This paper briefly overviews five studies examining massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). The first study surveyed 540 gamers and showed that the social aspects of the game were the most important factor for many gamers. The second study explored the social interactions of 912 MMORPG players and showed they created strong…

Digital games can be powerful learning environments because they encourage active learning and participation within "affinity groups" (Gee, 2004). However, the use of games in formal educational environments is not always successful (O'Neil et al., 2005). There is a need to update existing theories of motivation and engagement in order…

Engagement in game design tasks can help preservice teachers develop pedagogical and technical skills for teaching and promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Through the design process, preservice teachers not only exercise critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, but also learn about an instructional method to support their…

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties affecting approximately 15 to 20 per cent of the world's population. A large amount of research is currently being conducted in exploring the potential benefits of using Information & Communication Technologies as a learning platform for individuals and especially children with such…

This study looked at teachers' role-play and simulations in order to increase teachers' skills in psycho-pedagogical support on educational virtual worlds. We put forward a proposal to encourage the use of 3D scenarios where teachers can improve their skills for situations of cultural and ethical concerns that require a high level…

This article is based on a questionnaire study of the media habits of Swedish youth aged 17-18. It examines the time they spend on using fictional texts through various media forms as well as in relation to mode (production/consumption), context (spare time/school), and gender (male/female). It further analyses these media habits and, using media…

The "2014 NMC Technology Outlook for Brazilian Universities: A Horizon Project Regional Report" reflects a collaborative research effort between the New Media Consortium (NMC) and Saraiva to help inform education leaders in Brazil about significant developments in technologies supporting teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in higher…

This article explores the use of the free Zynga computer game FarmVille, which is played in conjunction with Facebook[R], to facilitate active learning in a managerial accounting course. Results indicate that it invokes an improved understanding of the accounting content, particularly among nonaccounting majors; a high level of student…

Digital games have the potential to create active and engaging environments for learning, supporting problem-solving, communication and group activities, as well as providing a forum for practice and learning through failure. The use of game techniques such as gradually increasing levels of difficulty and contextual feedback support learning, and…

Video games, as technological and cultural artifacts of considerable influence in the contemporary society, play an important role in the construction of identities, just as other artifacts (e.g., books, newspapers, television) played for a long time. In this paper, we discuss this role by considering video games under two concepts, othering and…

In this article, the CLICK ("C"omputer Games and "L"iteracy "I"ntegrated with "C"ontent "K"nowledge) design model for high school education is proposed and developed as an instructional response to concerns about content coverage versus deeper content knowledge, learners' inability to grasp the meanings embedded in complex text, and disregard for…

Previous literature reviews or meta-analysis based studies on game-assisted learning have provided important results, but few studies have considered the importance of learning theory, and coverage of papers after 2007 is scant. This study presents a systematic review of the literature using a meta-analysis approach to provide a more comprehensive…

Operation ARA (Acquiring Research Acumen) is a computerized learning game that teaches critical thinking and scientific reasoning. It is a valuable learning tool that utilizes principles from the science of learning and serious computer games. Students learn the skills of scientific reasoning by engaging in interactive dialogs with avatars. They…

Purpose: This paper seeks to argue that global change calls for training in intercultural, interdisciplinary and interparadigmatic professional behaviour. Thus a concrete web-based five-level training procedure "Surfing global change" (SGC) is to be proposed that includes reflection of game players' own knowledge, views and values. Rules…

This paper puts forward a new design perspective for game-based learning. The general idea is to abandon the long sought-after dream of designing a closed learning system, where students in both primary and secondary school could learn--without the interference of teachers--whatever subject they wanted while sitting in front of a computer. This…