Building bridges between serious game design and instructional design

Kirley, J., Kirkley, S., & Heneghan, J. (2007). Building bridges between serious game design and instructional design: A blueprint for now and the future. In B. E. Shelton & D. A. Wiley (Eds.), The design and use of simulation computer games in education (pp. 61-83). Sense Publishers.

This article discusses how to balance fun and engagement with learning, how to build effective design teams that use each other’s strength, how to create common models and processes, and how to develop innovate games that will revolutionize learning, not only the outcomes but how we define and understand it. In fact, one of the strengths of technology is that it keeps us from getting too comfortable in our seats. As new technologies emerge, so do new forms of communicating, collaborating, and creating. This calls for constantly rethinking our approach to design and development, especially as we are challenged to deal with new design concepts and capabilities (e.g. what can your game engine do), different types of designs (e.g., how will your learner experience and process virtual environment), and how game design and instructional design can come together to create learning environments that are increasingly authentic, engaging, and that help people to see the world from a different perspective. Its implication for educators would be how to use simulations to produce positive impact on the students in terms of teaching and inspiring them in meaningful ways.