Comments on: On games, addiction, education, and future tech

By: Julian Gough

Julian Gough — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:04:23 +0000

In one of those odd coincidences that isn’t really a coincidence, I just read your comment on Raph Koster’s Theory of Fun twenty minutes after buying that very book on Amazon.

By: Clix

Clix — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:00:50 +0000

Thanks a bojillion! I’m off to read

By: Tom Chatfield

Tom Chatfield — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:31 +0000

Good question. I guess looking at what has already been done in classrooms by people like Derek Robertson (Google him!) is one way to go – and looking in places like the site for Learning Without Frontiers, which is packed with talks & resources on technology and education.

I have yet to read a fully convincing book on this topic – too many people make claims that are too big, with too little evidence. But an absolute classic on the theory of playing games is Raph Koster’s “A Theory of Fun” – and I would recommend that as the best place to start thinking about the structural relationships between play and learning. See http://www.theoryoffun.com

By: Clix

Clix — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:06:40 +0000

Tom, I’d really like to see what sort of research has been done on incorporating game theory into instruction and class management. I think my biggest concern is how to reconcile the opt-in nature of play with the mandatory structure of public education. But I’m not sure where to begin looking. Can you point me in a particular direction?