Dr. P Check-in Gameful World - Module 3 #writ671mu
These chapters and particularly Benson's bring up the role of positive/negative reward pathways in playing that I think is an interesting connection back to Stuart's Ethics as well as creating new links to biology (these terms are frequently used in neurobehavioral studies). With these player-centric theories that focus on play as biological--are we giving something up for this definition? I also notice the focus on the individual was key in the writing outcomes as well though all of these theories in one way or another acknowledge the social aspects of learning and play. I feel like in some ways we are gaining a more refined definition of play in these recent chapters but I'm trying to make it make sense with some of Huizinga's claims and even Stenros' own "spirit of play." I guess both can exist simultaneously (as is common in play characteristics) I just think it is interesting that there seems to be a return to the aspects of play (and writing) that are physical/biological. Is this a tension that is just central to play? We've encountered about 60+ years of theories and all of them seem to share some of this tension.
Sorry --turned into more of a rant than a question













