Falmouth University
Games Studies
My PhD Thesis. This thesis explores the ways in which suspension of disbelief works in digital games. Primarily concerned with how players relate imaginatively to the often major dissonance between gameplay and narrative in digital... more
My PhD Thesis.
This thesis explores the ways in which suspension of disbelief works in digital games.
Primarily concerned with how players relate imaginatively to the often major dissonance
between gameplay and narrative in digital games, this thesis questions how the literate
players of games reconcile these complex texts imaginatively. Proposing that Samuel Taylor
Coleridge's concept of suspension of disbelief is a complicated process often cited
rhetorically rather than given its theoretical due, this thesis aims to rehabilitate the term
and turn it into a useful, sharpened tool for games studies. Digital games themselves are
also seen to be an intense new realm of possibilities for the suspension of disbelief, and
textual analysis of games which approach the fourth wall or the suspension of disbelief on
their own terms helps to make this clear.
Beginning by defining the differences of games compared to other media, the thesis goes
on to define suspension of disbelief in both its historical and modern contexts and see how
it fits with games, isolating three key problems with uniting the concept with the medium.
The three chapters which follow looked in more depth at the problems of the skilled reader,
fundamental activity and dissonance through investigations into games’ textual
construction, the mindsets they engender in players and their reformulation of the fourth
wall. The final section looks at the conclusions working together to achieve the dual aims of
proposing a new model for game reading which centres around a willed disavowal of
presence on the part of the gamer combined with the gamer's taking up of a role offered by
the game-text, and rehabilitating both the term and the concept of suspension of disbelief.
This thesis explores the ways in which suspension of disbelief works in digital games.
Primarily concerned with how players relate imaginatively to the often major dissonance
between gameplay and narrative in digital games, this thesis questions how the literate
players of games reconcile these complex texts imaginatively. Proposing that Samuel Taylor
Coleridge's concept of suspension of disbelief is a complicated process often cited
rhetorically rather than given its theoretical due, this thesis aims to rehabilitate the term
and turn it into a useful, sharpened tool for games studies. Digital games themselves are
also seen to be an intense new realm of possibilities for the suspension of disbelief, and
textual analysis of games which approach the fourth wall or the suspension of disbelief on
their own terms helps to make this clear.
Beginning by defining the differences of games compared to other media, the thesis goes
on to define suspension of disbelief in both its historical and modern contexts and see how
it fits with games, isolating three key problems with uniting the concept with the medium.
The three chapters which follow looked in more depth at the problems of the skilled reader,
fundamental activity and dissonance through investigations into games’ textual
construction, the mindsets they engender in players and their reformulation of the fourth
wall. The final section looks at the conclusions working together to achieve the dual aims of
proposing a new model for game reading which centres around a willed disavowal of
presence on the part of the gamer combined with the gamer's taking up of a role offered by
the game-text, and rehabilitating both the term and the concept of suspension of disbelief.
Being able to work well in a team is valued in industry and beyond. As such, many university educators strive to help their students to collaborate effectively. However, it is typically the case that more than ad-hoc experience is needed... more
Being able to work well in a team is valued in industry and beyond. As such, many university educators strive to help their students to collaborate effectively. However, it is typically the case that more than ad-hoc experience is needed to master teamwork. Often, students need to become reflective practitioners who learn from their experiences and enact change. Self and peer evaluation can help evoke such reflection. However, the facilitating conditions for effective learning from peer evaluation during group projects in computing are not yet well-defined. This research is an initial step in identifying these conditions. In this study, students engaged in a long-term multidisciplinary software engineering project in which they produced a digital game. They completed regular exercises in which they reflected upon and wrote about their contributions to the project as well as those of their peers. Thematic analysis of 200 responses to an open-ended question about the purpose of these exercises illustrated the student perspective: giving and receiving feedback; prompting personal reflection and improvement; supporting supervision; aiding marking; informing project planning and management; coming to a shared understanding of the status and progress of the project; exploring and reshaping group dynamics; improving project outputs; providing a system to hold group members accountable; and giving a sense of safety to raise issues without repercussion. Giving consideration to these differing perceptions will help educators to address concerns about group projects and lay the foundations for a model of effective learning from peer evaluation during student collaborations.
- by Douglas W Brown and +2
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- Computer Science, Digital Games, Thematic Analysis, Edu