title: Sex and gender in World of Warcraft: Identities, love, and power

authors: Todd, Cherie Jane

subjects: gender

abstract: This thesis examines how gamers construct sex and gender in the online game World of Warcraft (WoW), with a particular focus on connections between intimate relationships and gendered power relations. Every year more people choose to play online games but despite this ‘gaming culture’ continues to be dominated by masculinist discourse that works to marginalise those who do not conform to patriarchal and heteronormative ways of being. This in turn impacts upon the ways in which gamers ‘perform’ or ‘do’ their identities including interacting and communicating with others. This research utilises feminist poststructuralist theories to examine: how gamers construct and perform their sexed and gendered identities in WoW; the intimate and loving relationships gamers establish and maintain in WoW and beyond; and, the ways in which gendered power relations are constructed in WoW’s online gaming culture and how this affects gamers relationships both online and offline. Butler’s theory regarding performativity is also utilised to aid in the analysis of gendered and sexual identities within WoW.

The theoretical lens informs the choice of methods. Interviews, online questionnaires, follow-up email questionnaires, discussions within online game forum websites, and autoethnography were used to examine 57 participants’ (35 men and 22 women) experiences of WoW’s ‘gaming culture’ and their relationships with other players. The findings are organised across three substantive chapters. The first focuses on the body and how gender and sexuality are represented via avatars in WoW. It also highlights how people who do not conform to heteronormative ideals and values are marginalised. The second substantive chapter discusses participants’ experiences of intimate and loving relationships in WoW, including how obstacles such as geographical distance are negotiated in relationships between gamers. In addition, I highlight how gaming can be understood as a sensory experience, where emotion and affect are important elements in contemporary game design, and how these elements are evident in WoW and the relationships that evolve within that space. The third and final substantive chapter examines the culture of online games, including the ways in which sexism and misogyny are evident within WoW and the wider gaming community. In particular, I look at how women are positioned in games, as players, game designers, and game critics. 

Considering the growing practice of gaming as an ‘everyday’ social activity – as well as the depth and intensity of friendships and intimate relationships between gamers – encourages a more critical understanding of the normative and powerful ways in which bodies and online spaces are mutually constituted. WoW as a digital world has distinctive spatial aspects. This study adopts a feminist geographical approach in order to contribute to critical discussions on the relationship between gender and sexual subjectivities, intimate relationships in WoW, and the culture of gaming.

text: Sex and gender in World of Warcraft: Identities, love, and power This thesis examines how gamers construct sex and gender in the online game World of Warcraft (WoW), with a particular focus on connections between intimate relationships and gendered power relations. Every year more people choose to play online games but despite this ‘gaming culture’ continues to be dominated by masculinist discourse that works to marginalise those who do not conform to patriarchal and heteronormative ways of being. This in turn impacts upon the ways in which gamers ‘perform’ or ‘do’ their identities including interacting and communicating with others. This research utilises feminist poststructuralist theories to examine: how gamers construct and perform their sexed and gendered identities in WoW; the intimate and loving relationships gamers establish and maintain in WoW and beyond; and, the ways in which gendered power relations are constructed in WoW’s online gaming culture and how this affects gamers relationships both online and offline. Butler’s theory regarding performativity is also utilised to aid in the analysis of gendered and sexual identities within WoW.

The theoretical lens informs the choice of methods. Interviews, online questionnaires, follow-up email questionnaires, discussions within online game forum websites, and autoethnography were used to examine 57 participants’ (35 men and 22 women) experiences of WoW’s ‘gaming culture’ and their relationships with other players. The findings are organised across three substantive chapters. The first focuses on the body and how gender and sexuality are represented via avatars in WoW. It also highlights how people who do not conform to heteronormative ideals and values are marginalised. The second substantive chapter discusses participants’ experiences of intimate and loving relationships in WoW, including how obstacles such as geographical distance are negotiated in relationships between gamers. In addition, I highlight how gaming can be understood as a sensory experience, where emotion and affect are important elements in contemporary game design, and how these elements are evident in WoW and the relationships that evolve within that space. The third and final substantive chapter examines the culture of online games, including the ways in which sexism and misogyny are evident within WoW and the wider gaming community. In particular, I look at how women are positioned in games, as players, game designers, and game critics. 

Considering the growing practice of gaming as an ‘everyday’ social activity – as well as the depth and intensity of friendships and intimate relationships between gamers – encourages a more critical understanding of the normative and powerful ways in which bodies and online spaces are mutually constituted. WoW as a digital world has distinctive spatial aspects. This study adopts a feminist geographical approach in order to contribute to critical discussions on the relationship between gender and sexual subjectivities, intimate relationships in WoW, and the culture of gaming.

year: 2015

title: The Integration of Constructivist and Sociocultural Learning Principles with ICT in Teaching Physics

authors: Nguyen, Nhung Hong

subjects: Constructivist

abstract: To fulfil the requirement of nation development and globalisation, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has introduced educational reforms at primary, secondary and tertiary levels that require Vietnamese teachers to acquire new understanding and skills in using information communication technology (ICT) to support teaching with a student-centred approach. There is, however, little literature to guide Vietnamese teachers on how to achieve these goals. 
This thesis aimed at developing, trialling and evaluation a theoretical pedagogic model for integrating student-centred learning principles with ICT for the teaching physics in the Vietnamese context. The project began with the development of an initial theoretical model based on a review of the relevant literature. This model was evaluated by New Zealand and Vietnamese experts and subsequently revised to form the CSI model (The Pedagogic Model of Integrating Constructivist and Sociocultural Learning Principles with ICT) used in the implementation phase of the project. 
The CSI Model was implemented by a lecturer in a university optics course and data was collected from different groups of people (students, observers, the lecturer and a teaching assistant) and by different methods (observations, optics tests, California Critical Thinking Skills Tests, interviews and surveys) to triangulate and enrich the data.
The optics course was taught to two groups. The ICT implementation into optics teaching and learning in both groups was underpinned by the CSI Model. Students of one group (Morning Group) utilised more ICT applications than the other group (Afternoon Group): the Morning Group students’ learning was supported by a learning management system (LMS).
The optics test results show that in both groups, the students’ scores in the post-test were statistically significantly higher than their scores in the pre-test. In addition, in the post-test, the group of students who utilised more applications of ICT to support their learning scored significantly higher than the other group. It is noted that there is no statistically significant difference in the pre-test scores of the two groups. Findings from student, lecturer and teaching assistant interviews revealed that most students in the two research groups felt that the way the optics course was taught enhanced their learning and made learning optics fun and exciting. 
Results from the California Critical Thinking Skills Tests also showed that post-test scores of the students in both research groups were significantly higher than their pre-test scores. In the post-test, the students scored significantly higher in both the total score as well as the individual scores for each critical thinking skill.
In the research context, the CSI Model appears to be an effective pedagogic model. Findings showed that the model helped to improve the students’ physics test scores, enhanced their critical thinking skills, and increased interaction within the learning environment.

text: The Integration of Constructivist and Sociocultural Learning Principles with ICT in Teaching Physics To fulfil the requirement of nation development and globalisation, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has introduced educational reforms at primary, secondary and tertiary levels that require Vietnamese teachers to acquire new understanding and skills in using information communication technology (ICT) to support teaching with a student-centred approach. There is, however, little literature to guide Vietnamese teachers on how to achieve these goals. 
This thesis aimed at developing, trialling and evaluation a theoretical pedagogic model for integrating student-centred learning principles with ICT for the teaching physics in the Vietnamese context. The project began with the development of an initial theoretical model based on a review of the relevant literature. This model was evaluated by New Zealand and Vietnamese experts and subsequently revised to form the CSI model (The Pedagogic Model of Integrating Constructivist and Sociocultural Learning Principles with ICT) used in the implementation phase of the project. 
The CSI Model was implemented by a lecturer in a university optics course and data was collected from different groups of people (students, observers, the lecturer and a teaching assistant) and by different methods (observations, optics tests, California Critical Thinking Skills Tests, interviews and surveys) to triangulate and enrich the data.
The optics course was taught to two groups. The ICT implementation into optics teaching and learning in both groups was underpinned by the CSI Model. Students of one group (Morning Group) utilised more ICT applications than the other group (Afternoon Group): the Morning Group students’ learning was supported by a learning management system (LMS).
The optics test results show that in both groups, the students’ scores in the post-test were statistically significantly higher than their scores in the pre-test. In addition, in the post-test, the group of students who utilised more applications of ICT to support their learning scored significantly higher than the other group. It is noted that there is no statistically significant difference in the pre-test scores of the two groups. Findings from student, lecturer and teaching assistant interviews revealed that most students in the two research groups felt that the way the optics course was taught enhanced their learning and made learning optics fun and exciting. 
Results from the California Critical Thinking Skills Tests also showed that post-test scores of the students in both research groups were significantly higher than their pre-test scores. In the post-test, the students scored significantly higher in both the total score as well as the individual scores for each critical thinking skill.
In the research context, the CSI Model appears to be an effective pedagogic model. Findings showed that the model helped to improve the students’ physics test scores, enhanced their critical thinking skills, and increased interaction within the learning environment.

year: 2016

title: Decolonisation as a social change framework and its impact on the development of Indigenous-based curricula for Helping Professionals in mainstream Tertiary Education Organisations

authors: Moeke-Pickering, Taima Materangatira

subjects: Indigenous Education

abstract: This research examined the social and political approaches that Indigenous peoples undertook to situate Indigenous-based education programmes in mainstream post-secondary/tertiary education organisations. Indigenous-based helping programmes assist to progress Indigenous aspirations for self-determination and are sites that center Indigenous worldviews. A decolonisation analysis framework that is embedded in the curriculum deepens students’ understanding about the impacts of imperialism, colonisation and post colonial issues. This thesis involved researching two Indigenous-based programmes that are based within mainstream tertiary institutes. The first is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling degree programme which is based at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) in Hamilton, Aotearoa, New Zealand. The other is the Native Human Services Social Work degree programme which is based at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. I start this thesis with “opening the circle” and situating the context for my research. Next is the literature review chapter. This chapter provides a review of decolonisation-colonisation, decolonisation frameworks within Indigenous education, self-determination and Indigenous peoples, and Maori and Native self-determination strategies relevant to health and education. I used a case study method combined with an Indigenous methodology to guide the research. This involved gathering key pieces of information as well as interviewing participants (graduates, tutors/faculty/developers) from each programme. In chapter four is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau case study and in chapter five is found the Native Human Services case study. Each case study covers pre-colonial and colonisation contexts and examines assimilative legislation on Indigenous education and health. The backgrounds of social work and counselling, Native social work and Maori counselling are also presented. In the case studies is the background and rationale for the development of each programme, as well as pertinent information on the course content. Chapter six presents on the findings and conclusion and chapter seven “closes the circle”. The main findings highlighted that Indigenous curricula and pedagogies embrace Indigenous theories and discourse relevant to the helping practice fields. Secondly, each programme fosters students to make positive changes for themselves, for their communities, and for their professions. Another finding is that faculty/tutors promote an inclusive Indigenous pedagogy in the classroom that incorporates cultural ceremonies, encourage personal introspection, builds cultural and professional skills, and teaches critical education. Both programmes reflected a pedagogy that taught students to counter negative narratives while instilling a critical analysis of decolonisation and colonisation. I propose that a decolonisation analysis is both a reflective and healing tool, in that students are provided with the hard evidence about their histories and what happened to their communities. I contend that Indigenous-based programmes contribute to the continuity of Indigenous culture and wellbeing of their communities and, that they play a vital role in advancing Indigenous education priorities.

text: Decolonisation as a social change framework and its impact on the development of Indigenous-based curricula for Helping Professionals in mainstream Tertiary Education Organisations This research examined the social and political approaches that Indigenous peoples undertook to situate Indigenous-based education programmes in mainstream post-secondary/tertiary education organisations. Indigenous-based helping programmes assist to progress Indigenous aspirations for self-determination and are sites that center Indigenous worldviews. A decolonisation analysis framework that is embedded in the curriculum deepens students’ understanding about the impacts of imperialism, colonisation and post colonial issues. This thesis involved researching two Indigenous-based programmes that are based within mainstream tertiary institutes. The first is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau Maori Counselling degree programme which is based at the Waikato Institute of Technology (WINTEC) in Hamilton, Aotearoa, New Zealand. The other is the Native Human Services Social Work degree programme which is based at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. I start this thesis with “opening the circle” and situating the context for my research. Next is the literature review chapter. This chapter provides a review of decolonisation-colonisation, decolonisation frameworks within Indigenous education, self-determination and Indigenous peoples, and Maori and Native self-determination strategies relevant to health and education. I used a case study method combined with an Indigenous methodology to guide the research. This involved gathering key pieces of information as well as interviewing participants (graduates, tutors/faculty/developers) from each programme. In chapter four is the Te Whiuwhiu o te Hau case study and in chapter five is found the Native Human Services case study. Each case study covers pre-colonial and colonisation contexts and examines assimilative legislation on Indigenous education and health. The backgrounds of social work and counselling, Native social work and Maori counselling are also presented. In the case studies is the background and rationale for the development of each programme, as well as pertinent information on the course content. Chapter six presents on the findings and conclusion and chapter seven “closes the circle”. The main findings highlighted that Indigenous curricula and pedagogies embrace Indigenous theories and discourse relevant to the helping practice fields. Secondly, each programme fosters students to make positive changes for themselves, for their communities, and for their professions. Another finding is that faculty/tutors promote an inclusive Indigenous pedagogy in the classroom that incorporates cultural ceremonies, encourage personal introspection, builds cultural and professional skills, and teaches critical education. Both programmes reflected a pedagogy that taught students to counter negative narratives while instilling a critical analysis of decolonisation and colonisation. I propose that a decolonisation analysis is both a reflective and healing tool, in that students are provided with the hard evidence about their histories and what happened to their communities. I contend that Indigenous-based programmes contribute to the continuity of Indigenous culture and wellbeing of their communities and, that they play a vital role in advancing Indigenous education priorities.

year: 2010