Real Learning in Virtual Worlds: Examining the Intersection of Game Play and Learning through Design

Abstract

At this poster session, we will review the design of two virtual worlds,The Dome, a virtual U.S. Congress simulation game, and the VirtualAstronaut Learning Platform, that support high school and middle schoolstudent learning in social studies and STEM (science, technology,engineering, and math). Both games are being developed to use commercialgaming techniques to support authentic learning and problem solving. Thus,we will examine design approaches used within both of these games asexamples of how to combine commercial game play techniques (e.g., novelstorytelling and game play) with research in learning sciences (e.g.,authentic problem solving, scaffolding) to develop a game that studentswill want to play and that schools can use to support civics and STEMlearning based on national academic standards.