Abstract
This paper puts forward a new design perspective for gamebased
learning. The general idea is to abandon the long
sought-after dream of designing a closed learning system,
where students in both primary and secondary school could
learn – without the interference of teachers – whatever subject
they wanted while sitting in front of a computer. This
describes a caricature, I know, but it still lurks in the background
whenever we speak of, read or write about learning
with computer games. The entire field of learning with games
is called ‘serious games’, since they find themselves on a direct
collision course with off-the-shelf, commercial entertainment
games. This paper promotes two different yet interconnected
ideas. The first aims to describe a new design perspective
for game-based learning, which in many ways not only
will provoke the abovementioned latent dream of a closed
game-based learning system, but will also confront aspects
of modern learning theory, especially the notion of reference
between the content of an assignment and the reality with
which it should or could be connected (situated learning).
The second idea promotes a way of tackling the common
experience of the average learner from primary to secondary
school. He or she is often unable to fully grasp, understand or
comprehend the learning process in which he or she is embedded.
Portfolios, and especially e-portfolios, can be used to
encourage reflection on both the learner’s development and
the learning process in order to ground the student’s reason
to learn. This paper proposes a different approach: using visualisation
in immersive 3D worlds as both documentation
of learning progress and as a reward system which motivates further learning. The overall design idea is to build a game based learning system from three or more different, yet interconnected,
elements; namely a teacher, a web-based platform
and an immersive game or play world.
learning. The general idea is to abandon the long
sought-after dream of designing a closed learning system,
where students in both primary and secondary school could
learn – without the interference of teachers – whatever subject
they wanted while sitting in front of a computer. This
describes a caricature, I know, but it still lurks in the background
whenever we speak of, read or write about learning
with computer games. The entire field of learning with games
is called ‘serious games’, since they find themselves on a direct
collision course with off-the-shelf, commercial entertainment
games. This paper promotes two different yet interconnected
ideas. The first aims to describe a new design perspective
for game-based learning, which in many ways not only
will provoke the abovementioned latent dream of a closed
game-based learning system, but will also confront aspects
of modern learning theory, especially the notion of reference
between the content of an assignment and the reality with
which it should or could be connected (situated learning).
The second idea promotes a way of tackling the common
experience of the average learner from primary to secondary
school. He or she is often unable to fully grasp, understand or
comprehend the learning process in which he or she is embedded.
Portfolios, and especially e-portfolios, can be used to
encourage reflection on both the learner’s development and
the learning process in order to ground the student’s reason
to learn. This paper proposes a different approach: using visualisation
in immersive 3D worlds as both documentation
of learning progress and as a reward system which motivates further learning. The overall design idea is to build a game based learning system from three or more different, yet interconnected,
elements; namely a teacher, a web-based platform
and an immersive game or play world.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Journal of Interactive Learning Research |
Vol/bind | 23 |
Udgave nummer | 4 |
Sider (fra-til) | 313-323 |
ISSN | 1093-023X |
Status | Udgivet - 2012 |