de Freitas, S

Maharg, P

English

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)

1	  	  Digital	  Games	  and	  Learning:	  Series	  Introduction	  	  Sara	  de	  Freitas	  &	  Paul	  Maharg	  	  While	  clearly	  the	  use	  of	  games	  for	  supporting	  education	  is	  not	  new,	  the	  use	  of	  digital	  games	  is	  comparatively	  recent.	  With	  the	  emergence	  of	  web-­‐based	  services,	  increased	  broadband	  and	  the	  growth	  of	  online	  communities,	  the	  use	  of	  digital	  games	  presents	  us	  with	  a	  unique	  set	  of	  engaging	  tools	  and	  techniques,	  based	  upon	  game	  mechanics	  such	  as	  competition,	  narrative,	  missions	  and	  quests.	  	  Increasingly	  games	  are	  being	  seen	  not	  as	  a	  technology	  but	  as	  a	  cultural	  form	  with	  its	  own	  genres,	  be	  they	  casual	  games	  played	  by	  everyone,	  serious	  games	  played	  to	  learn	  and	  engage	  or	  gamification	  whereby	  game	  elements	  are	  used	  to	  reach	  new	  audiences.	  Games	  offer	  us	  new	  toolsets	  that	  can	  be	  used	  effectively	  in	  activities	  as	  wide-­‐ranging	  as	  therapy,	  awareness-­‐raising	  or	  marketing	  as	  well	  as	  more	  conventional	  curricula.	  The	  versatility	  of	  digital	  games	  to	  be	  applied	  to	  any	  problem	  or	  challenge	  has	  gained	  games	  new	  cultural	  status	  that	  they	  previously	  did	  not	  have.	  	  Digital	  educational	  games	  seek	  to	  inform,	  educate	  and	  motivate	  learners	  and	  to	  extend	  the	  range	  of	  our	  ability	  to	  learn	  in	  classrooms	  by	  making	  the	  world	  our	  classroom	  and	  by	  putting	  social	  interaction	  rather	  than	  curriculum	  objectives	  at	  the	  centre	  of	  the	  learner’s	  experience.	  Game	  science	  is	  evolving,	  too,	  and	  game	  mechanics	  are	  just	  beginning	  to	  transform	  education	  and	  how	  it	  is	  produced	  and	  how	  learning	  is	  assessed,	  with	  real	  potential	  for	  providing	  just-­‐in-­‐time	  learning	  and	  supporting	  hard-­‐to-­‐reach	  learner	  groups.	  However	  the	  growth	  and	  spread	  of	  digital	  games	  in	  educational	  contexts	  is	  still	  relatively	  in	  its	  infancy	  and	  the	  best	  methods	  for	  developing,	  assessing	  and	  deploying	  these	  approaches	  are	  also	  in	  their	  earliest	  stages	  of	  advancement.	  This	  book	  series	  thus	  aims,	  primarily,	  to	  bring	  existing	  game	  theory	  and	  practices	  together	  to	  support	  the	  ongoing	  development	  of	  game	  science	  as	  a	  sub-­‐disciplinary	  and	  cross-­‐disciplinary	  academic	  body	  of	  evidence,	  as	  a	  methodology	  of	  investigation,	  and	  as	  a	  set	  of	  tools	  and	  approaches,	  methods	  and	  frameworks	  for	  learning.	  While	  game	  science	  has	  the	  power	  to	  transcend	  normal	  silos	  of	  disciplines,	  the	  academic	  communities	  in	  different	  disciplines	  and	  in	  different	  continents	  have	  had	  too	  few	  opportunities	  to	  work	  as	  an	  interdiscipline,	  in	  part	  because	  the	  field	  is	  so	  new	  and	  research	  has	  been	  taking	  place	  in	  such	  diverse	  disciplinary,	  sectoral	  and	  international	  contexts.	  This	  book	  series	  therefore	  specifically	  aims	  to	  build	  bridges	  between	  diverse	  research,	  teaching,	  policy	  and	  learner	  communities	  and	  is	  inspired	  by	  the	  next	  generation	  of	  young	  researchers	  currently	  completing	  their	  early	  studies	  in	  the	  field.	  Towards	  this	  end,	  the	  series	  brings	  together	  leading	  theorists,	  thinkers	  and	  practitioners	  into	  a	  community	  of	  practice	  around	  the	  key	  themes	  and	  issues	  of	  digital	  games	  and	  learning.	  These	  theorists	  come	  from	  areas	  as	  diverse	  as	  health	  and	  well-­‐being,	  business	  and	  innovation,	  education,	  computer	  science	  and	  engineering	  to	  name	  a	  few.	  Their	  perspectives	  include	  views	  from	  professional	  practice	  as	  well	  as	  as	  from	  theoretical	  perspectives.	  	  It	  is	  important	  not	  to	  underestimate	  the	  scale	  of	  the	  work	  ahead	  in	  this	  new	  field,	  but	  it	  is	  also	  important	  to	  recognise	  the	  power	  of	  these	  new	  tools	  beyond	  our	  current	  understanding	  of	  what	  they	  can	  do	  or	  will	  do	  in	  the	  future.	  Games	  will	  always	  be	  a	  central	  part	  of	  early-­‐stage	  learning,	  but	  2	  	  now	  the	  capability	  of	  games	  to	  save	  lives,	  to	  inform	  citizens	  and	  to	  contribute	  positive	  outcomes	  socially	  are	  just	  beginning	  to	  be	  understood.	  We	  have	  always	  understood	  the	  power	  of	  games	  to	  entertain:	  this	  series	  shows	  us	  scientifically	  how	  the	  power	  of	  play	  can	  be	  harnessed	  for	  more	  profound	  purposes,	  more	  altruistic	  reasons	  in	  new	  forms	  of	  sustainable	  and	  scalable	  education.	  Digital	  Games	  and	  Learning	  will	  explore	  the	  lineaments	  of	  the	  new	  learning,	  and	  will	  reveal	  how	  and	  in	  what	  contexts	  that	  learning	  will	  take	  shape.	  	  Professor	  Sara	  de	  Freitas	  Coventry	  University,	  Birmingham,	  UK	  Professor	  Paul	  Maharg	  The	  Australian	  National	  University,	  Canberra,	  Australia.	  June	  2013.	  	  

Digital games and learning: series introduction

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Nottingham Trent Institutional Repository (IRep)