Video Games and Learning

Can we learn socially and academically valuable concepts and skills from video games? How can we best teach the “gamer generation”? This accessible book describes how educators and curriculum designers can harness the participatory nature of digital media and play. The author presents a comprehensive model of games and learning that integrates analyses of games, game culture, and educational game design. Building on more than 10 years of research, Kurt Squire tells the story of the emerging field of immersive, digitally mediated learning environments (or games) and outlines the future of education.

Featuring engaging stories from the author’s experiences as a game researcher, this book:

• Explores the intersections between commercial game design for entertainment and design-based research conducted in schools.
• Highlights the importance of social interactions around games at home, at school, and in online communities.
• Engages readers with a user-friendly presentation, including personal narratives, sidebars, screenshots, and annotations.
• Offers a forward-looking vision of the changing audience for educational video games.

Kurt Squire is associate professor of Educational Communications and Technology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and associate codirector for educational research and development at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Visit the author’s website at www.kurtsquire.info.

“Easily the most entertaining and just plain smartest book on video games and learning yet written.”
—James Paul Gee, Arizona State University

“An essential book for educators, game designers, and educational technologists, but also for anyone who cares deeply about the design of effective learning systems.”
—Robert J. Torres, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

2012 Choice Outstanding Academic Title