1. I've just learned how to write my blog and publish it via my mobile
phone. I was trying to experience what some of my students do. How do
I feel? Well, somewhat awkward. Usually when I have something to
share, I would pick up my phone and call my loved ones. Hmm, I
wouldn't 'publish' it for them to read.
2. I played FIFA 09 on PS3. It was really cool! I scored 2 goals for a
European team (AaB - need to google this later for the name of the
team) playing against Barcelona. My husband was shocked. Yep, he
wasn't surprised, he was shocked as I hardly watch football, not since
World Cup 2006. The main point of this is, previously, when given a
game controller, I would behave like a typical Digital Immigrant or
'Ignorant' and I'll be very concerned about how to play it, what the
rules are, which buttons to press and etc. However, I chose for once
to think or behave like my students, that is, I figured the game out
as I went along. And really, I had a lot more fun.
3. I also played tennis on Nintendo Wii with my 3-year-old nephew in
the name of 'aunt-nephew-bonding time'. Of course, I was the one who
was really enjoying the workout while the poor kid was just smashing
his racquet randomly.
Which would you recommend? PS3 or Xbox 360? If you know which is more
fun.. please feel to let me know!
HI Brenda,
ReplyDeleteWhat would your definition of fun be? Think of your own definition first....and let me know if you feel inclined to =D , then maybe read what follows below - you've read this book before...
The following is an extract from Edward Castronova’s book ‘Exodus to the Virtual World’
Reference:
Castronova, Edward (2007), Exodus to the Virtual World: How Online Fun is Changing Reality, Palgrave Macmillan, Chapter 6, pp103-104
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FUN: A DEFINITION
Putting all of these strands together, here's what I think fun is:
Fun is a pleasurable sensation attributed to an activity when:
- the activity causes the coactivation of motivational systems,
- the activity is (possibly metaphorically) relevant to survival,
- the individual's choices promote survival,
- and the situation is known to be play.
……the definition proposes that fun only happens during play. Think of the times when you've heard someone say "Well, that was fun" in an ironic sense—usually it was after something that in¬volved both threats and opportunities and survival-like conditions, but was altogether serious. Outside play, things are not fun, they are scary.
Survival is also relevant to fun. The second and third parts of the defi¬nition say that fun is a pleasure that comes from winning at the game of evolutionary adaptation. As for survival, we know that aiding survival is the deepest purpose of play. So we conclude that a player's fun is en¬hanced when the activities she's doing are sensed to be relevant to sur¬vival. This works even if the association is metaphorical. So long as the actions the player is asked to do involve resource acquisition or threat avoidance, fun happens. And of course you have to win; part three stresses that it is not fun to lose. The fun feeling happens only when the actions being undertaken appear to be succeeding, reducing threats or gaining resources.
Finally, in part one, the definition proposes that fun occurs specifically under conditions of coactivation, that is, when both opportunities and threats exist. It is pleasurable, but not fun, to receive affection from an attractive potential mate. It is a relief, but not fun, to escape from life-threatening danger. What is fun is to rescue an attractive potential mate from the demon who has imprisoned her (so long as it is all play). Both the appetitive and aversive systems must be engaged at a similar level. Otherwise the player feels bored (too much appetitive activation) or frustrated (too much aversive activation). And the more strongly the two sys¬tems are engaged, the more intense the feeling of fun.
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Agree, Disagree, Got more to add to his definition? Please feel free to let me know too! hehe!
Woaaaaaa!!! The fun factor is now gone. All gone. Hee. Well, when I wrote 'fun', I wasn't thinking of anything that fits a complex definition. So I would say, mine would be simply, the situation known to be play. Like one of the comments you made earlier, something about us being 'teacherly' and proper. I think there's this suppressed side of me that pops out once in a while which says 'I wanna play! I wanna dance!'.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that it's possible for some, fun is any other situation then the one they're in? Something like being in denial.
Will re-look at your definitions again after my marking is done. Thanks for the revision!
Actually the reason my jaw dropped, was that while she was busy scoring 2 goals ... I was holding onto the other controller trying figure out how to control the players and play the game.
ReplyDeleteBut then, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she tends to do better in computer games. I was the one who intro-ed her to Bejeweled. Then in no time she'd already hit her game high score of 1 million, when the best I could do is 300k. As of the last I could recall, her current best score is about 1.5m, whereas mine is still at 500k.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteHeh! Heh! Ya, very true... my question sort of took the fun out of fun right? But nehminelah (sorry to the English Language teachers, I can't resist)...we are trying to investigate and maybe in my case,instigate...hopefully something useful.
So, we can add to the definition of 'fun' the possibility of having an alternative identity (without hurting anyone?)- probably because it allows us to explore in 'safety'- same as Castronova's 'relevant to survival'(?)
- as a destressor (?)
- and from what Arun says, we can get other people's admiration and surprise them, so fun can mean satisfying (?)
Wow Brenda! 1.5 million (?)what would it feel like to score 1.5 million in a test? =D