Learning in Games and Virtual Worlds

by Dr Sergio Pisano and Dr. Sergio Pisano

It is early morning and students are seated in their college classrooms for the first time. Soon after introductions, the syllabus is reviewed and the professor starts talking about different topics that need to be covered for class. Besides the occasional question or brief discussion, the traditional lecture has started and will continue mostly unchanged in every session, something that drives many students' minds to wander while the professor's voice fades in the background of their thoughts as they reach for anything available that would make their time in class more enjoyable. Over time, these type of classes become a monotone routine that fail to gain students' attention for more than just a few minutes and lead them to passively receive information in order to robotically complete assignments. Eventually, students become disengaged and their original enthusiasm about college fades away together with the possibility of becoming actively engaged in their learning. It is easy to see how in this scenario students' academic performance would significantly decrease while dropout rates would increase, and eventually damage the quality of our education system. I strongly believe the traditional perception of the classroom can and should be transformed into a more enjoyable, immersive, and liberating learning experience able to stir the imagination, promote higher learning, and increase students' engagement. This book narrates my personal learning journey with games, how they became an important influence in my life, and their vast potential as educational tools. It presents a concise overview of Game Based Learning, its associated research, current state, and recommendations for practice, while offering practical information aimed to help implementing games and Virtual Worlds in an academic context.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0692151168
• ISBN13: 9780692151167
• Release Date: July 2018
• Publisher: Sergio Pisano
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"