Module Descriptors
GAMES STUDIES 1
GAME40423
Key Facts
Digital, Technology, Innovation and Business
Level 4
15 credits
Contact
Leader: Esther Maccallum-Stewart
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 24
Independent Study Hours: 126
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
- ESSAY weighted at 100%
Module Details
ASSESSMENT DETAILS
Essay at 2500 Word (Learning outcomes 1, 2 & 3)
INDICATIVE CONTENT
This module introduces you to the theoretical origins of game studies as well as to sociological theories.
The module will explore how sociological theorists set out to explain the transformation and broad contours of modern gaming society, especially its defining characteristics and its most pressing challenges. Whilst the sociology of games will form the theoretical core of this module, you will also be introduced to theoretical approaches and methodologies that draw from the broader field of social science (e.g. ethnography; social learning theory; philosophy of communication and dialogue) and humanities (e.g. ludology and narratology).
The module will explore how sociological theorists set out to explain the transformation and broad contours of modern gaming society, especially its defining characteristics and its most pressing challenges. Whilst the sociology of games will form the theoretical core of this module, you will also be introduced to theoretical approaches and methodologies that draw from the broader field of social science (e.g. ethnography; social learning theory; philosophy of communication and dialogue) and humanities (e.g. ludology and narratology).
RESOURCES
The library and e-brary
Blackboard
Lecture and seminar rooms with Powerpoint presentation and DVD playback facilities
Seminar rooms suitable for group work
PCs with student access to email, internet and word-processing
Blackboard
Lecture and seminar rooms with Powerpoint presentation and DVD playback facilities
Seminar rooms suitable for group work
PCs with student access to email, internet and word-processing
TEXTS
Caillois, Roger (1962) Man, play and games, London: Thames & Hudson.
Dillon, Michele (2010) Introduction to sociological theory. Theorists, concepts and their applicability to the twenty-first century, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Goffman, Erving (1961) Encounters: Two studies in the sociology of interaction, London: Allen Lane.
Huizinga, Johan (2000) Homo ludens: A study of play-element in culture, London: Routledge
Kirkpatrick, Graeme (2013) Computer games and the social imaginary, Cambridge: Polity
Dillon, Michele (2010) Introduction to sociological theory. Theorists, concepts and their applicability to the twenty-first century, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Goffman, Erving (1961) Encounters: Two studies in the sociology of interaction, London: Allen Lane.
Huizinga, Johan (2000) Homo ludens: A study of play-element in culture, London: Routledge
Kirkpatrick, Graeme (2013) Computer games and the social imaginary, Cambridge: Polity
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF HISTORICAL GAME CULTURES
[Knowledge and Understanding]
2. EVALUATE SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE GAMING WORLD AND GAMING INDUSTRY.
[Analysis; Reflection; Enquiry; Problem Solving]
3. WRITE COHERENTLY AND FOLLOWING NORMAL ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS ABOUT IDEAS, THEORIES AND PARTICULAR CASES.
[Communication]
[Knowledge and Understanding]
2. EVALUATE SOCIAL ISSUES IN THE GAMING WORLD AND GAMING INDUSTRY.
[Analysis; Reflection; Enquiry; Problem Solving]
3. WRITE COHERENTLY AND FOLLOWING NORMAL ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS ABOUT IDEAS, THEORIES AND PARTICULAR CASES.
[Communication]
Module Learning Strategies
UPDATE HOURS ONLY
Web Descriptor
Why is Games Studies important, and what role does it play in our understanding of games, gamers and gaming? You will learn about some of the core theories and key questions surrounding the study of games as a medium worthy of critical and theoretical attention.