A good paper that investigates the recent enthusiasm for educational gaming is assistant professor (Wisconsin-Madison) Kurt Squire’s Cultural Framing of Video Games (2002) found in the journal Game Studies. This paper directs researchers, politicians, game developers and the public in general toward some important issues. Questions addressed include: what are people learning about academic subjects playing games such as SimCity, Civilization, Tropico, or SimEarth? Might games be used in formal learning environments? Read the full paper by clicking on the link above.
There are now some interesting papers and conference proceedings available from the recent Games for Health Annual Conference that took place September 28-29 at the Medical School Teaching Facility in Baltimore, MD. Games for Health is part of the Serious Games Initiative, which seeks to use “cutting-edge entertainment technologies to solve problems in areas as diverse as education, health-care, national defense, homeland security, analytics, and corporate management.”
The conference brought together researchers, medical professionals, and game developers to share insights on how games can impact health care and policy, learning, and healthy lifestyles in general. Interesting presentations include an “Aids Education with Games presentation, a teacher who used the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) video game to address the widespread obesity problem and to promote fitness with her students, and a student who used Second Life for medical training purposes. Click here to view the presentations.
Indiana history teacher David McDivitt used a World War II simulation game (”Making History: The Calm & The Storm” by Muzzy Lane Software) to see if students would learn more compared to using their usual textbooks. As this USA Today article discusses, the gamers had learned more about the war and its geography while also writing more sophisticated essays.
Other examples of innovative educational games that move beyond drill-and-practice include Dimenxian, an exciting game that uniquely adopts a first-person Halo-esque perspective, launched last summer by game publisher Tabula Digita with its motto: “Learn math or die trying.” Dimenxian teaches state-aligned Algebra I concepts such as coordinate systems, graphs, and linear relationships. More rigorous academic research needs to be done with these games, but it’s exciting to see more recent games moving beyond basic, repetitive candy-coated superficial games.
An increasing number of educators are using a multiplayer virtual environment called Second Life to promote learning, even to the point of holding classes online within the game world. Now with over 1.3 million members, Second Life has been gaining popularity partly due to its potential for improving distance learning and “introducing international perspectives.” Many different kinds of “virtual classes” have been held within the game, with applications for simulations, new media studies, corporate training, and subject matter ranging from law (e.g. a course by Harvard Law School), business, social sciences and architecture.
Second Life has more information on their Second Life Education Page. In their own words, “Second Life provides an opportunity to use simulation in a safe environment to enhance experiential learning, allowing individuals to practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes.”
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) recently published a report following the Serious Games Summit that concludes video games can provide skills useful in the job market. An excerpt is as follows: “The success of complex video games demonstrates games can teach higher-order thinking skills such as strategic thinking, interpretative analysis, problem solving, plan formulation and execution, and adaptation to rapid change. These are the skills U.S. employers increasingly seek in workers and new workforce entrants. These are the skills more Americans must have to compete with lower cost knowledge workers in other nations. Games and simulations can also serve as powerful hands-on tools for teaching practical and technical skills, from automotive repair to heart surgery. In addition, today’s students who have grown-up with digital technology and video games are especially poised to take advantage of the features of educational games.”
The challenge seems to be how to effectively leverage games for education and how to do it right. The FAS is asking for additional government funding for research in educational games. This news is another example of how educational games is finally starting to gain traction in academic circles. Click here to read the FAS games report.
With the release of the Nintendo Wii, XBox 360, and Playstation 3, the video game industry has been capturing a lot of interest lately. But is it just entertainment? Researchers today have realized the educational value of games. Exactly what is it about video games that makes them potentially useful for learning? Here are a few reasons:
- They’re engaging. Unlike a traditional classroom where students passively listen to a talking head, kids and adults both want to participate actively when it comes to video games — and they might not even realize that they’re learning as they are having fun.
- They can promote computer and digital literacy. In a day where most of the jobs are increasingly dependent on technology, having a gateway to computer familiarity and comfort is a good thing.
- They can be used to promote knowledge construction. Games like Civilization 4, Zoo Tycoon 2 or Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? demonstrate games’ ability to promote a player’s learning about animals, history, geography, and so on.
- They promote ill-defined problem solving and decision-making skills. The real world is often about choosing between tough choices. Many video games are no different, with multiple choices and players deciding which path to choose.
- They can instill leadership skills. Particularly in online multiplayer games, opportunities for leadership abound.
- They typically feature characteristics that are known to be good for learning. For example, researchers highlight the importance of immediate feedback and reinforcement - seeing the results of one’s actions. And scaffolding — assisting the learner just enough to understand a concept or to learn a skill — is good for learning and found in games.
- They are a relatively safe environment to learn things. People can practice skills, try new ideas, and learn from their mistakes as they go.
- They can be used as real-world simulations. For example, surgeons can train using simulations; leaders can practice their decision making when faced with various scenarios; and software that can let people (like doctors) practice their skills when it is expensive (or deadly!) to make mistakes. Even the US Army has started to take notice — they recently released a game called America’s Army, a semi-realistic game that has been used to simulate army life. It’s been effective as a recruitment tool. When gamers refine their skills — whether it’s as a soldier, surgeon, or scientist — learning takes place.
Hi! Welcome to learninginvideogames.com. This is a new website that will provide current news and resources on a growing phenomenon: the use of video games for learning and educational purposes. Interesting articles, game reviews, scholarly papers (an online bibliography related to learning and video games), and other thoughts will be regularly posted here. Thanks for visting, and don’t forget to bookmark this page!