Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Theses and Dissertations Graduate School 2014 Video Games: Their Effect on Society and How We Must Modernize Our Pedagogy for Students of the Digital Age Christopher J. Baker Virginia Commonwealth University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd Part of the Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons © The Author Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3627 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. © Christopher John Baker 2014 All Rights Reserved VIDEO GAMES: THEIR EFFECT ON SOCIETY AND HOW WE MUST MODERNIZE OUR PEDAGOGY FOR STUDENTS OF THE DIGITAL AGE A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. by CHRISTOPHER JOHN BAKER B.A. Theatre, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 2010 Director: NOREEN C. BARNES, Ph.D. DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE STUDIES, DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia December 2014 ii Acknowledgement First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge my wonderful family for all of the support they have given me over the course of my ever evolving career. Most importantly, I want to offer a most heartfelt thanks to my parents, Steven and Linda Baker. Not only did they constantly encourage my insatiable desire to create art throughout my life, but they were also the ones who both purchased my first video game system, a Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and allowed me to spend my free time delving deep into the fictional worlds of video games.