GLS 2010 Presentation

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Michael G. Wagner, MBA

Department für BildwissenschaftenFachbereich Applied Game Studies

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Ludic Constructivism

1. The “killer-game” paradox2. Three-identity model3. Radical constructivism4. Ludic construction of knowledge5. Why we play and what we learn6. Five principles of game based

education7. Best practice example



An Epistemological Approach to Why and How We Learn in Computer Games

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Scientific evidence seems to suggest:• Digital games promote learning

all the good stuff- Social competencies, etc.

• Digital games do not promote learningall the bad stuff- Violence, etc.

Lack of consistency?!Lack of a proper learning theory?Lack of a proper epistemological position?



The “Killer-Game” Paradox

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Three-Identity Model

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Radical Constructivism

Ernst von Glasersfeld:• There is no reality independent of the observer.• Knowledge is constructed by creating mental models that

are validated with our senses.Heinz von Förster:• Observer and observed cannot be separated.• Mental models of reality are the result of a recursive

process linking first and second order observation (second order cybernetics).

• Reality is replaced by the eigenvalue of this recursion.

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Three-Identity Model

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Ludic Construction of Knowledge

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Why we play and what we learn

1. Play is a consequence of self-awareness and self-awareness is a consequence of play.- Huizinga: cultural anthropological game theory

2. The main purpose of playing is to train the knowledge creation process within a safe environment.- Winnicott: developmental psychological game theory

3. Games are not particularly well suited for learning content, their main potential is learning about learning.

4. The knowledge created during gameplay is only relevant to game space initially. Any transfer into real space requires an “active induction”.

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Five Principles of Game Based Education

1. Being educational is never a property of the game itself.2. Game based learning experiences do not automatically

have real world effects.3. Learning with digital games is fundamentally social and

highly individualized.4. In general, there are no economies of scale in game

based education.5. Game based teaching requires basic “psychotherapeutic”

competencies.- Teaching = coaching

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Best practice example: AugmentedEDU

Physics game themed around clean energy production.Core development principles:1. Educational objectives closely linked to game mechanics2. Focus on knowledge creation 3. Multiple possibilities to

interface with non-gamereal world activities

4. Iterative didactic designprocess integratingteachers and students

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www.appliedgames.at

(Digital) Games promote what they demand,and they demand what players want.