Abstract
Researchers and instructional designers are exploring the possibilities of using video games to support STEM education in the U.S., not only because they are a popular media form among youth, but also because well-designed games often leverage the best features of inquiry learning. Those interested in using games in an educational capacity may benefit from an examination of the work of video game designer Will Wright. Wright designs through a constructivist lens and his open-ended, sandbox games (SimCity, The Sims, Spore) present wide “possibility spaces” that allow players to exercise their critical thinking and problem solving skills. His games invoke a delight in discovery that inspire creative acts and interest-driven learning both during and outside of the game. Finally, he reminds us that failure-based learning is a viable strategy for building expertise and understanding.
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Acknowledgments
As part of the research for this article, I solicited opinions and anecdotes from several prominent game researchers and designers (in alphabetical order): Drew Davidson, James Paul Gee, Colleen Macklin, Debbie Reese, Kurt Squire, Bill Tally, and Scott Traylor. They supplied extremely rich and insightful fodder that proved instrumental to the organization of this article. I wish to thank them for their contributions as well as the members of the dolcelab for their support of this endeavor.
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Ching, D. Passion play: Will Wright and games for science learning. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 7, 767–782 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-012-9456-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-012-9456-5