Englit 0762 Childhood Games, developed by Brittney Knotts and Tyler Bickford, will be offered for the first time by Dr. Bickford in Fall 2023. This course will examine key moments in the history of children's games from early optical toys and Victorian board games to video games and interactive technology like computer games, console games, and online game creation platforms.
Students will read a range of historical and cultural materials to provide context for the close analysis of specific games while the analysis of games will yield insights into the way different forms of play respond to cultural norms and prompt cultural change. They will play select games to gain perspective on how they shape attention, strategy, and relationships to other players, knowledge that reveals how the cultural shaping of childhoods was likely experienced and enacted. Students will also gain perspective on the changing positioning and construction of children by adopting the roles of game producers, using theoretical and historical knowledge to inform game design. Students will play: playground games and games that are loosely rule-bound; classic board games; child-created online games; edutainment games; and video games. Students will play these games as critical participants, which will involve considering how narrative design and material elements script styles of participation and, in turn, construct versions of childhood. Game design and product creation will figure significantly in the content of this class.