Getting beyond "buying stuff" in kids worlds

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Permalink Reply by Liam O'Donnell on January 18, 2008 at 5:35pm

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about: http://procurement.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eps/synopsis.cgi?acqid=128415 I'm eager to see what worlds we can create for kids that encourage real exploration of spaces and ideas with learning being the end goal and not just a bunch of coins to be spent on new t-shirts for their avatars.

Anyone else interested in this type of thing?

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Permalink Reply by Judith Gorgone / Planetpals on March 23, 2008 at 8:44am

I also have been concerned with that! I don't like the idea that 2+ year olds are learning such things. There has to be alternatives!

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Permalink Reply by Liam O'Donnell on March 23, 2008 at 9:30am

I think we'll see some improvement in that area in the coming months Judith. While the majority of vws for kids will feature the holy trinity of games+coins+stuff, games like nasa's new world, PowerUp and QuestAtlantis will grow in popularity both inside and outside schools, giving kids alternative worlds to play in. As a children's author, I always have ideas and vws are no exception. I see much potential in this new vehicle to tell stories to kids, allow world builders to profit from their work and move beyond the cycle of consumerism currently being reinforced.

Congrats on Planetpals, btw. They look like a lot of fun with a very positive message for kids (and adults too.)

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Permalink Reply by Judith Gorgone / Planetpals on March 23, 2008 at 11:32am

Thanks for the response. I think you are right. i would like to be n the forefront of the change:) Yes--and thanks on Planetpals....It's getting there!

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Permalink Reply by Or-Tal Kiriati on April 25, 2008 at 7:25am

What's wrong with trading? I don't think this is bad. But there must be a point to it, plus - it is an opportunity to educate consumer rather than develop the "mindless consumers"! Think about the positive uses to this. You can also educate kids about charity using the same features exactly.

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Permalink Reply by Judith Gorgone / Planetpals on April 25, 2008 at 7:47am

I have been thinking a lot about this - as I have been developing my virtual world concept. It hit me one day as we played monopoly! I have, in fact, come to the conclusion that there are creative ways around this topic and it does teach certain "reward" lessons. I have found two very creative ways to utilize this concept on Planetpals virtual world outline to solve this and I think it's exciting! Initially I was worried about it--but the more I thought about it---I realized the educational value if done properly.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Fletcher on September 3, 2008 at 2:45pm

I have only had a couple of negative comments about "teaching consumerism". I tend to agree with your comment. Our economy is a fact of life and desire is a part of the human condition. I remember looking at the toy sections of department store catalogs. You could argue that they corrupted my thought and caused me to develop a game w/ a virtual economy, I suppose. I doubt that imagining playing w/ some of those toys did much harm. I loved doing it.

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Permalink Reply by GrapevineStar.com on May 6, 2008 at 4:38pm

Interesting! I agree that we need to move beyond buying stuff. I think that overtime entreprenuers like ourselves will be developing new concepts that go beyond buying stuff. We are working on a social network platform that goes beyond buying stuff, it educates and entertains. Please join us at www.gstarsite.com to keep uptodate. visit our web site at www.grapevinestar.com
Jacob

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Permalink Reply by Christy Matte on June 1, 2008 at 2:46pm

I've seen a lot of people express this concern... in fact, you inspired me to finally blog about it. =}

I don't know that it's as big of a problem as some folks think, but I'd be interested in seeing some more research in the area. There's something to be said for kids learning to save, spend their own "money" and have control over their virtual environments. Does it really teach kids to buy indiscriminently?

The big question is, how do we replicate an intrinsic reward system in a virtual setting. In the "real" world we explore and learn because of the internal rewards, external rewards or fear of punishment. To be anything more than an elaborate instant messenger or video game, it seems that a virtual world has to grow and change with the user. In order to change at an appropriate (and fair) rate, there needs to be some sort of point system OR a way for users to create things for themselves (as in Second Life). You could take away the coins and have a hidden point system, where certain things suddenly appear in your environment, or where you develop new skills. But would that simply seem like random change to the user and therefore lose the motivating factor? Can we create a simpler version of Second Life where kids become creators and not just consumers?

I also think that a large part of the appeal of virtual worlds for kids, as opposed to pure social networking sites, instant messenger, etc., is that they have control over their environment. They can obtain items that show their personality, interests, etc. I don't think the end goal is the "stuff" so much as the self-expression. In Gaia, for example, users save up for elaborate costumes to create their own vision. For many of them, it's almost like creating a piece of art. I'm not sure a virtual world without the ability to express yourself in some unique way would be all that engaging (other than as a chat or video game, which would defeat the purpose). Whyville is a perfect example, actually. Whenever I've signed on, I found masses of kids chatting together in public spaces and no one in the "learning" areas. By the way, I find the floating head avatars incredibly creepy.

I'm interested to see how things develop in the next few years. I keep waiting for something different, not because I'm strongly opposed to the commercial model (it's what our everyday lives is like), but because it's just so... obvious.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Goodman on July 28, 2008 at 2:20pm

Hey Liam,

My company is doing exactly that with one of our current clients (i.e. - integrating educational experiences into the virtual world experience).

My background is in educational psychology and my business partners bring expertise in design and computer programming. Our company is particularly interesting in blurring the lines between learning and play. We offer consultative services for companies developing online ventures for kids, but we're also innovating on our own end, developing web-enhanced toys that take online gaming to the next level for kids.

I wish I could go into more detail about what we're up to, but most of our projects haven't launched yet. In any case, the truth is that depending on the content you're working with, you need different approaches anyways. In that sense, I don't know how helpful it would be to go into particular details about how we're going about adding educational value to the projects we're working on.

What type of work does your company do?

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Permalink Reply by Liam O'Donnell on August 7, 2008 at 6:51am

Hey Jason,

It sounds like your company is doing some exciting stuff with vws and education for kids. I'm a firm believer that all play is educational, it's just a matter of *what* is being learned. Whether or not a toy, virtual space or game is designed with education in mind, it will still provide learning opportunities for the person engaging with it (young or old.)

That's why I'm so excited about the potential for vws and video games to be used in education. With the enthusiasm young people are showing for these spaces, any virtual world can be turned into an educational space. Dizzywood's recent work with the Arbor Day Foundation and their in-world tree planting storyline is a good example. I'm eager to see more of this kind of learning embedded in virtual worlds.

Thanks for adding your thoughts, Jason and please keep us posted on what your company develops in the future.

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