“We are designing things that will meet the needs of teacher who have to respond to these very real pressures around things like test scores, but also leverage the creative and fun aspects of games.”
– Kurt Squire, University of Wisconsin
When we talk about games as changing formal and informal learning spaces, we need to think about the context in which the games as situated and for whom games are beneficial for.
In our interviews and discussions, we found four major themes:
- Access. Do digital games and learning just perpetuate the problems in the digital divide in schools if we begin to adopt more digital games-based learning initiatives and curricula to the classroom?
- Changing formal and informal learning structures.How can we think about the structure of digital games as a design metaphor for rethinking formal education and informal learning?
- Libraries as partners in learning.Will there be a radical paradigm shift for librarians to become facilitators of digital games and learning?
- Gender and gaming. What games will draw more girls to gaming spaces and how can gaming in libraries promote intergenerational gaming and learning together?