Sasha Barab

Biography

Photo of Sasha Barab

Sasha Barab is a Professor in Learning Sciences, IST and Cognitive Science at Indiana University. His current work involves the research and development of rich learning environments, frequently with the aid of technology, that are designed to assist children in developing their sense of purpose as individuals, as members of their communities, and as knowledgeable citizens of the world. Central to this work has been a focus on the understanding the value of transactive play, referring to a state of engagement that involves projection into the role of a character who, engaged in a partly fictional problem context, must apply conceptual understandings to make sense of and, ultimately, transform the context. As one example, the Quest Atlantis project (http://QuestAtlantis.Org) is a learning and teaching project that leverages strategies used in the commercial gaming environment to develop a 3D multi-user environment to immerse children, ages 9-16, in educational tasks. Central to this presentation is his work on playable fictions more generally http://PlayableFictions.org, referring to immersive worlds where the player becomes the central character who determines, through play choices enacted within a game structure, how the story will unfold. What is so powerful about playable fictions is that they are so particular, so local, so unique—yet the stories have such reach.

Sessions