Research Proposal For Composition 2 (2-2)

Date: February 2, 2006

To: Susan Noguera

From: John Ott

RE: Are video games “bad?”

Exploratory Research

Video games can be boring and uneventful to others because they don’t know much about it or because they simply dislike them. I have found that generalities have plagued this issue because others that see those involved with this hobby tend to find the negatives in the outlook that is viewed on the screen. I will establish a legitimate answer to the pros and cons on video games to the brain and also provide a stance on how I feel about video games and video game playing. I’m confused as to why video games are given such a bad reputation! If they are so bad and corrupt to children and adults alike, then why are they still on the market!? The fact of real impact to effect on the brain will be know at least more then it is know before the study.

Focused Research

In order to get a more in depth analysis of this issue I will be taking the time to interview those who actually deem themselves an expert on the visual level from me. I will be taking a self-inflected P.E.T. Scan or (fMRI) to document the actual brain scan activity to determine if the affects of playing can actually be harmful to the brain. In this case it is important to identify a “use it to lose it” basis. I will also be using several articles such as
The Effect of Video Games on the Brain, Eleni Kardaras, Observation, February 2, 2006,
Scientific Article: “Dome Improvement” May 2005 Issue 13.05 Wired Magazine.
(More research will be documented as it becomes available.)

Resources

I have found out about and I’m looking forward to the Communication Arts Program during sometime in February. This program will allow me to speak with the Dean at Michigan State University who is running a workshop in 3-D Gaming. I will also be using the above sources as well as anything else pertinent that becomes available throughout the timeframe allotted.





Time Table for Research
January 12-14 Begin research; and allow changes to thought process.

January 19-21 Think about research proposal and get closer to narrowing down the subject.

February 2-5 Begin drafting research proposal; narrow the subject down by 80%, Look at source analysis.

February 6-9 Research proposal due, rough draft of source analysis.

February 10-12 Use note cards, begin thinking about a mock interview.

February 16-26 Source Analysis Due, Interview / Observation Workshop (3 copies) Think about bibliography, note cards, thesis, and critical review.

February 27, March 3, BREAK

March 9-13 Interview / Observation Due, Academic journal summary.

March 16-19 Critical Review due.

March 23-26 Academic Journal Workshop, and note cards.

March 30- April 3 Research Paper Introduction Due, Research Note Cards Due, Journal Summary Due.

April 6-9 Rough Draft On Research Paper Due.

April 13-18 Bring work to be done in class, Conferences, and editing.

April 20-25 Research Paper Due, and Self-Assessment Preparation.

April 27 Final on Self Assessment, and General Education Attributes Assessment.

Personal Gain and Discovery

From the research I will be able to accurately determine for myself and the collective the real effects of video games on the brain beyond the broad prospective. This topic is new and fresh and video games will only become more popular as the years go by. Wouldn’t it be nice to finally understand what the fuss is all about? It has been documented that emotional development and cognitive development are “documented”, but the effects of the research has been brought about in order to slam video games for being unproductive and a waste of time. I have grown from a new generation that has learned to find my way out of a dungeon before I learned how to read or write. There is also no reason to deny that general IQ has gone up unbenounced to teachers and professors everywhere from the low test scores students’ predominately receive. Video games have been classified as effective as a daydream and twice as exciting. These two subjects provide the only scenarios that an individual can have momentary escape that can pit themselves against insurmountable odds and come out on top through problem solving and fun. That I believe is the purpose of a video game.