There is a geometrically expanding base of literature
on videogames and education. Here are five easy to
read publications that can give you an idea about
what is out there. To make it easier to list only
five papers, I've stuck to those by researchers at
UW-Madison whom I know personally. Many other authors
in the field are listed in the references in these
papers, so if you're interested you can get a good
idea of the field by looking at those next.
Video Games and the Future of Learning is a good way to start for several reasons. It was published where more than just the in-crowd would be likely to come across it, Phi Beta Kappan. Also it's a collaboration by several of the games researchers here, and it's a great intorduction and propaganda piece.
Good Video Games and Good Learning, by James Gee, is a very good introduction to videogame studies from the point of view of a baby boomer. If this is you, this might be a good place to start.
Why are Video Games Good for Learning?, by James Gee is a good introduction to the use of videogames for education at a theoretical level. It describes several types of thinking important to academic (and otherwise) success, and why good vidoegames are very good at getiing players to think in these ways.
Changing the Game, What Happens when Videogames enter the classroom?, by Kurt Squire, describes some of the issues that result when videogames are seen ofr their popularity and potential by educators and then are put in schools. It is a criticism of the 'silver bullet' hypothesis as well as of secondary school curricula.
The Pasteurization of Education, by David Schaffer and Kurt Squire, is one of my favorites, not only because it has things to say about videogames and education, but becuase the way it brings up a very tricky debate in educational research is just perfect. Like many other 'soft sciences' there is an inferiority complex associated with the rigorousness of educational research. Subsequently the notion of 'scientific' research in education has become very narrow. --lengthy rant excised-- As I was saying, this paper uses a historical example (Pastuer's development of Pasteurization) to suggest that scientific method for the design and implementation of curricular reform is not limited to the medical model employed by most quantitative researchers.
Video Games and the Future of Learning is a good way to start for several reasons. It was published where more than just the in-crowd would be likely to come across it, Phi Beta Kappan. Also it's a collaboration by several of the games researchers here, and it's a great intorduction and propaganda piece.
Good Video Games and Good Learning, by James Gee, is a very good introduction to videogame studies from the point of view of a baby boomer. If this is you, this might be a good place to start.
Why are Video Games Good for Learning?, by James Gee is a good introduction to the use of videogames for education at a theoretical level. It describes several types of thinking important to academic (and otherwise) success, and why good vidoegames are very good at getiing players to think in these ways.
Changing the Game, What Happens when Videogames enter the classroom?, by Kurt Squire, describes some of the issues that result when videogames are seen ofr their popularity and potential by educators and then are put in schools. It is a criticism of the 'silver bullet' hypothesis as well as of secondary school curricula.
The Pasteurization of Education, by David Schaffer and Kurt Squire, is one of my favorites, not only because it has things to say about videogames and education, but becuase the way it brings up a very tricky debate in educational research is just perfect. Like many other 'soft sciences' there is an inferiority complex associated with the rigorousness of educational research. Subsequently the notion of 'scientific' research in education has become very narrow. --lengthy rant excised-- As I was saying, this paper uses a historical example (Pastuer's development of Pasteurization) to suggest that scientific method for the design and implementation of curricular reform is not limited to the medical model employed by most quantitative researchers.
Titles:
Video Games and the Future of Learning
Good Video Games and Good Learning
Why are Video Games Good for Learning
Changing the Game, What Happens when Videogames Enter the Classroom
The Pasteurization of Education