Week 7: World of Warcraft Is Basically a Massive Online Classroom (Hear Me Out)

Hear me out...

This week's readings argued that social media tools do NOT automatically create meaningful learning experiences. I know, the magic wonders of technology have not figured that part out yet. Maybe one day we will simply download information directly into our brains... which is honestly a terrifying thought.

I digress.

Instead, our readings emphasized that learning emerges from environments that encourage interaction, collaboration, and knowledge construction. Oddly enough, this reminded me of a video I made a few semesters ago in which I argued that a certain video game creates this exact kind of learning environment. That line of thinking eventually led me back to an old friend: World of Warcraft.

For those of you unfamiliar, World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the fantasy world of Azeroth. Within this world, players from across the real world team up to complete quests, defeat monsters, collect loot, and occasionally create friendships that extend far beyond the game itself. Beneath the surface of "fun video game," however, lies one of the largest networked learning environments ever created.

Let's take a deep dive, focusing on the brand-new player experience.

When a new player joins this world, it can be VERY overwhelming. Trust me, I speak from experience. New players are immediately confronted with factions, classes, quests, dungeons, professions, talent trees, raids, housing, and an entirely new language built around game-specific mechanics and interactions. Honestly, I'm getting overwhelmed just typing this sentence.

There is simply too much information for one person to comfortably process alone. So, instead, the game naturally encourages players to seek help and learn from others. Literally. In the tutorial, players are required to team up with complete strangers online to complete a dungeon before they can even progress into the actual game. Right from the start, World of Warcraft recognizes its own complexity and pushes players into situations where they have to rely on one another to learn.

Interestingly, this week's readings argued that networked learning spaces are not created by technology alone but emerge through relationships and interactions between people. World of Warcraft seems to understand this principle exceptionally well. The dungeon itself does not teach players everything they need to know. Instead, learning happens because players communicate, collaborate, and solve problems together.

Of course, that first dungeon is only the beginning. As players progress, they quickly realize that World of Warcraft does not expect them to memorize everything their own (but over time, through practice and gameplay, they will). In fact, newer raids constantly introduce and change mechanics, meaning even veteran players frequently find themselves learning something new. Instead of relying solely on the game, players begin seeking knowledge from the community around them.

Suddenly, learning is happening everywhere. Players ask questions in chat, join guilds, watch YouTube guides, read forum discussions, browse Reddit threads, and participate in Discord communities. In many cases, players learn just as much from these social interactions as they do from the game itself. Interestingly, our readings argue that this is exactly how networked learning environments function. Discord does not teach someone how to tank a raid boss, and Reddit does not magically transform someone into an expert healer. Instead, learning emerges through interactions, relationships, and the collective construction of knowledge among community members.

Even more interesting is that Blizzard, the company behind World of Warcraft, seems to understand another concept from this week's readings: nobody likes a blank page. The game does not simply throw players into Azeroth and wish them luck. Instead, it provides just enough structure to get players started. There are tutorials, starter quests, tooltips, and guided experiences that give players a ledge to stand on while still leaving plenty of room for exploration, experimentation, and collaboration.

Eventually, something really cool happens. Players stop asking every question and begin answering questions for others. They start mentoring new players, sharing strategies, and contributing knowledge back to the community that once taught them. In other words, they transition from learners to contributors.

Now before I go, I wanted to share my aforementioned video exploring World of Warcraft and Behaviorism. I actually wanted to make a series exploring different learning theories applied to video games, but put it on pause. If this is something you would be interested in watching, please let me know!

References:

Dennen, V. P. (excerpt of manuscript in progress). Instructional design and development for social media lessons.

Pischetola, M., Wichmand, M., Hall, R., & Dirckinck-Holmfeld, L. (2022). Designing for the materialization of networked learning spaces. In Proceedings for the Thirteenth International Conference on Networked Learning 2022.