Articles & Papers

Digital Game Based Learning: Its Not Just The Digital Natives Who Are Restless
Richard Van Eck, Educause, March/April 2006
Professor Van Eck reviews the current status of games and education, and gives a reasoned view of what the educational gaming community must focus on in order to achieve its much expected mainstream success.

Beyond Edutainment: Exploring the Educational Potential of Video Games
Simon Egenfeldt-Nielsen, PhD Thesis, 2005
Dissertation on the educational use of computer games by building a framework that goes beyond edutainment. This thesis includes an empirical study conducted at a Danish high school involving 72 students and two teachers. The study examined the use of a commercial historical strategy game (Europa Universalis II) in a 2 1/2 month history course where the computer played a significant role.

Let the Games Begin
Jenn Shreve, Edutopia, April 2005
Once confiscated in the classroom, games are now being viewed as a teaching tool. Shreve, who writes about technology and public culture, explores the way in which games are making inroads in education.

The Next Generation of Educational Engagement
Diana G. Oblinger, PhD. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, August 2004
Leading educational technologist and vice president of Educause, Diana Oblinger, explores the upcoming role of games in the higher-education classroom. She concludes that although it is still unclear how these games will be developed and deployed, games in the classroom offer a "potentially powerful learning environment."

Next Generation Educational Technology versus the Lecture
Joel Foreman, PhD. Educause Review, July/August 2003
Are we using the wrong teaching approaches with today's student? Professor Foreman presents a span case for video games as an instructional tool at the post-secondary level. He analyzes the shortfalls of current instructional practices and explains how gaming technology can address many of these shortfalls.

The Generation Lap
John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade, Boston Globe, 1/2/2005
Authors of Got Game summarize their research, which explains that gamers have advantages that go well beyond the ability to use technology.

Replaying History: Learning World History through playing Civilization III
Kurt Squire, PhD thesis, 2004
This study explores the use of Civilization III -- a complex computer game developed in entertainment contexts -- in formal learning environments. This dissertation presents three naturalistic case studies in which Civilization III was used as the basis for a unit on world history in urban learning environments. Squire examines how the game engaged players, the social interactions that occurred, how understandings emerged, and what role game play served in mediating students' understandings.

Can Grand Theft Auto Inspire Professors?
Scott Carlson, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 8/15/2003
Carlson comments on the recent works of University of Wisconsin professor James Paul Gee, who examines how players learn from computer games. Carlson also touches on why academia has been so slow to embrace the medium of computer games.

Cultural Framing of Computer/Video Games
Kurt Squire, Int'l Journal of Computer Game Research, July 2002
A very complete review of the state of teaching with games. Kurt Squire, then Research Director at MIT's Games to Teach Program, covers topics such as current research, the roles of games in education, the impact of gaming and the outlook for digital games in an educational context.

The Learning Return on Our Educational Technology Investment
Cathy Ringstaff and Loretta Kelly, WestEd, 2002
This recent study concludes that it is nearly impossible to define a return on investment for technology in our schools. Instead, authors Ringstaff and Kelly suggest we should ask "Under what conditions does technology have the most benefits for students?" The authors seek to answer this question by offering specific suggestions related to teacher training, technology access and planning. An especially good read for school administrators and policy makers.

A Game Theory on How to Teach Kids
Henry Jenkins, Technology Review, 2002
Professor Jenkins, Director of MIT's Comparative Media Studies Program clearly explains how games teach and what educational software must do to catch up with the gaming industry.

Improving the Outcomes of Education: Learning from Past Mistakes
Stephen C. Ehrmann, Educause Review, Jan-Feb 2002
Reviewing what were considered appropriate approaches to technology in higher education in the past, Dr. Ehrmann explains why the very nature of technological change has limited these approaches, and outlines five new strategies for using technology to improve educational outcomes.

Does Easy Do it? Children, Games and Learning
Seymour Papert, Game Developer, June 1998
In this classic article, Professor Seymour Papert, a leading proponent of using technology to learn, takes on educational software. A short but thought-provoking read.

BBC: Video Games 'Stimulate Learning'
March 2002
Findings from the UK Department of Education Teachers Evaluating Educational Multimedia project support use of selected games in curriculum.

BBC: Video Games 'Valid Learning Tools'
April 2000
Findings from a Sony PlayStation 2 commissioned study in UK.

Implementing the Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever
Arthur W. Chickering and Stephen C. Ehrmann, AAHE Bulletin, 1996
Details the use of technology to positively affect educational outcomes at the college level.

Kids use PlayStation for high-tech homework
September, 2002
This article covers the joint effort between Sony PlayStation and Lightspan to use console gaming technology for teaching. It talks about improved performance due to increased time on task and focus.

Serious Games: Improving Public Policy through Game-Based Learning and Simulation
April, 2002
This study, conducted for the Foresight and Governance Project at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, provides an excellent perspective on how and why strategy games should be used to teach public policy (the present tense of history).

Internet Access in U.S. Public Schools Up for Seventh Straight Year
September, 2002
This recent release by the Department of Education details the high levels of internet access enjoyed by our schools. Also covers the number of computers per student, schools with web-sites and other interesting data.

Websites

National Learning Infrastructure Initiative; Games Simulations and Learning
Discussion and papers about the technology infrastructure for education in the 21st century. The National Learning Infrastructure Initiative covers gaming technology as an important part of the mix.

Social Impact Games
A directory of over 200 "entertaining games with non-entertainment goals". Search for learning games by title, subject matter or grade level.

Children's Software and New Media Revue
Independent reviews of educational software for and by teachers, librarians and parents.

The Education Arcade
This website is home to a consortium of international game designers, publishers, scholars, educators and policy makers who are exploring the new frontiers of educational media that have been opened by computer and video games. This is a good site to learn about the latest news and trends in games and education or to join interesting discussion forums on the subject.

The Teaching, Learning and Technology Group
This web-site for a consulting firm focusing on Educational Technology contains thought-provoking position papers and good links.

National Assessment of Educational Progress - The Nation's Report Card
This site contains the results of the National Assessment for Educational Progress, including the recently released History Assessment results. Find out what student don't know and should, or try the sample questions. How well would you do?

Serious Games Initiative
Serious Games Initiative is focused on exploring how games can be used beyond the entertainment sector. Part of its charter is to help forge productive links between the electronic game industry and projects involving the use of games in education, training, health and public policy. Serious Games hosts an excellent discussion forum on using games for training and eructation and organizes leading conferences on this topic.

Books

Don’t Bother Me Mom, I’m Learning
Prensky, Marc. New York: Paragon House, 2006
In this book, Prensky (also author of Digital Game Based Learning, 2002) focuses on children and how and what they are learning from games. He makes the case for games as an important element in preparing children with many of the skills they will need to succeed in the 21st Century, including problem solving, language and cognitive skills, strategic thinking, multitasking, and parallel processing. This engaging book is written for parents and teachers, to help them navigate the world of video games.

Learning by Doing: A Comprehensive Guide to Simulations, Computer Games, and Pedagogy in e-Learning and Other Educational Experiences
Aldrich, Clark. San Francisco J. Wiley & Sons, 2005
Aldrich draws upon his experience as a consultant and game/simulation designer to clearly explain theory of game design, particularly as it applies to learning, and then illustrate the theory with very practical advice for choosing or building, deploying and measuring simulations and games for teaching. This book is written for teaching professionals, but it is not a heavy academic study; Aldrich presents his concepts clearly and with a touch of humor.

Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter
Johnson, Steven. New York: Riverhead Books, 2005
Johnson challenges the conventional wisdom that TV programs, video games and other forms of popular culture are intellectual wastelands. He makes good arguments to prove that they are, in fact, helpful and along the way uncovers, in terms layman can understand, the science of motivation, engagement and learning.

Got Game: How the Gamer Generation Is Reshaping Business Forever
John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade, Boston, Harvard Business School Press 2004
The authors explore how the "gaming generation," a large and growing portion of the executive and employee population, is poised to transform the workplace. Though their research is focused on business school students and graduates, their conclusions are applicable to the population at large, particularly as they look at how gamers learn and think.

Simulations and the Future of Learning
Aldrich, Clark. San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 2003.
This book explains why simulations are such effective teaching tools and why electronic games provide the best approach to teaching with simulations. The book is an easy read, and also presents an enlightening journey through the development of a simulation game.

What Video Games Have to Teach US About Learning and Literacy
Gee, James Paul. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003.
This book is perhaps a little heavy into socio-linguistic and literacy theory at the beginning, but once you get beyond that, it provides a well thought-out and comprehensive analysis of video games and learning.

Oversold and Under Used: Computers in the Classroom
Cuban, Larry. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001
Larry Cuban provides an insightful analysis of technology infrastructure and use in K-12. Cuban finds that, although technology is available, student and teacher use of computers is lacking in the schools. He challenges the educational community to become more creative and proactive in using them in the classroom. Well researched and documented.

Digital Game Based Learning
Prensky, Marc. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000.
Although this book is more focused on corporate training than on the classroom, much of its content is applicable. Prensky makes the case that if learning activities are fun and challenging, people are motivated to learn. Digital games are the perfect vehicle for delivering content in fun and challenging ways.

Using Games and Simulations in the Classroom
Ellington, Henry, Joannie Fowlie, and Monica Gordon. London: Kogan Page, 1998.
A wonderful guide for teachers that covers how to use games and simulations to support educational outcomes. The book is organized around age groups and offers practical advice on designing as well as using games.

From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games
Caswell, Justine and Henry Jenkins. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1998.
This book is focused on analyzing the role of women in games, and the efforts to develop games for girls. On the way, it provides wonderful insight to the social implications of games in general.