Educational Video Game Design: A Review of the Literature

Much attention has been directed to the use of video games for learning in recent years, in part due to the staggering amounts of capital spent on games in the entertainment industry, but also because of their ability to captivate player attention and hold it for lengthy periods of time as players learn to master game complexities and accomplish objectives. This review of the literature on video game research focuses on publications analyzing educational game design, namely those that present design elements conducive to learning, the theoretical underpinnings of game design, and learning outcomes from video game play.

[1]  Michele D. Dickey.  Three-dimensional virtual worlds and distance learning: two case studies of Active Worlds as a medium for distance education , 2005, Br. J. Educ. Technol..

[2]  Judith Good,et al.  Story creation in virtual game worlds , 2005, CACM.

[3]  Marc Prensky,et al.  Don't bother me, Mom, I'm learning! , 2006 .

[4]  Magy Seif El-Nasr,et al.  Learning through game modding , 2006, Comput. Entertain..

[5]  Miguel de Aguilera,et al.  Video games and education: (Education in the Face of a “Parallel School”) , 2003, CIE.

[6]  K. Squire,et al.  Replaying History: Engaging Urban Underserved Students in Learning World History Through Computer Simulation Games , 2004, ICLS.

[7]  Carrie Heeter,et al.  Theories meet realities: designing a learning game for girls , 2005, DUX '05.

[8]  Stuart Moulthrop,et al.  When play works: turning game-playing into learning , 2006, IDC '06.

[9]  Karen Schrier.  Using augmented reality games to teach 21st century skills , 2006, SIGGRAPH '06.

[10]  Michele D. Dickey.  "Ninja Looting" for instructional design: the design challenges of creating a game-based learning environment , 2006, SIGGRAPH '06.

[11]  Maarten Wijnants,et al.  A multi-user framework supporting video-based avatars , 2003, NetGames '03.

[12]  Tina R. Ziemek.  Two-D or not Two-D: gender implications of visual cognition in electronic games , 2006, I3D '06.

[13]  David Williamson Shaffer,et al.  Theorizing Games in/and Education , 2006, ICLS.

[14]  Pierre Jouvelot,et al.  Motivation-driven educational game design: applying best practices to music education , 2005, ACE '05.

[15]  Miguel Nussbaum,et al.  A Model to Support the Design of Multiplayer Games , 2000, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[16]  Elliot Soloway,et al.  More than just fun and games: assessing the value of educational video games in the classroom , 2004, CHI EA '04.

[17]  Andrew Burrow,et al.  Architectural designers and the interactive audience , 2005 .

[18]  Philip Tan,et al.  Entering the education arcade , 2003, CIE.

[19]  Judith Good,et al.  Children’s narrative development through computer game authoring , 2004, IDC '04.

[20]  R. Bowen Loftin,et al.  VR's frames of reference: a visualization technique for mastering abstract multidimensional information , 1999, CHI '99.

[21]  Michael Barnett,et al.  Electromagnetism Supercharged! Learning Physics with Digital Simulation Games , 2004, ICLS.

[22]  Les M. Lunce.  Simulations : Bringing the benefits of situated learning to the traditional classroom , 2006 .

[23]  Diane Carr,et al.  Contexts, gaming pleasures, and gendered preferences , 2005 .

[24]  Brian C. Nelson,et al.  Design-based research strategies for studying situated learning in a multi-user virtual environment , 2004 .

[25]  William R. Swartout,et al.  Making a game of system design , 2003, CACM.

[26]  R. Bowen Loftin,et al.  ScienceSpace: lessons for designing immersive virtual realities , 1996, CHI Conference Companion.

[27]  S. Wilson.  What Video Games Have to Teach Us about Learning and Literacy , 2006 .

[28]  Susan A. Yoon,et al.  Developing games and simulations for today and tomorrow’s tech savvy youth , 2005 .

[29]  Atif Waraich,et al.  Using narrative as a motivating device to teach binary arithmetic and logic gates , 2004, ITiCSE '04.

[30]  Morgan Jennings,et al.  Best practices in corporate training and the role of aesthetics: interviews with eight experts , 2001, SIGCPR '01.

[31]  H. O'Neil,et al.  Classification of learning outcomes: evidence from the computer games literature , 2005 .

[32]  Shalom M. Fisch,et al.  Making educational computer games "educational" , 2005, IDC '05.

[33]  Claudia Adams,et al.  The use of computer games as an educational tool: identification of appropriate game types and game elements , 1999, Br. J. Educ. Technol..