Making Digital Games and Design Thinking: An Updated Review

• In Event: 29.091 - Poster Session 4
  In Poster Session: 29.091-4 - Game Design and Game-Based Learning

Abstract

As a followup to Hayes and Games's (2008) analysis of digital game making applications in education, this paper reviews recent empirical work on the use of digital game making in formal and informal educational settings. While research on game making has expanded, the diversity of tools, settings, and desired outcomes for game making make it difficult to draw general conclusions about learning outcomes or appropriate instructional strategies. The review identifies a number of key trends and directions for future research, including continued attention to the affordances of particular tools in specific settings, investigation of different conceptualizations of design thinking as a desired outcome, and exploration of the relative benefits of game making as compared to other digital design activities.

Authors

• Elisabeth R. Gee, Arizona State University

• Kelly Tran, Arizona State University - Tempe