The purpose of this study is to present an overview of the current writings and research in the field of educational complex games and simulations and their use in the classroom. In addition, it will look at the complex gaming software currently being used and/or developed to help meet the learning needs of the digital age student. It will consider the implications of using games in the classroom and make recommendations for future research. Read more...

This paper details the results of an exploratory informant design workshop in which nine 10-12 year olds were asked to design their own card games with the aim of having them incorporate information about West Nile Virus into their design. This paper details the workshop process in its entirety and considers the rule systems, allowable choices, artificial conflicts and conditions of victory incorporated by the children into their games. This paper concludes by evaluating the participants’ game design choices, the manners in which content was incorporated and their potential usefulness to future educational game design pursuits Read more...

Although there is considerable interest in the idea of using games for learning, success in this area has proven elusive. Clearly it is challenging to take established curricula developed for other media types and attempt to fit them into open-ended game contexts where content is secondary to experience. Digital games are very effective for learning, but they represent a type of productive play that does not fit neatly within established educational paradigms. Furthermore, play and learning take on new dimensions within the context of an increasingly participatory culture that blurs traditional boundaries between producers and consumers, as well as teachers and learners. In participatory contexts, learning is a systemic activity where the contributions of the individual contribute to the larger collective intelligence, and learning is often a by-product of play or creativity. Attempts to use games for learning must take this broader context into account and acknowledge the shifting expectations and emerging literacies of learners steeped in a digital culture that introduces and reinforces new standards for play and participation. Read more...

Purpose - Aims to determine how multiple play styles and use of "outside" materials can be successfully taken into account when designing user experiences in educational digital games. Design/methodology/approach - This research draws on over two dozen qualitative interviews and an open-ended survey of an additional 50 game players with a wide range of gameplay experience. Findings - Findings suggest that players have different skill sets, and different beliefs about what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable help in a variety of games. These findings are analyzed to argue for different ways to enhance the educational gaming experience for players. Research limitations/implications - As with all qualitative research, the relatively small sample size makes it difficult to draw broad generalizations from the data. However, the research does suggest that there are many ways to play games, that players use many items and information "outside" the game to help them play or enhance their experience, and such things can be fruitfully used to improve educational games. Practical implications - Designers of educational games should take into account the materials surrounding games, such as walkthroughs and codes, as ways to enhance the game and educational experience, rather than detract from them. Originality/value - Very little research has been done examining how players perceive items and information related to game play, as well as how they use such things. This research investigates that area and relates the knowledge to ways to improve educational games, and education. Read more...

Exploring games and education is inherently controversial. It is hard to understand something without direct experience. Yet that is how many approach games in education.

In recent years, a sharp increase in the number of academic studies around the use of video games and new media for educational purposes has greatly expanded our understanding of their potential for enhancing learning. At the same time, the field of foreign language pedagogy has been racing to keep pace with the numerous opportunities afforded by the internet and interactive media forms. Surprisingly, however, there has been little cross-over between the two bodies of academic literature. This site seeks to present many of the latest theories in game studies and new media literacies alongside theories of language learning. Numerous examples are presented of how video games and web applications such as The Sims 2, Grim Fandango, Google Earth, Social Networking, DVD functionality and others could shift the way we approach language learning. Read more...

Although most agree that games can be engaging and that games can be instructive, there is little consensus regarding the essential characteristics of instructional games. Implicit in the research literature is the notion that if we pair instructional content with certain game features, we can harness the power of games to engage users and achieve desired instructional goals. We present an input-process-output model of instructional games and learning that elaborates (a) the key features of games that are of interest from an instructional perspective, (b) the game cycle of user judgments, behavior, and feedback that is a hallmark of engagement in game play, and (c) the types of learning outcomes that can be achieved. We discuss the implications of this approach for the design and implementation of effective instructional games. Read more...

From over thirty years ago when a Pong prototype was first switched on in Andy Capp's bar in California, computer, arcade and videogames from here on referred to collectively as videogames) have made a significant cultural, social, economic, political, and technological impact on society (Newman, 2004). Since the launch of Pong in the 1970s, computer and videogames have grown into a $30 billion worldwide industry. Between 2000 and 2004 the UK's consumption of videogame products and activities grew by over £15 billion, with the recent successful UK and US launches of Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sonyj Playstation Portable (PSP) not yet included in those figures. In recent years there has been an upsurge in the number of researchers stdyinggaming. Topics have inclzlded investigations of the reasons why people play videogames, the potential of games in educational settings, and the efects which these games, and the culture which surround them, may be having on society. As videogame phying becomes more widespread and increasing numbers of videogame playing students enter higher education, educational research into the impact of extensive videogame playing on student approaches to learning and attitudes toward higher education is vital. The chapter begins by presenting an introduction to the culture of videogames and continues with a discussion on the relevant literature in this research area. An overview of our research project currently being carried out in the School of Education at the University of Edinburgh in the UK will be provided. The project is seeking to explore the experience of videogame play among students in higher education, and to identify the differences which might exist between gamers and non-gamers in their approaches to learning and study, and in their attitudes toward higher education. Finally, key results of our project will be presented and discussed in the context of current research. Read more...

This document presents a research and development plan, or “roadmap,”
for the development and application of games for learning in education
and training settings. Developed as part of the Summit on Educational
Games held October 2005 in Washington, DC, this roadmap is designed to raise
awareness of key research challenges and opportunities for educational games,
provide stakeholders with a coordinated understanding of these, and to
encourage dialog and interdisciplinary partnerships.

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Computer games have the potential to motivate learners and be used as effective instructional tools (Lepper & Malone, 1987; Cordova, 1993; Rieber, 1996; Stewart, 1997; Dempsey et al., 2002; Rosas et al., 2003). This paper explores the relationships among computer games, fantasy, and learning. The authors first define what they mean by ‘game’, more specifically, ‘computer/video game’. They describe game characteristics and the key factors that make an activity or a game motivational and compelling, including fantasy and curiosity (Malone, 1980; Malone & Lepper, 1987; Myers, 1990, cited by Waal, 1995; Garris et al., 2002; Vockell, 2004). The terms fantasy and curiosity are then discussed and the implications of the use of fantasy in games are explained. Read more...