Kickstarter Project: A Gaming Engine For Reading

After watching the video for The Game of Books Kickstarter project, I honestly don't know how this isn't completely funded by now. Hell, you'd think the U.S. Department of Education would be all over something like this.

As the assistant principal for an urban grade school, I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage students to read. However, I am afraid that this idea may have a serious flaw. If, as a child, all I have to do is scan the book with my phone to get the xp, where is the proof that I actually read the book? Wouldn't a visit to the local library have the potential to give me access to acquiring tons of xp? Are today's gaming youngsters, who come from a culture of cheat codes and hacks, supposed to be put on the honor's system in this regard?

Agreed David; as well the current system only has 30 badges, out of hundreds of genres, hundreds of thousands of books? Seems narrow.

It also reminds me of this, because well, it is EXACTLY this:
http://youtu.be/vnTGqw1qTV8

And the same generation that grows up on this nonsense will need a "Game of Working", such that when they show up for their McJob or their Walmart Shelf Stocker job on time or dont get fired for 6 months, they get an XP badge.

thedge said:

And the same generation that grows up on this nonsense will need a "Game of Working", such that when they show up for their McJob or their Walmart Shelf Stocker job on time or dont get fired for 6 months, they get an XP badge.

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That's what the Sims 3 is for unless you want to be a farmer...though there is Farmville and Microsoft Farm Simulator 2013.

thedge said:

And the same generation that grows up on this nonsense will need a "Game of Working", such that when they show up for their McJob or their Walmart Shelf Stocker job on time or don't get fired for 6 months, they get an XP badge.

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You know the next generations "ways" are caused by the ones before? You don't blame the guy who turns up 5 minutes ago why the 3 week tournament isn't going so well.

davidmi58 said:

As the assistant principal for an urban grade school, I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage students to read. However, I am afraid that this idea may have a serious flaw. If, as a child, all I have to do is scan the book with my phone to get the xp, where is the proof that I actually read the book? Wouldn't a visit to the local library have the potential to give me access to acquiring tons of xp? Are today's gaming youngsters, who come from a culture of cheat codes and hacks, supposed to be put on the honor's system in this regard?

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I think the goal is to promote reading. How do you prove someone read a book? That's like trying to prove a student learned something in school.

There are already lots of silly things for encouraging kids to read through games and websites. Teachers assign them now so no I do not care if another one gets a kick starter.

I think (hope) that the comment about the US Dept of Ed was a joke about how much money they waste on silly ideas that (clearly -- at least to eh majority of classroom educators) won't do what they are intended to do.

Very cool idea, but as mentioned kids today like cheat codes and hacks so this may not work as intended.

thedge said:

And the same generation that grows up on this nonsense will need a "Game of Working", such that when they show up for their McJob or their Walmart Shelf Stocker job on time or dont get fired for 6 months, they get an XP badge.

Click to expand...

In reality we already do with performance reviews and our resumes. That is how I think of it and it has served me well. Every new major task that I start on at it work I ask how it will improve those two things. If it doesn't...fuck it. I've had some amazing conversations with some of my bosses due to this.

Boss: "We need you to do this"
Me: "That isn't the direction I want to take my career"
Boss: "But you are so good at it"
Me: "That isn't the direction I want to take my career"
Boss: "But if anybody else does it it will cost more"
Me: "That isn't the direction I want to take my career"
Boss: "But what if I download you a lol cat and make it your background
Me: "That isn't the direction I want to take my career"
Boss:
Me: "That isn't the direction I want to take my career"
Boss: "Fine, what do you do?"
Me: "I want to do X, Y and Z
Boss: "Okay, you start Monday since I know you will do well at it anyways".

I'm all for trying to get kids to read more, but the video just confused me. Is the app a side-scroller sorta like those Mavis Beacon games? If you don't need the app do you get a physical "card" with the book from the library and is that like Magic the Gathering? Is the "engine" just a keyword search algorithm and you use your "score" to do what exactly, feel superior to others? I guess I just don't get it... maybe I need to read more to understand. If it's like the accolades in games now I definitely have no interest at all, those are annoying wastes of time IME.

davidmi58 said:

As the assistant principal for an urban grade school, I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage students to read. However, I am afraid that this idea may have a serious flaw. If, as a child, all I have to do is scan the book with my phone to get the xp, where is the proof that I actually read the book? Wouldn't a visit to the local library have the potential to give me access to acquiring tons of xp? Are today's gaming youngsters, who come from a culture of cheat codes and hacks, supposed to be put on the honor's system in this regard?

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My thoughts exactly. If the kids use aimbots in FPS they're going to cheat to this too. It's going to lose all its value when the first kid comes up having maxed out experience points on all genres after two days of use.

davidmi58 said:

As the assistant principal for an urban grade school, I am always on the lookout for ways to encourage students to read. However, I am afraid that this idea may have a serious flaw. If, as a child, all I have to do is scan the book with my phone to get the xp, where is the proof that I actually read the book? Wouldn't a visit to the local library have the potential to give me access to acquiring tons of xp? Are today's gaming youngsters, who come from a culture of cheat codes and hacks, supposed to be put on the honor's system in this regard?

Click to expand...

I understand the concern, but I don't understand why you are focusing on the negative and not aiming to help find a solution...

I am a big reader, at least one book a every two weeks, and one of the books I read gave me this idea, that I am following. It was written by Terry Goodkind in the book "Wizard's first Rule". I quote "think of the solution, not the problem".

What if there was a version of the app where you could have several different users? The teacher could download that version on his/her device and scan the books that the kids borrow from the library. Next question might be: What if the kids bring a book back that isn't in the system, is it fair then? Well, either provide a lite version of the app where you can scan and make sure the book is in there, or the teacher can them manually assign points....

I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this. My point is, this is a great idea. The future is computers and handheld devices, we must incorporate that into everything. And book reading has been an issue of late. Therefore, I think this a great idea.

Remember, it is new and still being developed. Possibilities are great...

lilbabycat said:

Agreed David; as well the current system only has 30 badges, out of hundreds of genres, hundreds of thousands of books? Seems narrow.

It also reminds me of this, because well, it is EXACTLY this:
http://youtu.be/vnTGqw1qTV8

Click to expand...

That's actually kind of awesome... I don't like the idea of being advertised to every second of the day, but it'd probably be worth it if there are actually good and legitimate award.