Identity and Meaning

LEARNING AND IDENTITY

Games “require taking on a new identity and forming bridges from one’s old identities to the new one” (51). These identities can be incompatible, opposing, or threatening to each other. Video games encourage identity work and reflection on identities in clear and powerful ways. Identity and its development is a choice, or so Gee implies.

THREE IDENTITIES

First is the virtual identity (curious why this is first?). The doings and not doings are because of the real person, but the real person is, in a sense, not responsible for the successes and failures of the character. It is a relationship similar to that of a parent and child, although in this case, the real person is their own child.

The second identity is the real-world identity. This includes several/all nonvirtual identities (professor, linguist, parent, reader, etc.) All or any of these identities can interact with the game/virtual identity.

A third and final identified mentioned by Gee is the projective identity. Project means to both “project one’s values and desires onto the virtual character” and “seeing the virtual character as one’s own project in the making, a creature whom I imbue with a certain trajectory through time defined by my aspirations for what I want that character to be and become (within the limitations of her capacities, of course)” (55).Here the stress is on the interactions between the virtual and the real-world identities. Gee begins to develop his idea that identity and development is a choice; the virtual identity reflects the value of the real person and consciously determine these values.

Each type of identity can succeed or fail according to their limitations. The virtual character has programmed limitations; the real person has weaknesses that can be overcome with work or must be dealt with, and the projective identity can fail, for example, if the real word identity causes the virtual identity to go against the player’s intentions and desires.

Why is this triple identity so important? It is both active and reflexive (which goes deeper than books or movies).

IDENTITY AND LEARNING

Gee identifies 3 issues:

1. The learner must be enticed to try.
2. The learner must be enticed to put in lots of effort.
3. The learner must achieve some meaningful success.

Video games are well-suited to this way of teaching and learning, but ‘school’ has failed in these areas. This way of learning creates ownership, a characteristic of the third (projective) identity.

The chapter concludes with 9 learning principles of good video games that relate to the concept of identity.

SITUATED MEANING AND LEARNING

LEARNING AND EXPERIENCE

Traditional learning overstresses the work of the mind, which is comparable to a computer (so how does the phrase, “It only does what you tell it to do” work in this context?) An alternative view stresses reliance on experience.

STORYING AND LIVING IN VIRTUAL (VIDEO GAME) WORLD

Story lines are a combination of four things:

1. Authorial (designer) choices
2. How the player causes these choices to play out
3. The actions the player carries out as a character
4. The player’s “imaginative projection” (perception) of all the elements of the game

All of these come together so that the player will invest in this game; it creates a “different” learning environment.

WRITTEN TEXTS

Gee addresses the issue of situated and embodied meanings in relation to written texts in this section; he begins by mentioning video game manuals (strategy guides) or booklets, written texts affiliated with the video game. The individual words/grammar of the booklet must make sense, but overall, the strategy guide must make sense to the player of the game. This is made possible through experience; knowing what the words mean altogether often follows learning through doing. Understanding is success. The chapter concludes with eight more learning principles related to the two forms of meaning.


Discussion Questions:

1. There are only full breeds and half breeds mixed with humans. Why are there no mixes of elf-gnome, elf-dwarf, elf-orc, elf-ogre, gnome-dwarf, gnome-orc, gnome-ogre, dwarf-orc, dwarf-ogre, orc-ogre? This sounds like a stupid question but I wonder why humans were chosen as the only possible half-breed option. 
2. In video games that allow flexibility in choosing an identity, there are “natural characteristics” –strength, dexterity, beauty, etc. Why are these ‘abilities’ something you can control (willpower) or other parts that are just part of your personality? What are the consequences of choosing an alter-ego that is your polar opposite in personality? Fulfilling a fantasy? Or does it teach those characteristics in reality?
3.  Gee has this idea of a projective identity. Could it not also be a protective identity? (I believe it’s protective because the game is a safe place, one where mistakes are valued for the learning experience and have minimal real consequences. The player can test the identity and values in a protected environment, even if the environment has other people’s virtual identities in it.)