Serious computer games as instructional technology Matej Zapušek, Špela Cerar, Jože Rugelj Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia {matej.zapusek, spela.cerar, joze.rugelj}@pef.uni-lj.si Abstract – Serious computer games usually refer to games used for training, advertising, simulation, or education that are designed to run on personal computers. They allow learners to experience situations that are impossible in the real world for different reasons, such as safety, cost or time. They are supposed to have defined learning outcomes and are claimed to have positive impacts on the players’ development of new knowledge or different skills. To design good serious games we need to be able to design and produce good software. But they are more than software. We also need to be able to design and produce good instruction. The potential value of serious computer games for learning seems high, but there remains resistance to the use of games in the classroom. A reasonable way to convince more teachers to try games is through pedagogy, connecting elements of existing games designs with accepted learning and instructional theories. At the Faculty of Education of the University of Ljubljana we have been developing serious game TimeMesh in the framework of the Comenius programme. The game is intended to be used for learning history in primary and secondary schools, but at the same time pupils learn about different cultures and social relations in Europe in different historical periods. I. INTRODUCTION To really understand the power of game it is necessary to first consider children’s play. Children’s play is known as one of the most important activities that help develop important skills for entire life. Through play child is improving his intellectual capabilities by discovering the first basic concepts from real world and making viable connections between them. Jean Piaget sees play as incorporation of new materials into existing cognitive structure and consolidation of newly learned behaviour. Freud emphasizes the emotional benefits of play arguing that it reduces the objective and instinctual anxiety – helping child to resolve emotional issues. Social constructivist believe that play is important because of development of social skills. Learning with play is one of the most common activities in early age but positive effects of playing and games on learning are often overlooked in a formal education. A lot of research has been done in a field of computer game based learning showing that if learning material is presented in a computer game format it has positive effects on motivation. Computer game helps students to draw attention on learning material and at the same time it is a source of fun that gives them enjoyment and pleasure. Having those two components in a learning process gives teachers relaxed and highly motivated students who are therefore more willing to learn. Other pedagogic benefits are collaborative learning (multiplayer capabilities), experimental and active learning, problem-based learning, and authentic activities. Use of ICT is nowadays common in a formal education, which gives teachers an opportunity to develop quality materials in order to foster learning. Within the European project SELEAG (SErious LEArning Games) authors designed a game TimeMash for learning history in primary and secondary schools in Europe. II. COMPUTER GAME Game is a broad concept, which makes it hard to point out the most important characteristics that make a certain activity a game. For Thorton the most important feature of the game is interactivity. Johnston sees game as an activity that has rules which all of the participant have to obey, one or several goals, interaction and dynamic visuals [3]. Malone in his theory exposes fantasy, curiosity, challenge, and control as the most important components of every game [4]. Baranauskas is emphasizing challenge and risk. The most comprehensive allocation is made by Garris saying that those components are: competition, challenge, social interactions, conversation, and fantasy [2]. Prensky’s theory of game based learning is one of the most influential. He argues that game consists those elements: rules, goals and assignments, results and feedback, conflict situations (competition,