Cards Against Learning Technology: A Post Digital Game for Learning Technologists [677] Home : ALT's Online Winter Conference 2020

Public Group Active 2 years, 3 months ago

Tue, Dec 15 2020, 4:30pm – 5:20pm

Description

Let’s play a game. Learning Technologist have a responsibility to create, support and maintain what can be called “brave new digital classrooms” on a daily basis (Balke, Guillen & Chun, 2008). What about Learning technologists themselves? What would happen if they participated in a’ brave new digital game?’. Cards Against Learning Technology is an adaptation of Cards Against Humanity, the well-known, popular and controversial card game. Cards Against Learning Technology is a post digital game for Learning Technologist to play in real time to be understood of the context of the global pandemic. As ‘post digital actors’, what relief can Learning technologist have form digital challenges? Perhaps offering an opportunity to play a game is a valid way to cope with increasing pressure to be advocates of technology enhanced learning (TEL) and feel ‘human’ again as a ‘player’. It has been argued that technology cannot be understood in itself but rather as part of the context in which education is carried out (Selwyn, 2010 in Fawns, 2018: p1). This proposal is explicitly a ‘wild card’ submission where the game is an ‘enabler’ drawing on current practice with specific reference to the global pandemic. Whilst the title of the game appears to be ‘against’ humanity’, conversely the Cards Against Learning Technology game is a celebration of the ‘human’ or even ‘post digital elements’ of being a Learning Technologist. Post digital education can be defined in a number of different ways. Perhaps seeking definitions is not as important the context; the terms used do not hold “…critical value but…[they have] utility in exposing issues within the contemporary digital landscape” (Taffel, 2016 in Fawns, 2018: p12). Having said this, in this instance, the term ‘post digital’ is used to emphasis the human component of Learning Technologist, who in their capacity as a ‘player’, is provided with an opportunity to articulate their stories, challenges, and success throughout the global pandemic and beyond though a game platform. Perhaps the game will “…continue what is emerging as a productive speculation on future relationships between technology and the project of education” (Knox, 2019: p357). It has been argued that “postdigital living” can be “unsettling” (Selwyn & Jandrić, 2020: p989). Making sense of what the majority of learning technologists have been through throughout the global pandemic in supporting educational institutions support online learning is a huge task. An intentional amalgamation of both humour and a card game can be an effective way to identify what we have been through as both individuals and as a community. Cards Against Humanity was originally designed to be played in a face to face capacity with physical cards being used and has recently been made available online in a variety of ways (TechRadar, 2020). Like teaching and learning, the Cards Against Learning Technology game has made the ‘pivot’ to an online game reflecting the changes due to the global pandemic. Having presented at the Association of Learning Technologists (ALT) event at University of East Anglia (UEA) exploring gamification event in 2019, I developed a professional interest in how to engage a community through games-based approaches. The Cards Against Humanity game is committed to drawing on ideas from their community. For example, a downloadable template is available for users to create their own game and users are encouraged to submit their own contributions. Cards Against Humanity have an online lab where players can contribute improvements to the keep in order to keep it “…fresh and hilarious” (Cards Against Humanity Lab, n.d.). A commitment to sharing and community engagement form the basis of a valuable pedagogical model. Learning Technologist have created gamification and games for example online escape rooms, it is time for Learning technologist to have the opportunity to play a game themselves. Please note, no offensive or illegal material will be used in the game. Content has been carefully adapted with specific reference to learning technology and the global pandemic for the purposes of entertainment only. At the end of the game, there will be curated collaborative reflection on the game which will provide players with an opportunity to identify issues emerging from the game and how to overcome difficulties in order to end in a positive community-focussed capacity.

Bibliography

Blake, R, J, Guillen, G & Chun, D, M (2008) Brave New Digital Classroom: Technology and Foreign Language Learning (Washington DC: Georgetown University Press)

Crads Against Humanity LLC (No Date) Cards Against Humanity (Online) Available at: https://cardsagainsthumanity.com [Accessed: 21st October 2020]

Fawns, T 2018, ‘Postdigital education in design and practice’, Postdigital Science and Education, pp. 1.https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-018-0021-8

Selwyn, N., Jandrić, P. Postdigital Living in the Age of Covid-19: Unsettling What We See as Possible. Postdigit Sci Educ 2, 989–1005 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00166-9 (Online) Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs42438-020-00166-9 [Accessed: 21^st October 2020]

Knox, J. What Does the ‘Postdigital’ Mean for Education? Three Critical Perspectives on the Digital, with Implications for Educational Research and Practice. Postdigit Sci Educ 1, 357–370 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-019-00045-y

Techradar Team (2020) How to play Cards Against Humanity online with friends, family or on your own. www.techradar.com. Technology blog [blog] Available at: https://www.techradar.com/uk/how-to/how-to-play-cards-against-humanity-online Septemebr 9th 2020 [Accessed: 21^st October 2020]

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