Entries in "Gaming" ( for this category only)

Wii Preparation for Surgeons

Years ago we had reports that our Desert Storm pilots were better than their former colleagues, due to being raised as children with video games. Now, we a have a study that shows surgeons that warm up or train on Wii perform better in surgeries.

Game players scored nearly 50% higher on tool control and overall performance than other trainees.

2007 TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium

Registration is now open for the first annual Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, sponsored by ALA TechSource and the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).

Gaming and literacy experts James Paul Gee and Henry Jenkins will keynote the event by exploring how libraries fit into the intersection of gaming and the digital learning landscape, while guest speakers Eli Neiburger (author of the 2007 title "Gamers…in the Library?! The Why, What, and How of Videogame Tournaments for All Ages") and Syracuse University Game Lab Director Scott Nicholson will kick off the discussions about why libraries do this. Gregory Trefry, a game designer from GameLab, will explore libraries and the concept of "big games," while social computing expert and gamer Liz Lawley will provide context and a broad view for the topics discussed.

More than 25 sessions in three tracks will cover such wide-ranging topics as creating games for information literacy, implementing gaming programs, teaching kids how to make their own games, gaming for adults, digital downloads for gamers, online fiction games, and more. In addition, a track dedicated to Second Life will highlight how libraries are creating a presence in this virtual world and what they are gaining from it.

ALA's Collection of Web 2.0 Resources

ALA has created a wiki that highlights all the online tools that have been created by ALA and its members. The Read Write Connect wiki allows a user quick access to a variety of web 2.0 tools, such as wikis, blogs, podcasts, videos, RSS feeds, social network, and virtual worlds.

Give a child a video game -- and maybe a job

Make sure you check out this article about video games to prepare children for technology in the workforce.

Give a child a video game -- and maybe a job
By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES, Jan 11 (Reuters Life!) - Mathematics, science and video games? A U.S. university professor is urging schools to consider using video games as tools to better prepare children for the work force.

Exploring Non-Electronic Games from within a Virtual Environment

I love the different approaches people have been taking to use Second Life in collaboration and exploration.

National Games Week, which celebrates and promotes non-electronic games, is from November 19-25, 2006. The Second Life Library is hosting a variety of events.

Celebrate National Games Week with the Second Life Library. All events are open to the public, will be held on Info Island, and recorded for later listening. The Schedule is in SL time/ Pacific Standard Time:

• Sunday November 19, 1:00PM - Mark Simmons: National Games Week Founder
  Interview via Skype
• Monday November 20, 5:00PM - Nick deKunter: Making Educational Games
  Vice President of Muzzy Lane and Designer of Making History
  Opal presentation audio - http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room. Minimize that to hear audio and participate in Second Life.
• Tuesday November 21, 4:00PM - James Stubbs from PLCMC
  board games and libraries
  Opal presentation audio - http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room. Minimize that to hear audio and participate in Second Life.
• Wednesday November 22, 1:00PM - Virtual Bacon: Second Life Game Design Program Director of the Game & Simulation Department at DeVry University and owner of imagiLEARNING
  Working on PhD in Games and Learning
  jjamison at imagilearning.com
  Opal presentation talking about game addiction and people who play games - go to http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room.Opal presentation - go to http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room.
• Friday November 24, TBD - Eiseldora Reisman: Relation Between Online Environments and Tabletop Games
  Opal presentation - go to http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room.
• Friday November 24, 3PM - Paul Schwarzwalder: Game Design Q&A
  Opal presentation - go to http://www.opal-online.org - click on auditorium link on left to enter online audio room.
• Friday November 24, 5:00 PM - Talon Lardner: Role Playing in Second Life
  Second Life Roleplayer , Avatar in World on Main Grid