My Thai, A. et al. (2009) Game Changer New York: Joan Ganz Cooney Center Sesame Workshop
A report from the folks at Sesame Street. From the report:
This report explores innovations from the commercial game industry and academic game labs, and examines pockets of experimentation in the classroom, health care, and other learning settings. We conclude that current approaches to solving key educational and child-health challenges insufficiently leverage the ubiquitous digital media that currently pervade children’s lives.
Despite their reputation as promoters of violence and mayhem, digital games have in fact been shown to help children gain content and vital foundational and 21st-century skills. From digital games children can learn:
- Content (from rich vocabulary to science to history)
- Skills (from literacy to math to complex problem-solving)
- Creation of artifacts (from videos to software code)
- Systems thinking (how changing one element affects relationships as a whole)
Dr. Tony Bates is the author of eleven books in the field of online learning and distance education. He has provided consulting services specializing in training in the planning and management of online learning and distance education, working with over 40 organizations in 25 countries. Tony is a Research Associate with Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s Distance Education & Training Network.
