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learning
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
It is commonly accepted that the educational environment has been undergoing considerable change due to the use of the Information and Communication tools. But learning depends upon actions such as experimenting, comprehending, visualizing, abstracting and demonstrating, by means of which the learner succeeds in constructing his own knowledge. It is not always easy to achieve these actions through current distance learning approaches. Since we live in a society that demands creativity, globalization, responsibility, autonomy and the ability to deal with virtuality and new technologies, Role Playing Games (RPG) may well develop such capacities. The creation of an interactive computer game with RPG characteristics, about the 500th anniversary of the city of Funchal, the capital of Madeira Island, is invested with compelling educational/pedagogical implications, aiming clearly at teaching history and social relations through playing. By incorporating the concept "games to teach", players will interpret different characters in different settings/scenarios, experiencing adventures, meeting challenges and reaching multiple and simultaneous goals in the areas of education, entertainment and social integration along the first 150 years of the history of Funchal. Through this process they will live and understand all the social and historical factors of that age.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
This paper addresses the development of a computer game design and development curriculum at the authors' institution. The basis for curriculum decisions, as well as comparison to the other institutions' curricula is covered. In situating the curriculum within the current degree programs, games-based versions of existing courses are also being offered. The experience of the authors with the initial offering of a games-based introductory programming course is also explained, along with the initial assessment of results from the experience. Our experience of using games-based learning in an introductory laboratory is presented. Finally, we demonstrate how games-based learning can be extended beyond the classroom as we work to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with local elementary schools; our current project develops an ocean ecosystem exploration game that teaches oceanography and ecological sustainability.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
Uncertainty may be an important component of the motivation provided by learning games, especially when associated with gaming rather than learning. Three studies are reported that explore the influence of gaming uncertainty on engagement with computer-based learning games. In the first study, children (10-11 years) played a simple maths quiz. Participants chose their preferred reward for a correct answer prior to seeing each question. They could either receive a single point or toss an animated coin to receive 2 points for heads or none for tails. A preference for the uncertain option was revealed and this increased during the quiz. The second study explored the discourse around learning when pairs of participants (13-14 years) competed against the computer in a science quiz. Progress depended on the acquisition of facts but also on the outcomes of throwing dice. Discourse was characterised by a close intermingling of learning and gaming talk without salient problematic constructions regarding fairness when losing points due to gaming uncertainty. A final experiment explored whether, in this type of game, the uncertainty provided by the gaming component could influence players' affective response to the learning component. Electrodermal activity (EDA) of 16 adults was measured while they played the quiz with and without the element of chance provided by the dice. Results showed EDA when answering questions was increased by inclusion of gaming uncertainty. Findings are discussed in terms of the potential benefits of combining gaming uncertainty with learning and directions for further research in this area are outlined.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
This paper introduces the concept of an augmented learning environment into the field of game-based learning. An augmented learning environment (ALE) combines principles of on-line multi-player computer games with social, role-playing games in order to facilitate the development of key skills and transfer of knowledge. Fundamental features of ALE are discussed through the educational game paradigm, Europe 2045, which has been developed and successfully implemented in a number of secondary schools in the Czech Republic during 2008. On a more general level this paper aims to establish a theoretical and case-study-based methodological framework for game researchers and designers, involved in similar future projects, which capitalizes on the notion of ALE.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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.
New entry in Digiplay games research bibliography:
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.
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