Learning Solutions

I came across this interesting Web 2.0 game, and began thinking that this type of social collaboration could enhance a WebQuest’s design. I wonder if Bernie Dodge is a member?

PMOG is a game built on individual network histories, transforming web surfing into ongoing social play. By installing the Firefox add-on, players can bomb each other, wage war over web sites, and lead other users on web missions. Ordinary web sites become caches for items and currency.

PMOG stands for Passively Multiplayer Online Game. Players play without playing; clicking around the internet turns into experience points and currency.

This unconventional massively multiplayer online game merges your web life with an alternate, hidden reality. The mundane takes on a layer of fantastic achievement. Player behavior generates characters and alliances, triggers interactions in the environment, and earns the player points to spend online beefing up their inventory. Suddenly the internet is not a series of untouchable exhibits, but a hackable, rewarding environment.

I have been playing for a few days, and have learned quite a bit from other user’s missions. Missions are built using lightposts, which lead the participant through different web sites, describing what the site is, and possibly revealing hidden treasure. You can earn points by completing a mission and when someone takes one of your missions.

Badges can be earned by performing certain tasks, such as visiting a particular site for five consecutive days.

Suggested uses in the classroom would be to incorporate the missions to guide students to different resources in a prescribed manner.  Students could create their own missions to demonstrate comprehension of a particular subject.

I have not come across a way to create a private group, so use caution when introducing it to students.