A portal to student learning: what instruction librarians can learn from video game design

Abstract

Purpose The paper aims to present a methodology for analyzing the pedagogical content of video games and to present the findings of one such analysis. Design/methodology/approach The pedagogical analysis presented here consists of three parts an introduction to the new media of video games, a method for analyzing video games, and lastly, the results of analyzing the pedagogical content of the video game Portal. Findings The analysis uncovered significant pedagogical content and useful methodologies used in the design of the video game Portal. Practical implications The pedagogies and design methods used in the game Portal can help librarians engage and educate students of the gaming generation in information literacy tasks. Originality/value This paper provides a model for pedagogical analysis of the video game medium and practical techniques taken from an excellent representative of that medium.

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