The teaching of games is a central component of any physical education or youth sport programme. Contemporary Developments in Games Teaching brings together leading international researchers and practitioners in physical education and sports coaching to examine new approaches in games teaching and team sport coaching that are player/student-centred and inquiry-based. The book aims to bridge the gap between research and practice by exploring contemporary games teaching from pedagogical, policy and research perspectives. It offers interesting new commentary and research data on well-established models such as Teaching Games for Understanding (TFfU), Game Sense, Play Practice and the Games Concept Approach (GCA), as well as introducing innovative and exciting approaches emerging in East Asia, including Singapore and Japan. Representing the most up-to-date survey of new work in contemporary games teaching around the world, this book is invaluable reading for any student, researcher, in-service teacher or sports coach with an interest in games teaching or physical education.

"Due to the rapid development of gaming technologies in recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the role that digital games can play in foreign and second language learning. Bringing together innovative research from an international team of contributors, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the use of digital games in computer-assisted language learning (CALL). The book firstly lays the theoretical foundations and outlines various rationales for using digital games, incorporating contemporary theories of second language acquisition. It also explores the development and impact of digital games designed specifically for language learning, giving due consideration to design principles, pedagogical requirements and student health. Chapters then draw on case studies from Europe and Japan to analyse in-game interaction, attitudes and participation in both institutional and out-of-classroom settings. Seamlessly combining theory with practical application, this book outlines recent developments in the field and the direction of future research, and is a valuable resource for instructors, researchers and practitioners who are designing games or looking to use them in their classrooms"--

Lacking a digital crystal ball, we cannot predict the future of education or the precise instructional role games will have going forward. Yet we can safely say that games will play some role in the future of K?12 and higher education, and members of the games community will have to choose between being passive observers or active, progressive contributors to the complex and often political process of weaving together pedagogy, technology, and culture. This will involve agreeing that games—or, more specifically, game mechanics and the engagement in joyful learning that they engender—are not only critical for shaping online and classroom instruction but also the evolution of schooling as a whole. Likewise, it will involve a hard push beyond questions like “Are video games ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for education?” and “Are games ‘better’ for all students than traditional face?to?face teaching” to unpack how game experiences vary with individual learner goals as an interaction with the parameters of an educational environment. Simply put, we need to form a cohesive, compelling argument in support of the notion that games are entire learning ecologies in and of themselves. This edited volume is designed to anchor collective thinking with respect to the value?added nature of games for learning and the complexities involved in player experience, narrative context, and environmental?player interactions. As could be expected, we are not interested in debates about “gamification,” game violence, individual game quality, and other topics that have become standard fare in extant games literature. Instead, we seek to emphasize issues of scalability, the induction of player goal adoption, affordances of game?based instructional environments, relationships between play and transfer, and the value of games as part of an ecopsychological worldview. As long?time contributors in a field that has made a habit of playing it safe—pun intended—we seek to bring the dialogue in a more nuanced and meaningful direction that will reach teachers, researchers, designers, and players alike.

Technology has increasingly become utilized in classroom settings in order to allow students to enhance their experiences and understanding. Among such technologies that are being implemented into course work are game-based learning programs. Introducing game-based learning into the classroom can help to improve students’ communication and teamwork skills and build more meaningful connections to the subject matter. While this growing field has numerous benefits for education at all levels, it is important to understand and acknowledge the current best practices of gamification and game-based learning and better learn how they are correctly implemented in all areas of education. The Research Anthology on Developments in Gamification and Game-Based Learning is a comprehensive reference source that considers all aspects of gamification and game-based learning in an educational context including the benefits, difficulties, opportunities, and future directions. Covering a wide range of topics including game concepts, mobile learning, educational games, and learning processes, it is an ideal resource for academicians, researchers, curricula developers, instructional designers, technologists, IT specialists, education professionals, administrators, software designers, students, and stakeholders in all levels of education.

The present book explores how modern board gaming and language teaching can be beneficially combined to achieve optimal impact. Modern board games have a lot to offer language learners and teachers, and they should play a much more significant role in what has been labelled "Content and Language Integrated Learning" or CLIL. Modern board games require cooperation, problem-solving, active discovery, interpretation and analysis. Most importantly, modern board games allow students to explore a hypothetical environment without the risk of language errors. The key ingredient of the present book is "game-based learning and teaching theory", or GBLTT, a theoretical framework which measures learning outcomes based on gaming and learning procedures. GBLTT is focused on balancing information and gameplay as well as putting a focus on the ability of each learner to retain language competence and to put their subject to realistic situations.

The field of Games is rapidly expanding, prompting institutions throughout the world to create game development programs and courses focusing on educational games. As a result, games have also become a hot topic in the area of educational technology research. This increased interest is due to the technological advancement of digital games and the fact that a new, digital generation is emerging with a strong gaming background. Games: Purpose and Potential in Education focuses on the issues of incorporating games into education and instructional design. Ideas of identity development, gender diversity, motivation, and integrating instructional design within game development are addressed since each of these areas is important in the field of instructional design and can have a significant impact on learning. This volume brings together leading experts, researchers, and instructors in the field of gaming and explores current topics in gaming and simulations, available resources, and the future of the field.

Despite the growing number of books designed to radically reconsider the educational value of video games as powerful learning tools, there are very few practical guidelines conveniently available for prospective history and social studies teachers who actually want to use these teaching and learning tools in their classes. As the games and learning field continues to grow in importance, Gaming the Past provides social studies teachers and teacher educators help in implementing this unique and engaging new pedagogy. This book focuses on specific examples to help social studies educators effectively use computer simulation games to teach critical thinking and historical analysis. Chapters cover the core parts of conceiving, planning, designing, and implementing simulation based lessons. Additional topics covered include: Talking to colleagues, administrators, parents, and students about the theoretical and practical educational value of using historical simulation games. Selecting simulation games that are aligned to curricular goals Determining hardware and software requirements, purchasing software, and preparing a learning environment incorporating simulations Planning lessons and implementing instructional strategies Identifying and avoiding common pitfalls Developing activities and assessments for use with simulation games that facilitate the interpretation and creation of established and new media Also included are sample unit and lesson plans and worksheets as well as suggestions for further reading. The book ends with brief profiles of the majority of historical simulation games currently available from commercial vendors and freely on the Internet.