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After our last class today I thought I’d reflect a little on what has really struck me during this class and where it might go in the next iteration.

1. I had no idea video games had so many legal issues.

I didn’t realise how much money is in the business and how many creating/controlling aspects it throws up. When I picked the course I just thought it would be fun because I like games – I had no idea how much of a serious industry it is. The expansion of the industry from arcades to mobile (to telepathic if Jon’s to be believed!) shows that games and reality are becoming more intertwined than ever before. No wonder privacy law is where we’re all going to get jobs!

2. Poststructualist classrooms

I was struck during the class about how much the physical location of UBC matters. I’m convinced this course could not exist back home in the UK. Allard Hall’s proximity to Vancouver’s vibrant indie and corporate gaming scene has led to a wealth of fantastic speakers who have enriched the course immensely. But does Video Game Law need to be based in a classroom? More and more I hope this class will lean towards an open internet-based community. The book as a wiki, uploading videos of the classes, guest speakers via Skype, commenting online for participation marks (and virtual Oculus classrooms!) all leads to an open source course. This online information sharing means the class should not be bound by its Vancouver location, which as an exchange student I normally couldn’t access. I know Jon said he was skeptical about distance learning but I believe it could really have merit for this fascinating and unique course.

3. In one ear and out the other?

This is how studying the law can feel sometimes. You read a case, memorise it, think of a controversial opinion and scribble it all down for your finals and forget it the next day. This class encouraged “teaching and learning” rather than “lecturing and listening” by facilitating active student participation. I really like the badges – they’re great ways to mark your progress and I feel like I’ve done good learning (unlike doing 10 pages of highlighting). Through the website, the class encourages reading, extra research, discussion with fellow students, engaging with the materials and forming your own opinion. This is what law school is meant to do! I was very skeptical of pedagogy before this class (it sounds far too much like a buzz word) but it actually seems to have worked: I actually feel like I’m going to remember what I’ve learnt in this class rather than more traditional methods of study.