From: Duane Cleghorn
Submit: Post Field Note
VisitDate: 10/25/96
Adult-Run:
Children-Run: Selected
Collaborative:
Unclear-Philosophy:
Bottom-up:
Top-down: Selected
Unclear-Approach:
Informal: Selected
Formal:
Unclear-Type:
LearningArea: ZPD
Date: 02 Dec 1996
Time: 16:02:57
Remote Name: ss1-pc13.ucsc.edu
Erich male age(?)
I was again playing Castle of the Winds with Erich when I started to notice something. When we have been playing, I have to keep telling him that he has to watch his hit points and mana level while fighting the monsters, but he hasn't paid attention, so much that he wound up getting so weak that I couldn't suggest anything that would save him. We are at a place in the game where he is going to have to pay attention to these if he hopes to get any farther in the game, and I wonder what will encourage him to the most, me constantly reminding him, or him dying so many times?
This shows me that he (and probably other kids like him) either won't or not able to pay attention to more than what attracts their attention in the first few minutes. From my experience, if there are adults to encourage and remind the child, then they are able to do what is expected.
I wonder if he will advance far in the game if he doesn't pay attention to his energy levels. So far, he has managed to get by just running over monsters, but he will meet some more advanced monsters later in the game where he will have to watch his energy while fighting. I wonder if, with me encouraging him, he'll remember to pay attention to both things at once.