"Affordances and Constraints of Scaffolded Learning in a Virtual World for Young Children"
Assistant Professor Stephanie Reich will be presenting at the Bienneial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA), June 15-19, in Chicago, Illinois.
SRCA - Community Psychology, Division 27 of the American Psychological Association - is an international organization devoted to advancing theory, research, and social action. Members are committed to promoting health and empowerment and to preventing problems in communities, groups, and individuals.
Dr. Reich will be presenting a paper recently published with Assistant Professor Rebecca Black in the International Journal of Game-Based Learning: "Affordances and Constraints of Scaffolded Learning in a Virtual World for Young Children".
Black, R. W. & Reich, S. M. (2011). Affordances and constraints of scaffolded learning in a virtual world for young children. International Journal of Game-Based Learning, 1(2), 52-64.
Abstract
In recent years there has been a marked increase in the number of virtual worlds aimed at populations between the ages of 6 to14 years. This article examines the content and design of one such site, Webkinz World, as a sociocultural context for informal learning. Focusing on the design and activities of this site sheds light on the ways in which Webkinz World supports learning, especially for nascent users, and the apparent limits of these support structures as users gain more expertise.
