talk-in-interaction

analysis, social organization, classroom talk

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Structure of the game: some thoughts

The children play a computer game on a Wiggles DVD. The DVD begins with music and an introduction from the Wiggles:
C: everybody loosen up
(1.5)↔((music playing))
C: let's get ready to ↑Wi↓ggle

After the introduction (which can be skipped over or cut short by a click of the mouse), the game provides choices: clicking on a certain icon leads to the selection of one game.

C: °we're planning a surprise party [for Dorothy°]
N: [which one do you want H]
(0.2)
N: the ↑sing-along one?

One game is about moving the Wiggles big red car to various places such as the bakery, the toyshop, the magic shop and the park. All the places are pictured on a map and the game player must move the car to get around.

The first place is the bakery (let’s call this section 1 of the game)
C: the first thing we need to do↑ (0.2)is [buy some bread from the=
M: [( ) ((pointing at the screen))
C: =↑bakery ↓
M: click [the arrow]
C: [you need to]help us get there (0.2) by moving our big red car
to the bakery (0.2) our big red car can be moved by clicking on
the arrows (0.4) if you need help↑ click on the big red ↑car=
M: =watch it
C: okay le::t's go::::
(0.4)

So C (the computer) provides the first destination (the bakery) and directions for playing the game (how to make the car icon move, and how to get help). M’s utterance (click the arrow) indicates that she knows how to make the car move before the computer gives directions. She also directs H (her younger brother, to watch it).

The other sections are as follows:

Section 2 Getting to the garage
C: we're ready (0.2)can you help us get to the gar↓age so we can fix the big red car

Section 3 Getting to the toyshop

C: we're rea↑dy (0.2)can you help us get to the toy shop (0.2) so we can buy some new juggling balls for ↑Hen↓ry

Section 4 Getting to the park
C: we're ready (0.2) we're ready (0.2) can you help us get to the park so we can ↑play

Section 5 Getting to Wag’s house
C: we're ready can you help us get to Wag's house so we can drop off a ↓bo↑ne

Section 6 Getting to the duckpond(??)
C: ((dog barks))(0.4)we're ↑rea↓dy can you help us get to the du-

Section 7 thanks for all your help
C: thanks for all your help we couldn't have done it without you(0.6)come back soon
(3.0)+((car takes off backwards then races back across screen))

Once this section of the game as been reached, the player is returned to the main screen and the original options (which game to play?):

C: let's get ready to wiggle

Note: as per usual the transcription is thrown out a little by the blogging html (for formatting) but I think readers will get the gist. I have also added in a new symbol ↔ it means that the action in brackets occurs during the silence in talk represented in ( ). So ...

(1.5)↔((music playing))

This means that music can be heard playing during a break in talk that lasts for 1.5 seconds.

Now, I wonder what interesting aspects of social organization can be found when children play this game?

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