games & learning

1. Haderslev, November 3rd 2014
Digital games as a powerful
tool in learning
Anne Isholdt, pedagogical it-consultant at VUC Storstrøm

2. We learn through play...
…by imitating, experimenting and practicing
Computer games provide immersive, realistic & meaningful environments
in which learners use information to develop knowledge, attitudes
and skills.

3. What is a game?
”A game is a series of interesting choices”
Sid Meyer – creator of Civilization
“A game is a rule-based formal system with a variable
and quantifiable outcome, where different outcomes
are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in
order to influence the outcome, the player feels
attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the
activity are optional and negotiable.”
Jesper Juul – game researcher

4. Digital or analog?
• Place and time optional
• Single player or multiplayer
• Learning to play inside the game

5. Are games effective learning objects?

6. Are games effective learning objects?

7. Why games support learning
Games are extremely good at simulating environments and situations.
They create a contextual frame for the player to think within,
instead of teaching isolated skills.
Games are multimodal and stimulates many of our senses, and support
multiple learning styles
Games are problem-based and encourage analytic, logical and creative thinking
Games can simulate both micro and makro level of a topic: roleplay and strategy
Games are sandboxes: safe places to experiment, without fear of failure

8. Why games are motivating
Players fail 85 % of the time they are playing!
• Clear and reachable goals – often one main goal and some smaller
• Immidiate feedback
• Meaningful choices with different consequenses
• Clear rules
• Reward systems that gives the player credit for involvement and certain
behaviour/actions
• Adjustment – difficulty and other player preferences

9. Flow – completely focused motivation
“Flow is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed
in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity.”

10. Who uses games for educational purposes?

12. The context of gamebased learning
• Some knowledge before gameplay
• Assistance availible during gameplay(person, in game or manual etc.)
• Debriefing – overall feedback + corrections of misunderstandings
• Reflection – evaluate own experience
• Conceptualisation – putting the experience into a larger framework, supplementing
with other ressources and apply to other settings
• Social aspect – share knowledge or work with co-learners

13. A good learning game
• The game objectives match the learning objectives
• The player is encouraged to try again if he/she fails
• The goals are clear and meaningful
• It’s possible to adjust level of difficulty
• The player gets clear feedback on progres
• The players actions have different consequenses

14. Constructionism
Should the learner engage in the construction of the game, the content or both?
• ”Just” a player
• Working with game mechanics and looking into the ”machinery”
• Contributing with content
Different learning outcomes - Pros and cons:
If you are working behind the sceene you are not experiencing, experimenting or making hypothesis
But you may gain insight into the structures and processes surrounding the area of content, and also get a
clearer overview of the main points of the topic.
The possible level of involvement in the construction is dependent of the player skills