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Diversity Game

The document describes a game called USS Diversity created in Scratch that aims to promote discussion about diversity and privilege. The game has players pilot a ship and collect tokens representing experiences they have personally had, while avoiding those they have not. After playing individually, students would discuss their results in groups. Future work is needed to enable multiplayer functionality and mobile access so scores can be compiled and analyzed to facilitate classroom discussion.

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77 views3 pages

Diversity Game

The document describes a game called USS Diversity created in Scratch that aims to promote discussion about diversity and privilege. The game has players pilot a ship and collect tokens representing experiences they have personally had, while avoiding those they have not. After playing individually, students would discuss their results in groups. Future work is needed to enable multiplayer functionality and mobile access so scores can be compiled and analyzed to facilitate classroom discussion.

Uploaded by

api-342437955
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Joseph​ ​DiBello

EDIT​ ​618
Diversity​ ​Game
10/8/2017

Game:
USS​ ​Diversity
Platform:
Scratch
Materials:
Smartphone​ ​to​ ​play​ ​the​ ​game​ ​on

Description:
Pilot​ ​your​ ​ship​ ​through​ ​the​ ​clouds​ ​using​ ​the​ ​left​ ​and​ ​right​ ​arrows​ ​on​ ​the​ ​keyboard​ ​as​ ​you
fly​ ​to​ ​a​ ​new​ ​destination!​ ​Along​ ​the​ ​way,​ ​collect​ ​tokens​ ​of​ ​things​ ​you​ ​have​ ​experienced
personally​ ​and​ ​dodge​ ​the​ ​ones​ ​you​ ​haven’t!​ ​Afterwards,​ ​compare​ ​your​ ​“score”​ ​to​ ​your
peers.

Concept:
The​ ​idea​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​game​ ​is​ ​that​ ​students​ ​will​ ​have​ ​to​ ​react​ ​quickly​ ​to​ ​each​ ​incoming
situation,​ ​evaluate​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​they​ ​have​ ​experienced​ ​this,​ ​and​ ​then​ ​maneuver​ ​their
ship​ ​in​ ​the​ ​proper​ ​position.​ ​This​ ​will​ ​hopefully​ ​keep​ ​the​ ​students​ ​engaged​ ​and​ ​allow​ ​them
to​ ​enter​ ​a​ ​flow-state.​ ​According​ ​to​ ​Mihaly​ ​Csikszentmihalyi,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​achieved​ ​by​ ​a
constant​ ​cycle​ ​of​ ​disequilibrium​ ​and​ ​resolution.​ ​(Csikszentmihalyi,​ ​1990)

A​ ​prompt​ ​appears:

The​ ​students​ ​will​ ​have​ ​only​ ​three​ ​seconds​ ​to​ ​process​ ​and​ ​react:
In​ ​this​ ​version​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​three​ ​categories​ ​that​ ​are​ ​addressed:
- Racial​ ​Discrimination
- Sexual​ ​Discrimination
- Income​ ​Inequality
Due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ease​ ​of​ ​use​ ​of​ ​the​ ​scratch​ ​platform,​ ​educators​ ​will​ ​easily​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​modify​ ​the
questions​ ​by​ ​adding​ ​sprites​ ​(objects​ ​within​ ​scratch)​ ​and​ ​editing​ ​text.​ ​They​ ​could​ ​add
categories​ ​that​ ​may​ ​be​ ​sensitive​ ​or​ ​relative​ ​topics​ ​within​ ​their​ ​communities.

The​ ​game​ ​is​ ​also​ ​symbolic​ ​and​ ​designed​ ​as​ ​an​ ​icebreaker​ ​that​ ​could​ ​be​ ​used​ ​for​ ​a​ ​large
group​ ​of​ ​students​ ​or​ ​adults.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​what​ ​gives​ ​the​ ​game​ ​it’s​ ​context.​ ​“The​ ​context​ ​of​ ​the
game​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​use​ ​is​ ​central​ ​to​ ​the​ ​effectiveness​ ​of​ ​how​ ​the​ ​game​ ​is​ ​utilized.”​ ​(De​ ​Freitas,
2006)​ ​It​ ​shows​ ​a​ ​rocket​ ​that​ ​is​ ​flying​ ​towards​ ​an​ ​unknown​ ​goal,​ ​as​ ​the​ ​new​ ​class​ ​is​ ​doing
together.​ ​If​ ​every​ ​member​ ​plays​ ​they​ ​will​ ​each​ ​achieve​ ​a​ ​different​ ​score.​ ​But​ ​the​ ​main
aspect​ ​will​ ​be​ ​the​ ​discussion​ ​that​ ​takes​ ​place​ ​afterwards.​ ​An​ ​item​ ​analysis​ ​of​ ​each
prompt​ ​will​ ​be​ ​shown​ ​to​ ​the​ ​group​ ​and​ ​discussions​ ​will​ ​take​ ​place​ ​for​ ​each​ ​one.​ ​Why​ ​is
this​ ​one​ ​chosen​ ​by​ ​almost​ ​everyone?​ ​Why​ ​is​ ​this​ ​one​ ​chosen​ ​by​ ​very​ ​few?

The​ ​moral​ ​of​ ​the​ ​lesson​ ​will​ ​be​ ​that​ ​together,​ ​we​ ​all​ ​have​ ​experienced​ ​different​ ​privileges
and​ ​discriminations.

Future​ ​Work:
In​ ​it’s​ ​current​ ​state,​ ​the​ ​game​ ​will​ ​only​ ​work​ ​for​ ​one​ ​person.​ ​The​ ​scratch​ ​platform​ ​will​ ​not
allow​ ​multiple​ ​games​ ​to​ ​interact.​ ​Another​ ​platform​ ​will​ ​be​ ​needed​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​do​ ​this.​ ​The
plan​ ​is​ ​that​ ​the​ ​game​ ​will​ ​be​ ​accessible​ ​on​ ​mobile.​ ​Students​ ​will​ ​enter​ ​a​ ​code​ ​given​ ​to
them​ ​by​ ​their​ ​educator.​ ​Each​ ​student​ ​will​ ​play​ ​through​ ​the​ ​game​ ​and​ ​the​ ​scores​ ​will​ ​be
tallied​ ​and​ ​analysed​ ​on​ ​the​ ​educators​ ​computer.​ ​The​ ​educator​ ​will​ ​then​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to
project​ ​the​ ​results​ ​to​ ​the​ ​students​ ​and​ ​begin​ ​a​ ​discussion.
Game​ ​Link:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/178751304/
Works​ ​Cited:

De​ ​Freitas,​ ​S.​ ​(2006).​ ​Learning​ ​in​ ​immersive​ ​worlds:​ ​A​ ​review​ ​of​ ​game-based​ ​learning.

Van​ ​Eck,​ ​R.​ ​(2006).​ ​Digital​ ​game-based​ ​learning:​ ​It's​ ​not​ ​just​ ​the​ ​digital​ ​natives​ ​who​ ​are​ ​restless.
EDUCAUSE​ ​review​,​ ​41​(2),​ ​16.

https://scratch.mit.edu

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