Games in education have given rise to a body of research, still small but rapidly growing, on the subject. Organizations are reacting by incorporating games into training. Educational programs that prepare training professionals thus must include in their curriculum courses addressing the design of games. This paper discusses ways to overcome some challenges that may be encountered in teaching such a course. It describes the results of using games as a means of increasing learners’ level of engagement when reviewing readings in a face-to-face instructional game class. Read more...

Empirical research on the effects of computer games and simulations, and their value in attaining instructional objectives, are reviewed, as are studies concerning the transfer of capabilities acquired from games and simulations to ‘real world’ tasks. Results suggest that games and simulations improve a variety of cognitive capabilities. Furthermore, there is evidence for positive transfer from activities required by games and simulations to real world task performance. This transfer appears to depend much more on similarities between cognitive and attention processes than on physical similarities. Attitudes to games were found to be positive. However, the findings suggest that hostility and aggression tend to increase as a result of exposure to games, and school grades may suffer as a result of excessive game playing. Recommendations for the development of games, limits to the generality of findings, concerns about research on games, and recommendations for further research are discussed. Read more...

The popularity of computer games is evident from data published by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), which represents the computer and video game industry in the United States. In 2006, $7.4 billion was spent on computer and video game software in this country — breaking down to eight titles sold every second of every day (ESA, 2006b). Further, 93 percent of computer game buyers and 83 percent of console game buyers were over the age of 18 in 2006.....the training and educational community has become interested in capturing the motivation and engagement of games and using them to deliver instruction. This paper discusses research reviews and empirical studies dealing with computer games and suggests a number of research-based recommendations for developers of computer games intended for instruction Read more...

This paper proposes a model for analysing the ways in which teachers negotiate the tensions between games narratives and curriculum objectives in incorporating commercial offtheshelf computer games into formal educational practice. The paper is based on the year long Teaching with Games project which comprised surveys of over 1,000 teachers and students, and 10 exploratory case studies of teachers use of COTS games in four schools with over 300 children. The games used in the study were The Sims 2, RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 and Knights of Honor. These were used in ‘traditional’ lessons and in diverse competency and contentbased curricular environments. A key finding was that teachers focusing on encouraging competency skills such as teamwork and problemsolving were more likely to maintain the overarching narrative of the game in lesson activities than teachers who were focusing on students’ acquisition of content knowledge. Read more...

This paper discusses how learning material in the form of computer games in the area of ICT security affect ICT security usage. The findings from a conducted user-study show that computer games can be efficient learning environments when using security tools in terms of accessibility, safety, and speed. By replicating an earlier usability study, in which the participants utilised security tools to send and receive encrypted emails, the practical consequences of learning via a Game-Based Instruction were evaluated; the findings show that none of the participants who were given the chosen computer game as an instruction before the actual assignment did make any serious error when applying their security knowledge in contrast to the participants who did not receive any instruction in forehand. They also finished the assignment faster than the corresponding participants. To be able to evaluate the "practical knowledge" acquired, a model for Vital Security Functions was created that allows for comparison of security usage between high-level security applications. 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...

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...

In this paper we initially consider some of the features that are common to successful computer games by contrasting the views of those authors who contend that the narrative of the game is pivotal to its success, with those who suggest that the actual game play is of greater significance. We then go on to contrast the approaches taken by computer games to engage players with those of education to engage learners and ask whether there is any common ground. We further consider what sort of skills or knowledge could be acquired through the use of computer games with a particular emphasis on literacy. Finally we question current trends in the development of the virtual student learning space and suggest that some rethinking may be required if virtual learning environments are to be embraced by students. Read more...

Many perceived barriers to intergrating games into learning are ill-founded. Read more...

I first meet Britta Pollmuller in Second Life through my colleague Andrew. When I heard that Britta was teaching machinima classes in SL at the Open University’s Schome Park, I asked her if we could talk about the work in SL, and how it differs from the experience of teaching in more conventional settings Read more...