The Fries Center for Global Studies, in conjunction with the College of Education Studies, the Department of Romance Languages and Literature, and the Thomas and Catharine McMahon Memorial fund, invites you to a virtual talk by Dr. Jonathon Reinhardt (University of Arizona). The title of the talk is “Mechanics, Dispositions, and Styles: Considerations for the Design of Gameful Language Learning Environments,” and it will take place on Wednesday, March 10, at 4:30pm EST, on Zoom.
In his talk, Dr. Reinhardt will discuss how to design effective game-based environments for second and foreign language (L2) learning, from a game-informed collaborative classroom learning activity to a full-fledged educational game. Dr. Reinhardt will explore how game features and mechanics can afford L2 learning dynamics: on one end, he will show how certain mechanics, for example time control, narrative, and goal-orienting, have been shown to support gameful L2 learning; on the other, he will consider students/players’ identity and disposition (some students are hardcore gamers and others might dislike games or not believe they can function as learning tools) and what kind of activity can be successful in engaging a large and diverse population. Further, Dr. Reinhardt will discuss how players should be motivated to learn and use the L2 in order to play, as opposed to only playing in order to learn. Appealing to play styles is important, since players may prefer achieving, socializing, exploring, or ‘playing the trickster’, while avoiding or disliking other styles. At the same time, transformative gameful L2 learning involves taking risks and trying on new identities, which may only be possible when players go out of their comfort zones. This talk will explore all these concepts and offer ideas for how to create gameful L2 learning experiences that challenge and motivate players by leveraging mechanics in designs, acknowledging dispositions, and by appealing to, at the same time critically situating, play styles.
Jonathon Reinhardt (Ph.D, Penn State) is Associate Professor of English Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on technology-enhanced second and foreign language pedagogy and learning, especially with emergent technologies like social media and digital gaming. His recent book, “Gameful Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning” (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2019) presents theory, surveys research, and outlines the practices of the nascent field. Please find more information and a list of publications for Dr. Reinhardt here. https://english.arizona.edu/people/jonathon-s-reinhardt
Meeting ID: 955 0038 7213
Passcode: 059819