Game-based historical learning (original) (raw)
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Cultural Historical Learning in Virtual Worlds.
In: GFL journal 2/2010, S. 21-38.
In this article, a research project is presented in which the potential of Virtual Worlds for historical and cultural learning are evaluated. This article presents current discussions concerning the idea of Landeskunde while utilising the socio-scientific idea of spaces of memory. The project aims to help learners explore the history of Germany, particularly the division of Germany and German Reunification. This article offers initial insight into the collected data and shows the potential as well as problems of cultural historical learning in Virtual Worlds.
Heritage role playing-history as an interactive digital game
Y. Pisan (ed.), IE2004 Australian Workshop on Interactive Entertainment, Sydney, February 2004: 29-35. ISBN 0-9751533-0-8, pp. 47-65. Also in ACM Digital Library. Short paper. , 2004
Creating virtual heritage environments that intend to be both engaging and educational is a challenging process. Digital archaeological reconstruction has been concerned with exact replication of facts rather than with understanding, for the latter raises the annoying dilemma of how to present scientific uncertainty. A computer model almost invariably implies certitude, and archaeologists are still not sure how to convey the murky battle of historical interpretation. Yet games are quite happy to allow users to ‘muddy’ historical settings. And while the bulk of computer game design may be justly considered a-cultural or even anti-cultural, the underlying techniques of engaging interactively with the audience offer new ways of increasing the popularity and immersive learning of virtual environments. However there are some serious issues in heritage projects adopting a game-style approach. Would using interactive game techniques and technologies create a more engaging user experience? If we can animate the past in this way, will the entertainment factor help or impede learning, and how will we know how effective the interactivity is? And would our results help bridge the gap between the industry (be it virtual exhibitions or interactive game design) and academia?
Teaching History With Digital Historical Games: An Introduction to the Field and Best Practices
(Privately available from author, jmc.hst@gmail.com) Writing about the theory and best practices of using history-themed video games in the classroom stretches back at least to the 1980s. However, the literature on the subject is scattered, making it difficult for history educators considering the use of historical games. This article provides an introduction for history educators to the use of computer-based historical games in history education. In this article, I provide differing definitions for types of historical games and discuss the importance of such distinctions for the history educator. I provide the strengths and biases inherent in the medium of computer-based historical games. This article surveys best practices from the literature concerning the use of historical games in history class and concludes with a brief survey of potentially useful historical games.
Critical Gaming: Interactive History and Virtual Heritage
2015
This book explains how designing, playing and modifying computer games, and understanding the theory behind them, can strengthen the area of digital humanities. This book aims to help digital humanities scholars understand both the issues and also advantages of game design, as well as encouraging them to extend the field of computer game studies, particularly in their teaching and research in the field of virtual heritage. By looking at re-occurring issues in the design, playtesting and interface of serious games and game-based learning for cultural heritage and interactive history, this book highlights the importance of visualisation and self-learning in game studies and how this can intersect with digital humanities. It also asks whether such theoretical concepts can be applied to practical learning situations. It will be of particular interest to those who wish to investigate how games and virtual environments can be used in teaching and research to critique issues and topics in the humanities, particularly in virtual heritage and interactive history. Contents: Introduction; Digital humanities and the limits of text; Game-based learning and the digital humanities; Virtual reality; Game-based history and historical simulations; Virtual heritage and digital culture; Worlds, roles and rituals; Joysticks of death, violence and morality; Intelligent agents, drama and cinematic narrative; Biofeedback, space and place; Applying critical thinking and critical play; Index.
The role of computer games in the education of history
IE2004, Australian Workshop on …, 2004
The Role of Computer Games in the Education of History Manolya Kavakli Department of Computing Macquarie University NSW 2109, Australia 61 2 9850 9572 manolya@ ics. mq. edu. au Bayram Akca Department of History Faculty of Sciences and Letters Mugla University, Turkey ...
History Education in the Digital Age, 2022
Over the past few decades, digital entertainment gaming has become very popular among a global audience of players, including a significant number of schoolaged young adults. Some of the most popular digital entertainment games offer a (fictionalized) representation of historical events. This chapter offers a reflection on how digital entertainment gaming can be adopted to advance historical learning and the development of processual historical thinking skills. I do so by analyzing historical digital games as cultural artefacts embedded in a broader digitized media ecology, and digital games as integrated into formal school history curricula.
Teaching history and bringing the past back to life with serious games
15th European Conference on Game Based Learning, ECGBL 2021, 2021
Serious games are often characterised as being games developed and used for educational or non-entertainment purposes. The academic literature is saturated with definitions and developed games surrounding the concept. Despite this, there is a lack of quality meta-analytical and longitudinal analysis studies associated with use of serious games. One area where serious games have pedagogical potential is in teaching historical subjects and in displaying historical artefacts. Serious games, combined with evolving 3D modelling techniques and Virtual Reality (VR) capabilities can replicate historical events, artefacts, and environments. The creation of a serious game or even virtual museum that informs individuals about the past have the potential to provide a sense of historical realism or immersion. In the context of Covid-19 and the current global impact to the tourist industry, the application of serious games for such purposes has undoubted significance. This paper reviews the acade...
Digital Games Based Learning for History – Problem Solving or Problematic?
2021
This study follows the design and development of an educational digital game, Tales of Iona, which was designed to be used to promote understanding of the ancient Scottish island of Iona in upper primary or early secondary schools. The game was designed to combine clear pedagogical principles of teaching History with the best of contemporary digital gaming technology. The intention of the game is to engage players in an immersive virtual environment where their interactions with characters, artefacts and historic events through a series of puzzles will develop their understanding of the historical importance of the island of Iona and spark curiosity to learn more about the past. A Design-based Research (DBR) approach was used in this study and the data was collected on a trial day of the prototype of the game. The data was collected from a small sample of players (aged 10-14 years), using methods of questionnaires, interviews and Video Commentary Capture Model (VCCM) to record gamep...
A Game Design Plot: Exploring the Educational Potential of History-Based Video Games
IEEE Transactions on Games, 2019
The number of video games that are developed based on real historical events and evidence is increasing. These history-based video games provide players learning opportunities, but a certain type of such games-first and third person shooters-has not been carefully examined for their potentials. Knowing what players say about their game experience-even if the information and knowledge are inaccurate-helps researchers understand what type of learning could happen with such games. In this paper, we propose a systematic approach to assessing games as learning environments, using the method of comparing authenticity of popular history-based video games. Through a qualitative data analysis, we studied players' comments on the web-based communication services, such as game forums, digital distribution platforms, and discussion websites. Casual players' conversations on these websites showed that there exist several learning potentials in the games for players including building their understanding about history and historical forces of the time, through personally relating to the specific events, social artifacts, and places.