. In games that emphasize problem-solving, achieving pre-set goals determines progress, while games that encourage a strategic mode of play often enable players to select their own or the computer’s benchmarks. Games with strategic activities include The Sims, titles in the Tycoon series, Civilization, and the Age of Empires. Few educational titles have incorporated this play mode. I love strategic play, but I am...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/totallearner/yjBm/~4/gCHvEtUoO5A" height="1" width="1"/>Dollyhttp://blog.totallearner.com/2010/02/strategy-play.htmlDesigning for the Auto-Compulsion Loop (ACL)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83516c72c53ef0120a8bade90970b2010-02-20T07:10:43-08:002010-02-21T13:50:24-08:00With the rise of social games such as Farmville and Mafia Wars (many played via Facebook), the motivation behind why people play social games introduces a potential new weapon for learning designers. <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/totallearner/yjBm/~4/Zsnll3eXNLw" height="1" width="1"/>Brandon Carsonhttp://blog.totallearner.com/2010/02/designing-for-the-autocompulsion-loop-acl.htmlExplorative Playtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83516c72c53ef0120a88ffde4970b2010-02-17T08:47:26-08:002010-02-17T08:18:04-08:00Part 3 of a six-part series reviewing examples of the six activity modes. Read Parts 1 and 2. Brandon recently asked me to clarify the point of my recent posts regarding the activity modes. I'm hoping curious sorts will play the games I discuss and reflect on the commonalities between them. I'll post how these games can be used educationally once I've discussed examples of all six. Excuse the slowness of this feature -- I'm posting from Virginia, and the record snowfall = lack of electricity. Explorative Play. Another activity mode widely experienced in games is explorative play, where physical...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/totallearner/yjBm/~4/ddclqYS8zaI" height="1" width="1"/>Dollyhttp://blog.totallearner.com/2010/02/explorative-play.htmlLanguage Communities on the Webtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83516c72c53ef0120a846071d970b2010-02-01T19:42:12-08:002010-02-01T18:33:02-08:00Having spent many years in a language classroom, I was excited to discover the abundance of free language instruction on the web. The three I found the most impressive were Livemocha, Babbel, and Busuu. All three offer interactive language lessons for a variety of European languages while Livemocha includes a number of less traditional languages (such as Persian, Esperanto, and Urdu). Busuu is based upon the European system of language levels (A1, A2, B1, B2…) and was selected as an official UNESCO project while Livemocha follows the American system of classes (101,102, 201…) Here is a rundown of each: Busuu...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/totallearner/yjBm/~4/lDq1kwPr5tE" height="1" width="1"/>Davinahttp://blog.totallearner.com/2010/02/language-communities-on-the-web.html8 Tips for Designing an ARG (as a Learning Experience)tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83516c72c53ef0120a7f76def970b2010-02-01T07:03:23-08:002010-02-01T07:00:01-08:00The potential for active engagement is inherent to ARGs and may help you deliver a truly effective and experiential learning activity. <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/totallearner/yjBm/~4/ka_uvxK2VbA" height="1" width="1"/>Enzo Silvahttp://blog.totallearner.com/2010/02/6-tips-for-designing-an-arg-as-a-learning-experience.html