21st-Century Skills

• Use a collaborative, online tool to plan an in-world event (raid, group quest).  This could be a social networking tool, a message board, etc.

   

• Machinima (a movie or film created using a video game or virtual world): 
  • Create and edit a video that tells a story in game.
  • Create and edit a video that uses the game to address a social issue.  Use your characters to tell the story.
  • Write a script and create a storyboard for your movie.
  • Post your movie to a collaborative video-sharing site (YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, etc.). 
  • Promote your video through your social network.

     

• Create a podcast where you and a classmate discuss strategy for a particular encounter or as a tutorial based on your experiences.
  • Create an agenda for the discussion.
  • Record and edit the audio.
  • Post your audio guide online.
  • Promote your podcast through your social network.

     

• Use PowerPoint to create a presentation that discusses an issue such as:  the value of games in education, an introduction to World of Warcraft for teachers/parents, digital citizenship in a virtual world or another topic related to this class.
  • Present your presentation to the class. 
  • Incorporate feedback from your classmates.
  • Share your presentation online using SlideShare.
  • Promote your presentation to your social network.

     

• Use a Voice Over IP (voice chat) system to Conduct a Raid in World of Warcraft.

   

• Create a webpage or wiki that addresses the following:
  • A guide for your particular character class.
  • A guide to a particular encounter.
  • Other topics addressed in this class.

• Add-ons

          What professions do you have on your character? Research some add-ons that might help with that profession. For example, a fishing add-on, or an add-on that tracks the places where you’ve found herbs in the past. Try to find a couple add-ons for each profession. Compare them with whatever information you can find. Decide which one is the best for each purpose and write up a short review of them. Then create step-by-step directions for how to install them.

• E-conomics 101

          Research the Auction House on your server. Look at items that can be gathered or crafted. What professions do you think would be the most profitable? Create a fictional “store-front” in-game. Write a business plan for this venture. Include the name of the company, any employees, skills required, marketing analysis, product analysis, and inventory management.

• Account Security

          What precautions has Blizzard put in place to help protect your account? What are mobile authenticators? How do they work? What kinds of things could you do to make sure your account is secure from hackers?

• Computer Maintenance

          What are some general rules for keeping your workstation functioning properly? What kind of tasks should be done daily, weekly, or monthly? What would happen to your game play experience if your PC was down? What if you lost Internet connection? What if you had a virus? Create a brochure that illustrates basic computer maintenance rules for keeping a workstation up and running smoothly.

•  Anonymity

          One of the characteristics of a social network resource is user anonymity. This means that because you’ve never met the person on the other end in real life, they basically interact with you anonymously. How can this be a benefit to you? How can this be a drawback? What kind of positive things have you experienced from interacting with another player that you don’t know in RL? What kind of negative things have you experienced? What kind of information should you never give out to anyone online? What kind of information do you think is safe to share? Why do you think grown-ups are so worried about teenager’s safety when they are on the Internet?

• Dynamic Content

          World of Warcraft has evolved over the years. Some of the things that have changed just recently include: changing pets and mounts from items carried in a player’s inventory to a spell located on a tab on the character sheet; hunters no longer require special bags to carry ammunition; group buffs for the same stat no longer stack; there is a voice chat included in the game; players can queue for battlegrounds without having to travel to the battleground; bind on account items are now available; and there is a one-hour grace period for buying back items from a vendor after they’ve been sold. Choose one of these changes (or find one yourself online) and explain why you think this may have changed. See if you can find any reactions from players online in the forums or elsewhere. How did players react? Why do you think it is important for Blizzard to change the game periodically? Why do they create patches? What are patches? Can you think of a better way to create new content or make changes in the game rather than patching it?