The Games for Learning Institute was gracious enough to invite Will Wright, the genius behind games such as The Sims and Spore, to speak about “Why Games are Good for Learning”. I’ve watched him speak in the past via youtube videos, and have always been impressed by the insight he brings to the gaming industry. Games such as SimCity, have broken down so many boundaries and have help in redefining several aspects of gaming. He has managed to empower children, though a constructionist approach by giving them the ability to become producers of their worlds, and not merely consumers. These ideologies fall in line with much of Seymour Papert’s work with LEGO and LOGO along with the ideas of Maria Montessori.

The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his inner most core. — Maria Montessori

Why Serious Games are not Fun
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ESL (English as a Second Language) students come from a variety of cultural, physical, social, and educational backgrounds. The process of second language learning can be very stressful, and the impact of positive or negative attitudes from the surrounding society can be critical. ESL high-school students are also faced with the realization that learning the language is necessary to their future success in school, and ultimately their career path. To make matters worse, ESL instructors often use methods and materials that have been developed with the learning needs of native English speakers in mind. As a result, frustration and failure may lead to higher than average drop-out rates among immigrant students in high school.

The goal of an ESL program is too assist students in becoming proficient in English, and to be successful active participants within a classroom. They should be able to express a range of critical perspectives and enter quick paced interactions. Based on this goal, it seems that group communication should be a large focus of their learning. Indeed, recent studies in ESL have revealed the importance of the social context in which the second language is learned, and the relationships that are fostered. Through this perspective, the act of learning a second language, becomes a situated activity within a community. By ignoring the situated nature of cognition, education defeats its own goal of providing meaningful knowledge. This contrasts with many classroom learning activities which involve knowledge that is abstract and out of context.
Multi-User Domains

Computer technologies offer an interesting approach to situating knowledge especially in the areas of game development. Within Multi-User Domains (MUDs) players enter virtual worlds as newcomers and gradually gain experience, through Legitimate Peripheral Participation, and eventually become central members of the community. This goes in-line with Lave’s description of Situated Learning, and fosters the formation of cognitive apprenticeships within the community.

Additionally, when situated in a game, this community is part of what Salen and Zimmerman call the ‘magic circle’. The magic circle is the idea that games are situated in a special time and place, outside of the real world. In order for a player to be a part of this magic circle they must first agree to all the rules and limitation set forth by the game designer. This frame is what allows MUDs to be a viable alternative for meaningful authentic environments for knowledge to be situated and communal relationships to be established.

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