Is This All a Game?: Is it possible that our phones are playing us? In relation to game studies, rhetoric is used to study how the rules and materials of games are designed to get players to act in specific ways. These same methods used by game designers are being used by city planners, social media apps, and even in college classrooms to influence our behavior. In this class, we will learn about how we are being gamified through the technologies we use. We will study contemporary game theory scholars to better understand the problematic ways our phones and laptops are working to hold onto our attention; in addition, we will discuss how to harness these same methods to improve our attention and benefit us in the classroom. Students will have the opportunity to learn to play games such as The Quiet Year, Concept, and Catan as they analyze the mechanics of each. We will not only think critically about the games we play, but we will also look at the ways in which elements of games are being used to play us.
- Teacher: Jason Markins