Moving Learning Games Forward - obstacles, opportunities & openness

Abstract

The notion of using video games for learning causes some to cringe, others to leap for joy, and many to ask questions about this learning medium. These questions often come from people and organizations that are considering delving into the world of learning games but dont know if this is advisable or dont know where to start. The goal of this paper is to answer those questions about learning games and to help plot a path for people and organizations interested in developing or fostering the development of video games for learning. The paper starts by making a case for learning games grounded in principles of good fun and good learning. From there the paper explores the commercial games market, gleaning lessons from this rapidly growing and diversifying place. In order to address the concerns of those who see edutainment as a dead market, the pa- per analyzes the downfall of edutainment in the 1990s and establishes how the current movement differs. As there are many applications of games related (more or less) to learning games, the paper lays out the ecology of games with a purpose beyond play. Much of the rest of the paper establishes principles and best practices for moving the field forward in a positive direction. The paper should provide a good grounding in the field and both motivate and inform those wanting to participate in this rapidly growing domain.