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Written by Mr Hoy
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Wednesday, 14 May 2008 |
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A critical element of Zoo Tycoon is the community that has developed around it. Communities of users share ideas and group problem solve. They also provide communities for socializing. Diana Oblinger (2006) notes that the description of a game community mirrors the definition of an educational community of practice. The community has a culture of learning where everyone is involved in a collective effort of understanding. Group members bring diverse expertise to the community and individual members are valued for their contributions. Individual expertise is helped to develop further as the group continually advances its collective knowledge and skills. |
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Forums & Boards - I need help! |
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Written by Taylor
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Monday, 12 May 2008 |
The following sites were an excellent source of information: http://www.ztunlimitedforums.com/
http://forums.zootycoon.com/forums/
The reason I went to these forums was to get any tips and tricks that would help me when playing the game. The more I went into the forum the more I noticed its many uses. Other players would pose problems or questions for other players to solve. Some players would also celebrate their successes on the forum and post tips and tricks that would help future players.
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A round of applause for Vygotsky! |
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Written by Mr Hoy
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Wednesday, 07 May 2008 |
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The tasks facing the player must feel doable but challenging at the same time. As a result, when help is required only minimal hints are needed. This is similar to an educational theory called the “zone of proximal development” which holds that there are a variety of things a student can accomplish with a little assistance. This is the zone of proximal development that Vygotsky (1978) talks about. Games provide this kind of challenge where they promote learner autonomy and metacognition. Players are most motivated to learn when a game operates within, but at the outer edge of, their sphere of competence (Gee, 2003). |
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What did I do after freeplay? |
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Written by Harry
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Monday, 05 May 2008 |
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When I was finished with the sandbox I moved to the Campaign mode. I found that the level of difficulty increased and I needed more understanding about how the game worked. The tutorials and sandbox mode helped me to apply my new skills. |
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Written by Mr Hoy
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Wednesday, 30 April 2008 |
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Another characteristic of games is that they offer the capacity for players to try out alternative courses of action in specific contexts and then experience consequences in other worlds to understand how manipulating systems causes particular events. Cognitive scientists refer to this as the “sandbox” principle where little bounded pieces of the real world can be explored while the player still feels safe (Gee, 2003). Learning through the Sandbox is more than just accumulating a body of knowledge or facts. Students would draw on that knowledge to solve problems and draw on the challenges of game play to master core geographical or business principles. |
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What did I learn using the tutorials? |
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Written by Tenisha
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Tuesday, 29 April 2008 |
After finishing the three tutorials, players can choose to play Zoo Tycoon 2 in one of three modes: Campaign, Challenge, or Freeform. I chose the freeform or sandbox mode. This mode taught me how to keep the guests happy with everything from benches to sit on to food to eat to having plenty of shade to walk in. I also learnt about what structures, foliage, and surroundings work best for the animals. When using the sandbox I also got to practice the controls necessary to play the game.
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What's so good about tutorials? |
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Written by Amy
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Monday, 28 April 2008 |
The first tutorial teaches you the basic game controls. You will learn how to open the game options, zoom in and out, rotate maps, undo actions, and clear items. The second tutorial will teach you how to build a basic animal exhibit and adopt an animal. It will also teach you how to hire staff, connect paths, and satisfy the needs of your guests. The third tutorial will teach you how to place the correct terrain in an exhibit and which type of foliage an animal likes. You will learn to tell if an animal likes or dislikes an object in the exhibit. You will also learn how to follow the zookeeper’s recommendations.
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Written by Mr Hoy
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Friday, 18 April 2008 |
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The challenge Zoo Tycoon is to build zoos that can sustain themselves as a business. As with all simulations, there is a learning curve before Natasha could jump in to start building and run her zoo. The learning curve is terraced by three excellent hands-on tutorials that will teach Natasha how to control the game, how to construct the zoo, and how to obtain important information about the zoo so that she can make it better. Each tutorial increases in difficulty and the expertise required for her to complete the tutorial also increases. This ‘cycle of expertise’ would continue throughout the game as challenges and scenarios increased in complexity. |
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Written by Natasha
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Wednesday, 16 April 2008 |
The first time you start Zoo Tycoon 2, you’re asked if you’d like to play the tutorials. It’s a good idea to play the tutorials because they’re fun and an easy way to learn how to play the game. Then you won’t have to read the FAQs! The Zoo Tycoon 2 tutorial teaches you the basics of the game and about the different features of the game. The tutorials are a great way to start the game. As I completed each tutorial the challenges and game increased in difficulty.
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Written by Mathew
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Tuesday, 08 April 2008 |
Before loading the game I visited the Zoo Tycoon Web page. The website, (http://www.zootycoon.com) was a good resource for introducing the game and was effective as it displayed the features of the game. It also had a community and support page for players who need help. My reasons for visiting the site was to locate any patches or extra free software for the game. From my visit to the site I found one patch and lots of extra freebies that would improve the game.
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Written by Mr Hoy
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Monday, 07 April 2008 |
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The purpose of this reflective blog is to distinguish more clearly the dynamics and toolsets pertaining to Zoo Tycoon and particularly how easy or difficult “new” learners would be able to manage the program as a learning tool. This journal is structured around the learning experiences necessary to create and manage a virtual zoo using Zoo Tycoon. Students will contribute their reflections based on their engagement with Zoo Tycoon. Teachers will provide feedback on student learning and surface the pedagogy from student reflections. |
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