Designing centers of expertise for academic learning through video games

Abstract

Schools appear to be facing a crisis of engaging secondary students in meaningful learning. Many are recognizing that the learning principles embodied in computer and video games reflect the best theories of cognition, yet are underutilized as an educational resource. This article suggests an alternative model for game-based learning outside of schools. Drawing on case studies of youth participating in a year-long program, it describes an approach to bridging learners' identities in and out of school through historical simulation computer games situated within a community of practice of game experts. Participants developed both academic skills and productive identities as consumers and producers of information through these cases. We propose a model of centers of expertise, learning programs that seek to foster and develop new media literacies with pay off in schools and that lead to new identities outside of school as well.