Investigating Games and Simulations in Educational Research and Theory:Enhancing Academic Communication and Scholarship with a Common Language

摘要

In the context of instructional design and educational research, there remains a vexing question. What is a game? How is it different from simulations? In turn, how is each distinct from virtual worlds? A review of the literature on the use of games for learning reveals either a complete lack of definition by authors or some wide disparities in terms of how each explains the necessary components that make up either a game in general, or an educational game specifically. Without clear definitions to which theorists can use to discuss their myriad learning designs, the findings that emerge from research may not translate effectively into useful discourse because there is no agreement as to whether the original design qualifies as a game or simulation. This paper explores the historical evolution of the definitions of the terms in the fields of philosophy and education and suggests a means by which they may be constructed and dynamically updated. ;Academic Communication; Common Language; Games; Simulations; Subset of Simulations