Games as Complex Social Spaces: An Ethnographic Investigation into the Distributed Cognition and Problem Solving in World of Warcraft A dissertation presented to the faculty of The Patton College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Jeffrey Kuhn April 2017 © 2017 Jeffrey Kuhn. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled Games as Complex Social Spaces: An Ethnographic Investigation into the Distributed Cognition and Problem Solving in World of Warcraft by JEFFREY KUHN has been approved for the Department of Educational Studies and The Patton College of Education by Greg Kessler Associate Professor of Educational Studies Renée A. Middleton Dean, The Patton College of Education 3 Abstract KUHN, JEFFREY, Ph.D., April 2017, Curriculum and Instruction, Instructional Technology Games as Complex Social Spaces: An Ethnographic Investigation Into the Distributed Cognition and Problem Solving in World of Warcraft Director of Dissertation: Greg Kessler This dissertation is a qualitative case study that examines the collaborative problem-solving practices of players of the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMOs) game World of Warcraft (WoW). A five-person team was investigated as they ran dungeons within WoW and were documented across three distinct, yet interconnected, spaces: in- room, in-game as software, and within their Game social space. The purpose for this investigation was to understand the distributed cognition and problem solving that occurs within MMOs by documenting how players, hardware, game-as-software, and Game-as-social-space interact as a cohesive whole to form what is referred to here as the gamespace. Documenting this gamespace provides insight into players self-organization, why they play the games they do, and aspects of gameplay that have been overlooked in the games and learning research (Consalvo, 2007). I further sought to operationalize Steinkuehler’s (2008) six modes of participation and document how they occur within an iterative cycle of learning. The findings of this study indicate that players devote the majority of their gameplay time to solving problems generated by the Game-as-community. In addition, the findings indicate players move through two distinct cycles of learning within the 4 gamespace: one at the game level, and another at the Game level. In both of these cycles of learning, Steinkuehler’s (2008) six modes of participation are operationalized. My findings suggest that to effectively leverage games for learning, educators need to design for and support the social aspect of gaming and move beyond the player- software dyad. Keywords: problem-solving, distributed cognition, MMOs, games and learning, World of Warcraft 5 Dedication To my 11th grade guidance counselor Mr. Rudy who told me, “The AP courses are only for kids who will go on to college.” and taught me spite can carry you far in life. 6 Acknowledgments My completion of this dissertation is in large part thanks to the help and friendship of my advisor Dr. Greg Kessler. His encouragement, dedication, and brainstorming on the big ideas kept this dissertation going. I also want to thank my committee for their help and assistance in completing this endeavor as well. Throughout the process they encouraged me to take risks and tackle the questions driving my passion for this field. Dr. Min Lun Wu’s breadth of knowledge in games and learning pushed me keep my findings focused and on track. These finding would not mean anything without Dr. Krisanna Machtmes generous assistance in helping me shape and refine my methodology to capture the complex spaces of games. I would also like to thank Dr. Sara Helfrich for her insights from teacher education and how these finding can benefit the larger field of education. I was fortunate to have such an outstanding committee and cannot thank them enough for their time and efforts. I would also like to thank the Patton College of Education and OHIO University for the support they provide students through the entire process. I also appreciate the help of Dr. David Moore and Dr. Teresa Franklin in providing the foundations I needed to write this dissertation in their coursework. In addition, my thanks go to Dr. Seann Dikkers for introducing me to much of the games and learning literature. Most importantly, I want to say thank you to my loving wife Ella. Her patience and understanding during this challenging and exhilarating process knew no bounds. When the path to this PhD grew dark, your smile lit my way. 7 Table of Contents Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 6 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 11 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................ 13 Understanding games and Games ................................................................................. 15 The Hard Fun of Problem Solving ................................................................................ 18 Need for Research ......................................................................................................... 20 Purpose of the Study ..................................................................................................... 21 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 23 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 25 Delimitations of the Study ............................................................................................ 25 Definitions of Terms ..................................................................................................... 25 Organization of the Study ............................................................................................. 28 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 29 Games for Learning ...................................................................................................... 29 Gaming: The New Media Literacy ............................................................................... 31 The Hard Fun of Games ................................................................................................ 34 games and Games ......................................................................................................... 36 The Evolution of Games ............................................................................................... 37 Learning in Games - The Example of Kerbal Space Program ..................................... 39 Games as Communities of Practice .............................................................................. 46 From MUDs to World of Warcraft: A History of MMOs ............................................ 48 Games as Social Spaces: Steinkuehler and MMOs ...................................................... 50 Social Role of Thinking ................................................................................................ 52 Distributed Cognition ................................................................................................... 54 The Way Forward ......................................................................................................... 58 8 The Next Stage of Research .......................................................................................... 60 Chapter Three: Methodology ............................................................................................ 65 Case Study Approach .................................................................................................... 66 Description of the Case ................................................................................................. 68 World of Warcraft ..................................................................................................... 69 The guild ................................................................................................................... 70 The big-G Game ....................................................................................................... 73 The computer hardware ............................................................................................ 74 The Role of the Researcher and Ethical Considerations ............................................... 75 Pilot Studies .................................................................................................................. 77 Participants .................................................................................................................... 77 Participant information ............................................................................................. 78 Data Collection ............................................................................................................