IGB180 Games History, Culture and Psychology

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

This unit focuses on the social, cultural, sustainability and political aspects of videogames. It serves as a survey of topics useful for those interested in the study and creation of serious games, games for health, entertainment games, virtual and augmented reality, gamification and interactive environments. The units aims to help you become well played, well versed, and well read in and of games through the development of critical media skills. By the end of the semester you will be able to speak to current academic and industry trends around games, critically assess media and studies about games for veracity and reliability, leverage critical and creative thinking to express your positions on games, and converse about the history, social-cultural and sustainability impact of games.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Discuss key concepts regarding the impact and potential of computer games and the game development industry in our society using discipline specific vocabulary.
2. Analyse games and game literature in terms of genres and key concepts
3. Apply critical and creative thinking to use, compare and evaluate a variety of games and game genres within the context of gender, race, power, sustainability and ethics presented throughout the unit.
4. Critically assess the reliability of information and credibility of sources regarding video games
5. Use professional communication to engage in the social and cultural dialogue of computer games and express well-informed opinions about game-related issues
6. Apply contemporary research and industry trends related to the culture of games to identify the relevance and value of this research to your personal interests and direction.

Content

Learning Approaches

This unit will be primarily comprised of weekly interactive lectures in which you are required to engage with and discuss key issues. In some weeks there will also be workshops, which will be used to explore critical issues or assessment related tasks in greater detail. Interactive lectures will explore critical issues supported by games examples and provide you with the knowledge required to understand the gaming industry and to analyse and compare different game genres and their socio-cultural impact. You will be required to participate in online discussions during the interactive lectures and to take a position on key issues. In the interactive lectures you will also have an opportunity to apply lecture concepts and to acquire practical skills in the discourse and critical analysis of the socio-cultural and sustainability issues related to games: the representation of gender, culture, art and violence in games; the games played in different cultures (e.g., Eastern games, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander games); the ethics of game design (e.g., the portrayal of genocide, illegal or immoral behaviour); sustainability, and the use of games for purposes beyond entertainment (e.g., education, activism). Engagement with these issues will extend to discussion and debate with your peers. Much of the learning in this unit is achieved through direct experience and discussion, therefore your active participation in class sessions is strongly encouraged.

You can expect to spend between 10 - 15 hours per week on average involved in attending all scheduled interactive lectures and workshops, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.

If you need additional assistance with study skills, written or oral communication, you might wish to attend the free Student Success Group workshops, drop-in sessions or one-on-one support sessions.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

You will have a range of opportunities to receive feedback on your learning and progress in this unit including formative in-class individual or whole-of-class feedback on your work by tutors and feedback from peers. Tutors will also provide written responses to online postings on the unit Discord channel. You will receive individual written feedback on all assessment tasks via a rubric.

You are encouraged to seek assistance from the teaching staff. Individual consultations with your tutor can be arranged at a mutually convenient time.

Assessment

Overview

You will be required to undertake three individual assessment tasks in this unit, which provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to meet the unit learning outcomes. Details of assignment submission will be announced during the teaching sessions. Students are expected to work on the assignments independently. Assistance can be sought from the teaching staff. Students are reminded that the university considers plagiarism a serious offence and that appropriate action will be taken if cases of academic dishonesty are detected (MoPP C/5.3).

Appropriate assessment criteria will be made available at the introduction of each assignment.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Point of view presentation plan

Based on understanding of a range of key issues covered each week, you will select one topic to explore in far greater depth in the point of view presentation. The first step is your presentation plan that identifies your thesis and supporting arguments. You will be given feedback by teaching staff. Additionally, you will be asked to provide feedback to your peers on their essay plans and will also receive feedback on your plan from your peers.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Presentation

Point of view presentation (Video): You are a well known videogame commentator and you are presenting your point of view through an online video. You will provide your point of view on an issue from the lectures, supported by games and related literature.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Presentation

Presentation (Video): You are a well known videogame commentator and you are presenting an analysis of a commercially available videogame (in the form of an online video). You will analyse the game through the sense of two topics covered in the unit.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Other

You are encouraged to complete the Growth Mindset module during O Week to prepare you for this unit and for studying at university.

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no unusual health or safety risks associated with this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

IN05 Bachelor of Games and Interactive Environments

1. Demonstrate broad knowledge of games and interactive environments principles and theory, with an in-depth knowledge of one games-related discipline.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, ULO6, Point of view presentation plan, Presentation, Presentation
2. Apply creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills to generate solutions to design challenges.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, Point of view presentation plan, Presentation, Presentation
3. Create engaging and meaningful games experiences for specific target audiences in partnership with diverse industry and community stakeholders using industry-relevant software and technologies..
   Relates to: Point of view presentation plan, Presentation, Presentation
4. Communicate complex concepts at all stages of the development cycle to specialist and non-specialist audiences in written, oral and interactive visual formats.
   Relates to: ULO5, Presentation, Presentation
5. Critically reflect on social, ethical, cultural, legal and accessibility issues in the context of games and interactive environments, including as they relate to First Nations Australians.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, ULO6, Point of view presentation plan, Presentation, Presentation
6. Evidence the development of your learning, professional capabilities and skills through creating a curated portfolio of work.
   Relates to: Presentation