LEARNING FROM LITTLE BIG PLANET: Gamers don't game alone, but form communities to share strategies and accomplishments, compete, and, yes, show off bragging rights. (Just check out Twitch.) Researchers call these offline activities the "metagame"--and some argue that they offer excellent examples for how to build "Connected Learning" activities. A recent study from the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub looks at how popular titles like LittleBigPlanet 2 offer useful examples in how to bridge "interest-driven activities with academically relevant goals, civic engagement, and career opportunities."