Thanks again for the handipoints website. I do like the idea of linking inworld rewards with realworld behaviours. Would like to see this go beyond the parent model and into an educator/school realm too.

Have you checked out Handipoints yet? The website doesn’t provide much detail on the virtual world component, but rewards are set by parents of the children playing.

So rewards can be for good behavior, doing chores, or whatever – and translated into the virtual goods.

It seems like a bit of a breath of fresh air, though I haven’t logged in personally to check it out.

Thanks for stopping by Scott. There are definitely things I like about Dizzywood – the story driven quests for example. And I do agree that learning the value of money, whether it’s fictional coins or real dollars, is very important to kids of all ages. I haven’t checked out the archeology dig, but certainly will. It sounds like the type of activity that an educator like myself could tailor to have epistemic value extending beyond the game world to tie into a host of curriculum expectations. I will be paying Dizzywood another visit to check it out.

Liam,

Thank you for mentioning Dizzywood.com in your round-up. We appreciate the coverage. I encourage you to take a closer look at how Dizzywood works. While it’s true that we have a purchasing system in the world that uses coins, the overall focus is on achievement and story-driven goals. Many of the items that are available in Dizzywood must be earned by accomplishing certain tasks/goals, usually presented in the form of assisting other characters in the world. Kids learn quickly that although money can by some things, it can’t buy everything. I think that’s an important lesson for kids—of all ages.

Furthermore, we’re designing the world in such as way that kids learn that rewards become proportionally greater as they work together in teams to reach common goals. A good example of this is our “archeology dig” in the Explorer’s Camp area. Kids can complete the task on their own, but quickly learn that it can be accomplished significantly quicker if they work together. The reward for completing the task is a super-power that cannot be purchased with coins.

In any case, thank you again for mentioning us (and noting the name change). I’m adding your blog to my must-read list—I loved the article on epistemic games.

I think it all comes down to balance Kristi. Play and learning in virtual worlds must be balanced by play and learning in the real world.

Kids and adults have been plugged into other worlds via TV for years it’s become an accepted thing (not a good thing but accepted.) Studies (this one in particular: http://snipurl.com/1xkdw ) state that the average adult gamer spends 21 hours a week playing mmos. The average TV adult watcher spends 28 hours in front of the TV. Granted, these are stats for adults and neither of these numbers is good, but I feel they highlight the point that if we’re going to talk about the amount of time spent in front of computer screens playing video games, then let’s also talk about the time spent in front of screens watching TV.

This is where balance comes in. And young people often need an adult in their life to help them navigate that balance. I know I sure did. It usually came in the form of my mom saying: “Turn off that game and play outside!”