Martian Boneyards: Can a Community of Players be a Community of Practice

摘要

Martian Boneyards is a prototype game in a massively-multiplayer online environment designed to entice gamers to partake in collaborative scientific inquiry. This case study examines the steps designers took to foster a community of inquiry within the game. Designers played characters in the game, allowing them to be responsive to players' activities and accumulating knowledge. Players were drawn to the narrative and close relationships they developed with the designers' characters and other players. An informal and communal reward system was used to further nurture collaboration among the community. Findings suggest games like this one show promise for fostering science identity and scientific inquiry.