The Role of Computer Games within the eLearning Systems

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The Role of Computer Games within the e-Learning
Systems

• Fekete Zsombor
• MicroCad Conference 2003, március

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Main Research

• Main approach
• How can we find the key-elements of knowledge
  development by interactive computer games?
• Sub-approach
• How should we interpret the relation between
  v-games, and e-learning?
• Why cannot we find this topic in the mainstream
  of research?

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How should we interpret the relation between
v-games, and e-learning?
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Sociological functions of computer games

• Primary functions
• Entertainment
• Technology transfer
• Secondary functions
• User enhancement
• Cultural transfer
• Social contact, etc.

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Sociological functions of learning-systems

• Primary functions
• Education information, skills
• Education social, cultural competences
• Secondary functions
• Social contact
• Entertainment
• Social differences etc.

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Matches
E
L
L
E
E-Learning
V-Games
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Historical background

• Learning
• Project-learning
• Drama-pedagogy
• Etc.
• Gaming
• Games for Kids
• Word games
• Education games
• Etc.

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Why cannot we find this topic in the mainstream
of research?
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Original concept of e-learning

• Cheap (computer)
• Easy-to-use edition
• Cheap (collecting material)
• New-structured knowledge
• Cheap (send, copy)
• Breaking the borders of distance and time
• Cheap (tutoring)
• Comfortable learning anytime, anywhere
• New environment is mostly mentioned as challenge,
  not as a goal!

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What environment can a computer afford?

• Text (damages eyes, but temporally useful)
• Hypertext (requires non-linear reading skills)
• Picture (useful)
• Audio (really useful)
• Video (really useful)
• Multimedia (really useful)
• Communication by the mentioned media
• Virtual Environments (new media)

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Problem is

• Content is mostly implementation of traditional
  media (text, picture, audio, video)
• Interactivity is mostly only reduced to following
  links, controlling media, and solving tests
• E-learning is concentrated on adopting
  traditional learning methods

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What is the e-learning?
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What is e-learning?
IRC, MUD
V-Games
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Main problem within Video-Games

• Many stereotypes
• Violence
• Health risks
• Social connections risks
• Associating on homogeny group of video-games

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Action
• Labyrinth
• 2D / 3D Racing
• Jump and run
• Japanese style top-view action
• 2D / 3D Fighting
• 2D / 3D Arcade flight / shooter
• 2D / Movie aim and shoot
• 3D First Person Shooter
• 3D Third Person
• 3D Hack and Sash

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Adventure
• Text-based
• Point and click
• Interactive-Movie Adventure
• 3D Adventure

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Role Playing
• Text-based RPG
• Action RPG
• Japanese RPG
• First Person RPG
• MUD
• MMORPG

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Strategy
• God-Simulator
• Builder / Manager
• Real-Time Strategy
• Round-divided Strategy

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Simulation
• Flight
• Racing
• Fiction simulation
• Human / Animal simulation

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Sports
• Card-Games
• Logical Games
• Logical game
• Logical action game

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What kind of Video-Games are there?

• Media
• Text
• 2D
• 3D
• Audio / Movie
• Offline
• Online

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Only a few types used for learning

• and we dont even know what could we expect
  from the other types

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But still needs a lot of analysis

• Computer games should be analysed by
• Psychology
• Cognitive-science
• Social-psychology
• Pedagogy
• Informatics,
• Programming

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Future goalsBring theory to life!
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Thanks for the attention!

• Fekete Zsombor
• jab-en_at_jab-en.net