Abstract
Technological epochs do not change the core values and norms in long-established cultures, rather they act as a new spotlight on the same old thing, shedding a new bright light on our pre-established values and goals. That is, advancing technologies allow older cultures to be reinvigorated in their appreciation and commitment to their traditional norms and values. I use academic and university culture as a guiding example to make this argument, with a focus on how educators are responding to the risk of their students engaging in the academically dishonest use of A.I. chatbots. These responses effectively prevent academic dishonesty and foster traditional intellectual and pedagogical values. This means academic values are not breaking down or fundamentally changing in response to technological advancements, but are being revitalized and prioritized. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, though. Young, hobby-based cultures—like the cultures built around esports (e.g., Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, Super Smash Bros.) and tabletop roleplaying games (e.g., Dungeons and Dragons)—are not so lucky. Communities with less established norms and values can be fundamentally changed and degraded through the incorporation of new technologies. This is done through the ever-increasing gamification within these communities. I use C. Thi Nguyen’s theory of gamification to make this argument, as well as an argument that academia is not vulnerable to gamification in the same way. From all this, I conclude that the defensive, sensitive, or otherwise gatekeeping attitudes found in some gamers are more reasonable and useful than those same attitudes when found in academics.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Gamification, Cheating, AI, Games, Esports, Pedagogy, Philosophy Of Education, Culture
