Ergonomic considerations of the gaming classroom

Abstract

As the game-based training industry grows, games are increasingly being used within traditional classroom environments. In at least one case, an entire classroom-based course will feature daily training game play over the course of several weeks. To date, there has not been an ergonomic evaluation of the so-called gaming classroom. This work summarizes the existing literature with respect to the ergonomics of two similar contexts—office work and prolonged gameplay. This includes topics such as the ergonomics of various input devices for prolonged use (e.g., mouse, keyboard, game controllers), work station design, and overall course time management to prevent muscle strain and fatigue. Recommendations with respect to the above are provided.