The Quest for a Massively Multiplayer Online Game that Teaches Physics

The World ◽

The Subject ◽

The last 10 years have seen explosive growth in the fields of online gaming. The largest of these games are undoubtedly the Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG), such as World of Warcraft or City of Heroes, which attract millions of users throughout the world every day. The last 20 years have also seen the growth of a new field of physics known as Physics Education Research (PER). This field consists of physicists dedicated to improving how we learn and teach the subject of physics. In this chapter, the author discusses his personal quest to combine PER with a MMOG and create an online virtual world dedicated to teaching Newtonian physics.

Being in the World (of Warcraft): Raiding, Realism, and Knowledge Production in a Massively Multiplayer Online Game

Anthropological Quarterly ◽

10.1353/anq.0.0110 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

pp. 17-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Alex Golub

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Production ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

Online Game ◽

Massively Multiplayer Online Game ◽

The World ◽

Multiplayer Online Game ◽

Social Context in Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs):

The International Review of Information Ethics ◽

10.29173/irie172 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 46-52

Author(s):

Dorothy E Warner ◽

Mike Raiter

Keyword(s):

Social Context ◽

Video Games ◽

Online Games ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

Scientific Study ◽

The Social ◽

Industrialized Nations ◽

Computer and video games have become nearly ubiquitous among individuals in industrialized nations, and they have received increasing attention from researchers across many areas of scientific study. However, relatively little attention has been given to Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs). The unique social context of MMOGs raises ethical questions about how communication occurs and how conflict is managed in the game world. In order to explore these questions, we compare the social context in Blizzard’s World of Warcraft and Disney’s Toontown, focusing on griefing opportunities in each game. We consider ethical questions from the perspectives of players, game companies, and policymakers.

Collective Solitude and Social Networks in World of Warcraft

Social Networking Communities and E-Dating Services ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-104-9.ch005 ◽

2009 ◽

pp. 78-100 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Nicolas Ducheneaut

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Real World ◽

Online Social Networks ◽

Online Games ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

The Relationship ◽

Do So ◽

This chapter investigates the nature and structure of social networks formed between the players of massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), an incredibly popular form of Internet-based entertainment attracting millions of subscribers. To do so, we use data collected about the behavior of more than 300,000 characters in World of Warcraft (the most popular MMOG in America). We show that these social networks are often sparse and that most players spend time in the game experiencing a form of “collective solitude”: they play surrounded by, but not necessarily with, other players. We also show that the most successful player groups are analogous to the organic, team-based forms of organization that are prevalent in today’s workplace. Based on these findings, we discuss the relationship between online social networks and “real-world” behavior in organizations in more depth.

Global Perspectives on Gameful and Playful Teaching and Learning - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

Massively Multiplayer Online Games as Spaces for Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning

10.4018/978-1-7998-2015-4.ch004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 78-104

Author(s):

Anastasia Lynn Betts ◽

Meagan K. Rothschild

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

Video Game ◽

Online Games ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

Critical Component ◽

Self Regulated Learning ◽

Metacognition, or the ability to be consciously and intentionally aware of one's thinking and the ways in which one's thinking impacts one's learning, has been shown in the research to be a critical component of learners' abilities to learn effectively. One area of research on metacognition has focused on the role of metacognition in video games, specifically in massively multiplayer online games, known as MMOs. Through examples of metacognition in a popular video game such as World of Warcraft or in Adventure Academy, a new educational MMO for children ages 8–13 years old, this chapter highlights the ways in which MMOs can act as spaces that support the development of metacognitive behaviors through the components of planning, monitoring, control, and evaluation, toward improving learning overall.

Navigating the feminine in massively multiplayer online games: gender in World of Warcraft

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00903 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Audrey L. Brehm

Keyword(s):

Online Games ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

The Feminine ◽

Structural Roles in Massively Multiplayer Online Games: A Case Study of Guild and Raid Leaders in World of Warcraft

Studies in Symbolic Interaction - Symbolic Interaction and New Social Media ◽

10.1108/s0163-2396_2014_0000043016 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 121-142 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

J. Patrick Williams ◽

David Kirschner ◽

Zahirah Suhaimi-Broder

Keyword(s):

Online Games ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

Predicting the Currency Market in Online Gaming via Lexicon-Based Analysis on Its Online Forum

Complexity ◽

10.1155/2017/4152705 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Young Bin Kim ◽

Kyeongpil Kang ◽

Jaegul Choo ◽

Shin Jin Kang ◽

TaeHyeong Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Market Price ◽

Online Games ◽

Online Gaming ◽

World Of Warcraft ◽

Important Task ◽

Online Game ◽

Online Forums ◽

Online Forum ◽

Virtual Currency ◽

The World

Transactions involving virtual currencies are becoming increasingly common, including those in online games. In response, predicting the market price of a virtual currency is an important task for all involved, but it has not yet attracted much attention from researchers. This paper presents user opinions from online forums in a massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) setting widely used around the world. We propose a method for predicting the next-day rise and fall of the currency used in an MMOG environment. Based on analysis of online forum users’ opinions, we predict daily fluctuations in the price of a currency used in an MMOG setting. Focusing specifically on the World of Warcraft game, one of the most widely used MMOGs, we demonstrate the feasibility of predicting the fluctuation in value of virtual currencies used in this game community.