Cognitive Dissonance guild
Yesterday was a day of mixed emotions. It was a day when words were put into action. While emotions are mixed, I am confident it will work out for the best.
A couple of weeks ago, members of our small World of Warcraft guild, Azeroth Training Society, felt it was time to move on to bigger pastures. Our group formed around a research project on how to leverage WoW to learn strategies for training and leadership. I had great fun working with this dedicated group of training professionals. Together, we learned a lot along the way. Unfortunately, our guild did not grow as we had hoped. Now it feels like the breaking up of a band. We expect to find each other in-game to occasionally play but I expect that to diminish with time as we settle into our new guilds.
Yesterday, I was fortunate to join another guild, Cognitive Dissonance. This guild is a group of educators exploring the concept of MMORPGs and their relationship to education. They actively develop lesson and curriculum to help teach concepts in the classroom using WoW. They are actively using game theory to teach; something I am interested in. I am fortunate to be allowed to join this guild. You can learn more about their pursuits by reading The WoW Factor.
Because of this guild, I was afforded another opportunity. While spending a couple of moments at lunch playing WoW, I noticed the guild message of the day: “COG DIS! Check out http://3dgamelab.org.mmoguildsites.com/ for an awesome summer PD experience!” I have been exploring the idea of gamifying a class for a couple of months. Suddenly, because of a new door opening, this opportunity drops into my lap. I plan to take advantage of it.
If you are an educator and interested in leveraging WoW, check out the Cognitive Dissonance guild. Also feel free to drop a note, I would love to discuss it with you. Or you can catch me on the Sisters of Elune realm, I am Tubarks.
