Investigating Games and Simulations in Educational Research and Theory (original) (raw)

Distinctions between games and learning: A review of the literature on games in education

Gaming & Cognition: Theories and Perspectives From the Learning Sciences., 2010

Serious Games are digital games designed for purposes other than pure entertainment. This category includes educational games but it also includes a great deal more. A field that was unheard of until Ben Sawyer referred to it as Serious Games in late 2002 (Sawyer, 2003) has already grown so large that one can only hope to keep track of a very small part of it. The time is rapidly coming to an end when literature surveys of even one branch of Serious Games can be considered comprehensive. This chapter will examine the current state of the discipline of that part of serious games that intersects with formal education, with a particular focus on design. The work begins broadly by looking at games in order to define the term but then narrows to a specific focus on games for education. In this way, it provides an educational context for games as learning objects, distinguishes between traditional, (i.e. non-digital; Murray, 1998) and digital games, and classifies games for education as a subcategory of serious games while at the same time still being part of a larger group of interactive digital applications.

Towards a Theory of a Games-Based Pedagogy

This paper identifies problems encountered with attempts to use commercial games in educational contexts and highlights the need for a theory and illustrated examples of an effective game-based pedagogy that demonstrate how games might effectively be used for educational ends. A model is presented as one example of what a games-based pedagogy might look like. The model grows out of a series of design experiments established in an attempt to use Revolution (a multiplayer role-playing game) as a resource to support learning about aspects of social history. The paper proposes that similar pedagogical models, grounded in action research initiatives, are required to push forward the educational games agenda and guide researchers and practitioners interested in exploiting the power of role-playing games in real classrooms. Keywords: games-based pedagogy, virtual role-play, experiential learning, machinema, design experiment."""

Games and Game-based Learning in Instructional Design

This article highlights the value of games and game-based learning as tools for instructional design. In education, games can promote motivation, engagement, and learning, which present an appeal for the use of games in instructional design. This article begins by exploring relevant literature related to games, game-based learning, and instructional design. It then examines both digital and non-digital games as useful mechanisms for promoting student engagement and learning and provides an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of digital and non-digital games in education. Finally, implications and directions for future research are proposed.

Review of educational use of games and simulations

Knowledge management, Interactive …, 2000

This study examines the theoretical analyses and empirical results from research in the area of instructional use of games and simulations. It mainly focuses on approaches taken in designing game(-like) learning environments and distils a list of characteristics of games from the instructional theory. It also tries to find evidence concerning the appropriate learning approaches and measures which can optimise the learning effects of games and simulations. In this analysis we also look at a related instructional methods: the use of case studies, a method that is very common in the training of management techniques. A second analysis that is made in this study concerns solving ill-defined or wicked problems. In the KITS context the knowledge management situations can be characterised as being ill-defined. Both analyses result in a set of requirements for the KITS learning environment. The starting points of the KITS project are shortly introduced in Chapter 1.

Unpacking the Domains and Practices of Game-Oriented Learning

Games and Education: Designs in and for Learning, 2018

Using games for learning tends to blur boundaries across across in- and out-of-school domains. In this way, it becomes difficult to describe and understand the meaning-making processes involved in game-oriented learning. In this chapter, we present the analytical framework of scenario-based education, which can be used to explore the translation processes and framings in relation to using game-oriented learning designs. The framework is used to analyse two empirical cases. The first case concerns the use of two different types of computer games (the serious game Global Conflicts: Latin America and the horror game Penumbra) in formal education and focuses on the relation between schooling and everyday life. The second case concerns the development and use of a specially designed practice simulation that invites school children into a universe as professional journalists and newspaper editors and hence builds on a designed relation between schooling and professional domains. Based on these examples, we discuss how the aims and practices of game-oriented learning designs must be translated, communicated, negotiated, integrated, and thus reframed by teachers and students in order to produce relevant and valid forms of educational knowledge.

Games and simulation in higher education

The evolution of computer technologies, together with the increasing speed of Internet-based communications, has promoted the use of simulation software and serious games in higher education. These technological and methodological tools can significantly enrich the learning experience in almost any knowledge area. In particular, they will have a significant impact on how the learning process is performed in the so called Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. This thematic series brings together several articles related to the use of serious games and simulations in higher education. Technological and pedagogical characteristics of these innovative learning tools are explored through this series, alongside their cultural, technological, and/or social contexts. Among others, the selected articles explore topics such as: (i) the benefits of teaching practices, based on the utilisation of games and simulations, for institutions, professors, and students; (ii) the use of video games and apps to increase student engagement, retention, and academic achievement; (iii) the enrichment of simulation-based learning scenarios by the incorporation of the tact-ile experience to the more traditional visual and hearing ones; (iv) the use of adapted virtual learning environments that simulate real-life environments; and (v) the analysis of collaborative intergenerational interaction throughout digital games. In our view, the use of games and simulation in higher education is yet in its early stage, but thanks to the current state of these technological tools and to the high degree of acceptance among the new generations of students and instructors, it seems quite evident to us that their increasing incorporation in higher education systems around the world is just a question of time. A short description of each of the selected articles is provided next: In " The effect of games and simulations on higher education: a systematic literature review " , Vlachopoulos and Makri offer a survey on the use of games and simulations as innovative teaching methods in higher education. They analyze how games and simulations allow instructors to better achieve specific learning objectives. According to their study, these teaching methodologies have a positive impact on cognitive, behavioural, and affective aspects of students during the learning process. Also, the pedagogical benefits for academics and practitioners in higher education are highlighted in this work.

The design and use of simulation computer games in education

The Design and Use of Simulation Computer Games in Education, 2007

In taking an empirical approach to the study of games and education���one of research and grounded theory, rather than advocacy���this section describes generally the instructional approach to the design and use of simulation computer games. Depending on the ���school of thought,��� the approaches seem to vary: is the proper perspective to take what we know and practice with traditional instructional design and combine that with game design? Or are there other approaches, separated from traditional instructional design, that may be more ...

A Framework for Game-Based Learning Design in Higher Education

"Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Game Based Learning ", 2019

No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Review Process Papers submitted to this conference have been double-blind peer reviewed before final acceptance to the conference. Initially, abstracts were reviewed for relevance and accessibility and successful authors were invited to submit full papers. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of all the submissions. Ethics and Publication Malpractice Policy ACPIL adheres to a strict ethics and publication malpractice policy for all publicationsdetails of which can be found here: http://www.academic-conferences.org/policies/ethics-policy-for-publishing-in-theconference-proceedings-of-academic-conferences-and-publishing-international-limited/ Conference Proceedings The Conference Proceedings is a book published with an ISBN and ISSN. The proceedings have been submitted to a number of accreditation, citation and indexing bodies including Thomson ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus. Author affiliation details in these proceedings have been reproduced as supplied by the authors themselves.

Educational game models : conceptualization and evaluation : the practice of higher education

2003

The relationship between educational theories, game design and game development are used to develop models for the creation of complex learning environments. The Game Object Model (GOM), that marries educational theory and game design, forms the basis for the development of the Persona Outlining Model (POM) and the Game Achievement Model (GAM). POM provides researchers with a means to more easily match software development with the intended audience and expected outcomes. The concrete GOM interfaces are realized in GAM which provides a convenient way to develop and document educational games. These models were developed to better understand the relationships between story, play and learning. Both qualitative data collected from group workshops and qualitative data obtained from interviews with people closely associated with the game design process were used to evaluate GAM. Results indicate that GAM is an efficient, well conceptualised and supportive model that can easily contribute to successful development and writing of stories for complex learning environments.

The Design and Use of Simulation Computer Games in Education: A Review

The Design and Use of Simulation Computer Games in Education (2007) is essential reading for anyone interested in gaming, learning and educational innovation. Packed with empirical research, rigorous analysis and practical insight, this book will seriously change the way you think about games. Shelton and Wiley introduced this volume by sharing their cautiously contagious excitement, clearly stating that their intent is neither to advocate for educational gaming nor to provide a game-design instructional manual. Instead, the series editors sought to ignite pedagogical discussion about the challenges, opportunities, and issues associated with the design and use of simulation computer games. By examining research that is empirical and theoretical (from a field where publications are too often based upon advocacy, opinion, and/or anecdotal hype), this book makes a groundbreaking contribution towards evidencing games-based learning as a rigorous and legitimate scholarly pursuit. While Shelton and Wiley’s approach juxtaposes an eclectic collection of conflicting theories, diverse methodologies, and compelling ideals, integrating them together within one powerful compilation enables this rapidly evolving area of research to mature beyond its current state as a struggling collection of ideas. I will review the breadth of perspectives presented, paying particular attention to thought-provoking insights, questions, and concerns.