Cyber-ludic pedagogies: An interpretive framework on playful conflict in video games

Kourkoulou, Theodora

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/121932 Copy

Description

Title

Cyber-ludic pedagogies: An interpretive framework on playful conflict in video games

Author(s)

Kourkoulou, Theodora

Issue Date

2023-11-06

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

McCarthy, Cameron R.

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

McCarthy, Cameron R.

Committee Member(s)

• Cope, William
• Kalantzis, Mary
• Davila, Liv T.

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• video games
• video games in education
• public pedagogies
• play and learning
• human rights education
• cyber-ludic pedagogies

Abstract

This dissertation explores conflict within the domain of video game design, navigating through a tripartite classification system inspired by Bajaj’s (2012) categorization of human rights education ideologies. It unravels the intricacies of this interactive medium and conceptualizes three pedagogical attitudes towards games, namely those of looking at games as a new order, as amplified conflict, and as liminal play. The first dimension discusses video games as a new order, underlining their transformative expansion into educational communities, bringing along increased neoliberal pressures on school budgets and teachers’ training. Herein, the supposedly innovative nature of video games is interrogated, revealing its core alignment with economic competitiveness and the perpetuation of capitalist production paradigms. The investigation unveils the disguised implications of this ‘innovation,’ illuminating the oppressive undertones that reaffirm the long-standing links between education and work production. Next, the dissertation explores the instrumentalization of conflict within games, proposing that games inherently necessitate conflict resolution as an indispensable condition to fuel narrative and experiential dynamics. This leads to a conceptualization of design as defensive and paranoid reading. Finally, the research embraces the liminality of play in the form of creative freedom, examining the transformative potential of play within the space of video game contexts. To achieve that, it proposes cyber-ludic methodologies as tools for resisting the essentialization of gaming communities, and unified paradigms of game interpretation, and their implementation and relevance for educational praxis. Cyber-ludic methodologies are, in effect, an interpretative framework that gives credit to the pedagogical utterances of video games as cultural artefacts. Three case studies of video games with self-referential and themes critical of technology are presented to further elucidate these interpretive methodologies: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Eliza, and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine. These case studies, integral to the research, center around pivotal in-game events, showcasing their social importance and extending beyond the confines of the virtual world. The dissertation embarks on an illuminating exploration of the complexities of conflict in video games, providing nuanced insights into this dynamic medium. The tripartite framework opens up new perspectives on video games’ social implications, their inherent conflict dynamics, and their potential for fostering liminal spaces of resistance and transformation.

Graduation Semester

2023-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Theodora Kourkoulou

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