Game Based Lifelong Learning - E-Infrastructures and Technologies for Lifelong Learning - page 339

Chapter 14

Game Based Lifelong Learning

Sebastian Kelle
Open University of the Netherlands, The Netherlands

Steinn E. Sigurðarson
Open University of the Netherlands, The Netherlands

Wim Westera
Open University of the Netherlands, The Netherlands

Marcus Specht
Open University of the Netherlands, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

Digital Games as a means of learning have become more important in recent years. Infrastructural and
sociological developments have created fertile grounds for game innovations, by exploiting the latest
technologies, and a new generation of learners have welcomed this form of learning. This chapter fo-
cuses on an overview of the current state of the art of learning games, explaining different perspectives.
As the gamers' generation has now grown up, the educational contexts for lifelong learning like higher
and vocational education are moving into the scope of game based learning, and therefore deserve
special attention.

1. INTRODUCTION

1996). Gaming, hence, is a very natural way of
self-directed learning during a phase in life, which
is the stage of most rapid cognitive development.
Therefore it is safe to assume that game-based
learning has existed for a very long time going
back to prehistoric times. Being a subspecies of the
class of placental mammals, also young humans
engage upon their drive to learn by gaming. The
natural drive to learn through play, however, is
coerced by modern society. Acknowledging the
obvious demand for games that is a culturally
universal phenomenon, the notion of learning

One of the striking observations when looking
at game-based learning is that its definition and
background go oddly beyond the human aspect
of learning sciences. Animals (in essence, all pla-
cental mammals) have the ability and the drive to
learn through play (Burghardt, 2005). Zoological
research illuminates the importance of play for
young animals to learn essential skills (Hawes,