FYI - a course “open to all PhD-students with an interest in historical games but is especially aimed at those who are interested in analysing these games and exploring their usage as a historical form in informal or formal learning contexts.” It’s probably most relevant for graduate students in Europe. Begin forwarded message:
From: Communication History Discussion List <communicationhistory@communicationhistory.org> Subject: Historical Representation in Games - PhD Course Date: May 31, 2014 at 7:47:56 AM EDT To: discussion@communicationhistory.org Reply-To: Communication History Discussion List <discussion@communicationhistory.org>
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The Linnaeus Centre for Research on Learning, Interaction and Mediated Communication in Contemporary Society (LinCS) http://www.lincs.gu.se/ invites PhD students to a course on the topic Historical Representation in Games: Informal and formal learning about history through games
5 + 5 Higher Education Credits.
Given the massive commercial successes of the medium in recent years, digital historical games (i.e. games that utilise historical settings) have rapidly become one of the most widespread and successful forms of popular history. This, alongside their chosen historical content, makes them potentially highly influential histories that are generally experienced in informal settings. Similarly, the possibilities of a new form of history also raises interesting new questions for formal educational settings that must be answered. Despite, the widespread nature of games as cultural products, historical game studies (though benefitting from disciplinary diversity and featuring much good research) is still a somewhat scattered and incoherent field that can therefore be difficult for students to access. The Historical Representation in Games course pulls these strands together into a unified curriculum that provides a foundational basis for approaching historical games (both digital an d non-digital) and exploring their possibilities and limitations as a form of history.
The course is open to all PhD-students with an interest in historical games but is especially aimed at those who are interested in analysing these games and exploring their usage as a historical form in informal or formal learning contexts.
All participation is free of charge. Costs for participation will be covered (this applies also to students from abroad) by LinCS-DSES. Thus travel costs to course venues (including hotel, second class train or budget air-fare etc.) will be covered. Reimbursement will follow upon completion and passing of the course.
Participants will engage in depth with selected writings from the historical game studies field. This literature will be both explored and contextualised, in lectures, seminars, and assignments suitable to an interest in historical games. The course will also provide insights in to how historical games are used by their players and the existing online community practices that have grown around the playing of these games. Similarly the course will also engage questions surrounding historical games design and participants will actively explore this issue.
The course will have an online introduction the 3rd of September 2014 and 2 physical meetings in Gothenburg, Sweden. The first meeting is 1st –3rd of October 2014 the second is 12th-14th of November 2014.
The course gives 5 Higher Education Credits with an option to take 5 more credits.
To pass the course students need to participate in all meetings and undertake 2 assignments. For the extra 5 credits they also hand in a paper.
The course will have 20 participants. If there are more applicants, a selection is made by judging the relevance of the student's research plan and qualifications in relation to the objectives of the course. The selection process is carried out by the course-leaders in collaboration with the leadership of the research school.
To apply and for further information please go to: http://www.lincs.gu.se/dses/courses/historical-representation-in-games/
Questions regarding participation, eligibility, application etc. should be directed at Sylvi Vigmo, Director of Studies LinCS-DSES@ped.gu.se
Questions regarding reimbursement and travel costs should be directed at Doris Gustafson, LinCS administrator doris.gustafson@ped.gu.se
Questions regarding the content of the course should be directed at Adam Chapman, Course Leader, adam.chapman@gu.se
Kind regards Adam Chapman