The Feral Pedagogies of Warsong Gulch
Diane Carr

The focus of this presentation is learning, expertise and associated social practices in World of Warcraft’s player v player battlegrounds. The learning and tutoring practices present in battlegrounds such as Warsong Gulch do not resemble those documented in current MMORPG and education literature, which tends to focus on guilds, collaboration, mentoring and community. In this short presentation attention turns instead to the screaming, sulking, name-calling and ranting that characterises the pedagogies of the Gulch. One of the enjoyable aspects of gaming in the Gulch is witnessing the occasional meltdown of fellow players – most commonly suffered by those who attempt to take on a leadership and/or pedagogic role only to be thwarted in various ways. It is also interesting to consider the limits of the game-space itself (a field and two opposing forts), and the apparently clear and simple goals (capture the opposition’s flag) alongside the conflicts over what constitutes ‘correct’ play that manifest as text-based temper tantrums. Through the process of examining these alternative pedagogic strategies it becomes possible to explore some of the rhetoric that weaves through contemporary games and education debates.

Title: Deafness, Difference and Discourse in Virtual Worlds
Author: Diane Carr

During this presentation research into the virtual world Second Life and its deaf ‘residents’ will be described. Within debates on disability, computer games and virtual worlds there is been a tendency to conceptualise access as a hardware or software problem. Such work is important, but the debate needs to be broadened. When considering access and inclusion, technologies and tools need to be considered in tandem with the social practices and discourses that shape their reception and implementation, in particular contexts.

Prior to 2007, the ‘normal’ way for ‘residents’ to communicate within Second Life was through text-based chat (similar to Instant Messenger, or an Internet chat-room). A new voice feature was introduced to Second Life in 2007. This enabled hearing residents to use microphones to speak and listen to one another. Some groups and communities seized on this new technology, with the upshot that deaf residents found themselves excluded from certain activities, friendships and conversations. Previous to the arrival of the voice feature, a resident’s ability to hear was rarely an issue. As these events make apparent, ‘disabilities appear or are highlighted in environments that produce disability’ (Davis 1995 p 165).

In order to research these issues, interviews were conducted inside the virtual world, with residents who identify as deaf/Deaf. Through analysis of interview data, the impact of the voice feature, the associated social practices, and the discursive construction of deafness as disability within Second Life, was investigated.

Reference:
Davis, L.J (1995) Enforcing Normalcy: Disability, Deafness and the Body. London: Verso

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20090127/tuk-oaps-using-wii-to-keep-fit-6323e80.html

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk/Wii-can-cure-you-hospitals39.4283362.jp

http://www.therapytimes.com/Research_Shows_Rehabilitation_Benefits_of_Using_Nintendo_Wii/content=0902J84C489EAC86408040441

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/3356295/Doctors-use-Nintendo-Wii-in-therapy-treatment.html

Disability and the Internet: Access, Mediation, Representation
Friday 5th December 2008
Liverpool John Moores University

The Cultural Disability Studies Research Network in association with Liverpool John Moores University’s MA in Communication and Internet Studies ‘Critical Internet Studies’ Seminar Series presents a free event hosted and funded by Liverpool John Moores University.

Launching the CDSRN’s Theorising Disability in the Media Study Day Series this event is the first of a series of study days providing a forum for focused critical analysis and debate around disability, representation and the mass media.

Providing an overview of research at the intersection of disability studies and internet studies this event will assess the challenges and advantages of the convergence of scholarly and activist perspectives in internet production, practice and theory. Confirmed Speakers Include:

Dr. Helen Kennedy – Institute of Communication Studies, University of Leeds
Prof. Ben Light – IS, Organisations and Society Research Centre and School of Media, Music and Performance, University of Salford
Dr. Peter Wheeler – Business School, Edge Hill University

Panel presentations include: Disability and Social Networking * Teaching Disability and the Internet * Autism and On-Line Advocacy * Embodied Health Movements and On-Line Campaigning

Programme details available at http://www.ljmu.ac.uk/MCA/91707.htm
To register for this event please contact info@cdsrn.org.uk. Due to limited places early registration is recommended. Cultural Disability Studies Research Network http://www.cdsrn.org.uk