regardingjohn

Out of touch for the past few weeks as I restructured my dissertation. It’s drafted to the point where my advisor has permitted me to disperse it to my committee. I defend it on May 20, which is also my birthday. It should be quite the Wednesday.

I’ve been trying to figure out how to comprehensively sum up my dissertation without glossing over too much (as is often done in summaries), and since so much of it is covered (in pieces) throughout my blog, I’ll just post the table of contents. As I begin to work on a 10-minute presentation for my defense, I may try to post other ways of conveying it in “post-size” bits.

Place-based Learning with Handheld Augmented Reality Games: Situating learning in the cultures of place.

Preface……….. 1

1. Context: How I Got Here 5
2. The Traditional Dissertation Model 7
3. This ‘Practical Papers’ Dissertation Model 7
4. Where to Find the Traditional Pieces……….. 8
5. The Chapters 8

5.1. Chapter 1: Introduction……….. 8
5.2. Chapter 2: Research Summary……….. 9
5.3. Chapter 3: Cultural Models of Flying Moose Lodge……….. 9
5.4. Chapter 4: AR Games and Motivation……….. 9
5.5 Chapter 5: AR Games and Identity in Community……….. 10
5.6. Chapter 6: AR Games and Cultural Models……….. 10

Chapter 1: Introduction……….. 11

1. Foreword 11

1.1. Motivation and Place……….. 11
1.2. Cultures of Place……….. 12
1.3. Culture and Tools……….. 14

2. Statement of the Problem 15

2.1. Research Question……….. 16
2.2. Locative Technologies and Place-Based Pedagogies……….. 16
2.3. Augmented Reality Games on Handhelds (ARGH)……….. 18

3. Theoretical Framework 19

3.1. Research Statement……….. 19
3.2. Sociocultural Learning and Activity……….. 20
3.3. Activity and Place-Based Inquiry……….. 21
3.4. Design Learning and Games……….. 22

4. Methodology 23

4.1. Sampling……….. 23
4.2. Justifications and Limits……….. 25
4.3. Analysis Method—Cultural Historical Activity Theory……….. 26

4.3.1. FML’s “Magic Formula” mapped onto Engeström’s Activity Triangle……….. 27
4.3.2. The Mystery Trip mapped onto Engeström’s Activity Triangle……….. 28
4.3.3. Ethnographic Methods to Study Engagement……….. 29

4.4. Questions to evaluate effectiveness……….. 31

5. Significance of the Problem 33

5.1. Top-down teaching vs. Agency……….. 33
5.2. Placelessness vs. Physical Embodiment……….. 35
5.3. Timeliness……….. 36

6. Structure of the Findings 36
7. Sources 38

Chapter 2: Gaming the Wild……….. 5

1. Introduction: Importance for Learning 53
2. The Mystery Trip 54

2.1. Good Learning……….. 55
2.2. AR-enhanced Mystery Trip as Good Learning……….. 57

3. Learning Through Experience in Place 5

3.1. Place-Based Inquiry: A framework for learning……….. 59
3.2. Processural Paths in Learning……….. 60

4. Augmented Reality games 62
5. Methodology of The New Mystery Trip 63
6. Findings 65

6.1. The Role of Narrative……….. 65
6.2. Risk Taking……….. 68
6.3. Learning the land and self……….. 70
6.4. Enhancing Community……….. 71

7. Players’ Design Iterations: Current Research 72
8. Conclusion 74
9. Sources 76

Chapter 3: “Where Boys Can Be Boys”—Investigating Cultural Models at a Woods Camp……….. 81

1. Introduction: Cultures of Learning 81

1.1. Context……….. 81
1.2. Goal of Paper……….. 82

2. Theoretical Framework 83
3. Data and Methodology 86

3.1. Sources: Early Cultural Models……….. 86
3.2. Sources: Current Cultural Models……….. 90
3.3. Analysis……….. 91

4. Findings: How Cultural Models Have Evolved 93

4.1. Communitarianism……….. 94

4.1.1. Communitarianism in Past……….. 94
4.1.2. Communitarianism in Present……….. 98

4.2. Ruggedness……….. 99

4.2.1. Ruggedness in Past……….. 99
4.2.2. Ruggedness in Present……….. 101

4.3. Improvisation……….. 103

4.3.1. Improvisation in Past……….. 103
4.3.1. Improvisation in Present……….. 104

4.4. Luddism: A New Turn……….. 105

5. Discussion: Effective Mediums to Propagate Cultural Models 107
6. Sources 109

Chapter 4: Mediating Motivation……….. 112

1. Introduction: Motivation in Learning 112

1.1. Purpose of Section……….. 112
1.2. Context……….. 113
1.3. Fantasy Play in Camp……….. 114

2. Theoretical Framework 115

2.1. Remediating Place in Learning……….. 116
2.2. The Mystery Trip as Medium for Place-Based Inquiry……….. 118

3. Methods and Analysis 119

3.1. Data……….. 121
3.2. Analysis……….. 123

4. Findings 124

4.1. Mediating Connection to Place……….. 126
4.2. Motivating Collaboration……….. 128
4.3. Motivating Difficult Work……….. 130
4.4. Connecting to Body……….. 132
4.5. Connecting to Culture……….. 133

5. Discussion 135

5.1. The Restructuring Affordance of the AR-enhanced Mystery Trip……….. 135
5.2. Connecting to Culture……….. 136
5.3. Importance to Education……….. 137

6. Sources 138

Chapter 5: Mediating Identity in a Community……….. 142

1. Introduction: Communities in Learning 142

1.1 Purpose of Section……….. 143
1.2. Context: Honor, Fame, and Fortune……….. 144
1.3. The Place of a Community……….. 145

2. Theoretical Framework 147

2.1. Cultural Stories of Place……….. 147
2.2. Place-Based Inquiry and Community……….. 149

3. Methodology 150

3.1. Analysis……….. 151
3.1. Campers as Designers……….. 153
3.2. Campers as Beta-Testers……….. 154
3.3. Campers as Game Players……….. 155

4. Findings: Shifting Roles in Play 156

4.1. Rescuers……….. 157
4.2. Fugitives……….. 159
4.3. Explorers……….. 161
4.4. Heroes……….. 165

5. Discussion 168
6. Sources 170

Chapter 6: The AR-enhanced Mystery Trip and FML’s cultural Models……….. 175

1. Introduction: Mediating Values 175

1.1 Purpose of Section……….. 175
1.2 Context……….. 176

2. Theoretical Framework 177
3. Methodology 178

3.1. Recreating The Mystery Trip……….. 178
3.2. Research Sample……….. 179
3.3. Analysis Method……….. 179

4. Findings 181

4.1. FML’s Cultural Models……….. 181

4.1.1. Community……….. 182
4.1.2. Tradition……….. 183
4.1.3. Skills……….. 186
4.1.4. Toughness……….. 186

4.2. AR’s Challenge to FML’s Cultural Models……….. 187

4.2.1. Growing to Manhood: Games are for Kids?……….. 188
4.2.2. Technology Softens……….. 190
4.2.3. GPS Removes Agency……….. 192
4.2.4. PDA Promotes Anti-Social Behavior……….. 194
4.2.5. AR Game Promotes High Impact Behavior……….. 194

4.3. AR’s Promotion of FML’s Cultural Models……….. 196

4.3.1. More “Hard Core”……….. 196

5. Discussion 200

5.1. Further Questions……….. 200
5.2. Value……….. 201

6. Sources 202