Expanded Proposal

For my paper I plan on writing about video games and how I believe that they have the potential to make a huge impact in education and as a result, can help to close the digital divide.

As we have learned in class, the digital divide is not just about the gap between those who have access to technology and those who do not. There is also a gap between those whose involvement in technology remains at the surface level, they use it to simply surf the web, check their Facebook account, or play video games and those who show an interest in helping to develop the technology being used.

Despite the negative image they sometimes have, I feel that video games have the unique ability to encourage those who have never considered becoming creators instead of just users. One of the reasons they may be content with just using technology is that they may consider it too difficult to learn the skills necessary to use technology to create something. Video games can help to change that perpective. By playing some video games, players learn to solve puzzles, complete tasks, and acquire knowledge about the gaming environment. As a result, their confidence in the use of technology grows and if properly encouraged, they could see their own potential in creating technology.


Annotated Bibliography

Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003. Print.

In his book, Gee highlights the ways in which video games have been able to encourage learning by presenting it in a format that kids are more likely to adapt to and to enjoy. Because kids perceive the education as a part of the game, and not just learning, they are more likely to absorb the knowledge. But video games do not only present opportunities for academic learning. By accomplishing goals within game play, kids build their confidence and as a result, take that confidence in their real lives.

Gorski, Paul C. “Privilege and Repression in the Digital Era: Rethinking the Sociopolitics of the Digital Divide.” Race, Gender & Class. 10.4 (2003).

This article explains how the definition of “Digital Divide” has changed because it is not simply a matter of access to technology but access to progressive learning, encouragement and support, race, gender, and class privilege.

Marriott, Michel. “Not Just Closing a Divide, but Leaping it.” New York Times 18 July 2002: Late Edition. Print.

While not a scholarly source, this article mentions a program, the Intel Computer Clubhouse Network, that could be used as a guide for one way of closing the digital divide. The clubhouse provides an environment in which boys and girls, 8 to 18, are given access to the programs to develop, create, and build their own video games and websites. The learning environment in the clubhouse is informal and the kids determine which areas of technology to explore. Allowing the kids to determine what areas to study ensures that they will be more invested in learning how to use the technology. I think this article provides a good example of how video games can be used to encourage kids to explore all aspects of technology and not just for game playing.

Newcombe, Nora S. and Terlecki, Melissa S. “How Important is the Digital Divide? The Relation of Computer and Videogame Usage to Gender Difference in Mental Rotation Ability.” Sex Roles 53.5/6 (2005). Online.

This article provides background on the history of how boys and girls experience with video game playing starts out at the same level but drops off for girls as the grow older, and as a result, they get left behind in regards to the digital divide. It also talks about how girls can be encourage to regain interest in technology.

Schleiner, Anne-Marie. “Does Lara Croft Wear Face Polygons? Gender and Gender-Role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games.” Leonardo 34.3 (2001). Online.

This article covers the popular game “Tombraider” and part of the article covers the role it can have in encouraging girls and women to enter into the gaming world, as a player and possibly as a designer.

Van Eck, Richard. “Digital Game-Based Learning: It’s Not Just the Digital Natives Who Are Restless.” Educause 41.2 (2006). Online.

This articles covers that factors that need to be kept in mind if video games are to be used as a learning tool. In order to use video games as a way to close the digital divide, the games need to be engaging and be able to hold the interest of kids. Games designed solely by educators will not be able to hold kids interest if they neglect to keep in mind the elements of traditional video games.

Warschauer, Mark. “Reconceptualizing the Digital Divide.” First Monday 7.1 (2002). Online.

This article highlights the fact that the digital divide is not just about giving people access to technology and the internet. Using three examples, the author points out that in order for people to be successful in learning how to use technology, there needs to be a infrastructure in place that to ensure that the users learn to effectively use the technology.