Guidelines for Game-Based Learning

Guidelines for Game-Based Learning is a contribution to a fast developing field of high interest to many educators: Make learning fun! This book is a result of joint research for the European project, "UniGame: Game-Based Learning for Universities and Life-long Learning". With the UniGame project, we tried to break completely from the tradition and start from a new concept: Motivation and fun dimensions were put in the middle and we started from the concepts of games and play-ing. The primary target-group of these guidelines is practitioners i.e. all pedagogues, teachers and trainers that want to implement game-based learning in their classes. The book will help them to systematically find commercial games and introduce them into their classes, or to implement their own ideas in the form of an educational game. Activities in-cluded in the chapters offer support in this proactive behaviour. Chapter one begins with key messages about game-based learning, and triggers first reflections on the place of this approach in higher education and training institutions. The theoretical background of game-based learning is outlined. In Chapter two a range of existing game classifications introduce the innovative 'UniGame' game classification that is based on learning goals, and relates games that help to achieve them. This classification offers guidance to practitio-ners in choosing an existing game to complement their classroom studies, and provides ideas for creating new educa-tional games. Chapter three describes the process of choosing and using a game for class use. A guide to introducing games into a course is outlined, for example, selecting and finding appropriate game, considering skills of tutors and students, tech-nical conditions, etc. Chapter four supports practitioners in defining their own educational game. Educational game design steps are outlined in detail. A freely accessible web platform called "UniGame: Social Skills and Knowledge Training" is presented.