23.1: Introduction

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Learning outcomes

Define game, simulation and simulation game and give examples of each.
Describe the theoretical arguments for using computer-based games for learning.
Describe features of computer-based games for learning that contribute to their effectiveness.
Describe possible approaches to implementing computer-based games for learning in your context.
Describe possible approaches to creating your own games for learning.

Computer-based games are a major entertainment and cultural force (Gamasutra, 2006). Creative ideas using sophisticated graphics and communication technologies are changing the way we spend our leisure time, build friendships and communities, try out new identities, and practise new skills. Whether or not computer-based games are part of your daily life, they offer tremendous opportunities to engage and challenge your students.

You may be a gamer, familiar with the Xbox, Grand Theft Auto, and EverQuest,, and wondering why school isn’t as absorbing as your late-night game sessions. You may be a boomer professor, curious but not sure how games could be relevant to your teaching. Or you may be somewhere in between.

This chapter gives you a broad introduction to the use of computer-based games for learning. We start with basic terms and move on to look at why these activities can be powerful learning tools, drawing on current learning theory, game research, and recent experience. After presenting examples to spark your own learning-game ideas, we discuss factors that make learning games effective. The chapter closes with tips for successfully getting started using games in your learning context.