Learning Beyond the Game: A Multimodal Analysis of Rocksmith Users’ Interactions

• Authors: C. Rodriguez Ruben , Marone Vittorio
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In the context of games for learning, rich multimodal conversations online can contribute to extending the educational potential of digital games. In this study, we analyzed the multimodal features of user interactions in an online affinity space dedicated to the Rocksmith digital game. This game allows users to connect a traditional electric guitar to a Sony PlayStation 4 console and interact with the game while improving their guitar playing skills. Findings show that users include several multimodal elements in their online conversations in order to support guitar learning beyond the digital walls of the game. Emoticons, emoji, pictures, YouTube videos, and user-generated videos are all part of a constellation of audiovisual modes that support social learning practices in an interestdriven online space. By understanding how users incorporate these modes in their interactions, game designers, game developers, and educators can make informed decisions on how to design and improve these features within the games themselves and in online communities of learning dedicated to such games. The findings of this study can also help these stakeholders and decision-makers create more engaging and more effective connections between games and online platforms.

Keywords

EN

affinity spaces; games and learning; multimodality; online learning; Rocksmith

• Publisher: Fakulta masmediálnej komunikácie Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda
• Journal: Acta Ludologica
• Year: 2020
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 36-53
• Physical description: Media and Communication, Game studies, Theory of digital games
• Document type: Article

Contributors

author

C. Rodriguez Ruben

• San Antonio College, Music Business Program – Department of Radio, Television, and Broadcast

author

Marone Vittorio

• The University of Texas at San Antonio, College of Education and Human Development, Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching