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Educational Media and Technology Yearbook pp 127–138Cite as

An Instructional Design Approach to Effective Instructional Game Design and Assessment

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Part of the book series: Educational Media and Technology Yearbook ((EMTY,volume 36))

Abstract

CyGaMEs is a formalism for instructional game design that aligns an instructional game with targeted content. The CyGaMEs method derives from instructional design, cognitive science analogical reasoning, learning science, and game design theory. The author summarizes the theoretical foundations, introduces the method, describes the CyGaMEs assessment tools, and summarizes research that demonstrates how game-based technologies can be used to authentically assess knowledge growth as it occurs during game-based learning. The author argues that theoretically and empirically sound instructional design methods like CyGaMEs enhance the effectiveness of game-based learning and assessment.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The methods diverge when entertainment games privilege gameplay over authenticity.

  2. 2.

    Valve’s portfolio includes Half-Life,® and Valve games “account for over 80% of the PC online action market” (http://www.valvesoftware.com/about.html).

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Acknowledgments

Debbie Denise Reese, Research and Evaluation, Center for Educational Technologies, Wheeling Jesuit University.

This research was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant DRL-0814512 awarded to the author and National Aeronautics and Space Association NCC5-451, NNX06AB09G-Basic, NNX06AB09G-Supplement #1, NNX06AB09G-Supplement #2, NNX08AJ71A-Basic and No. NAG-13782 awarded to the NASA-sponsored Classroom of the Future.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation or the National Aeronautics and Space Association.

Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Debbie Denise Reese, Center for Educational Technologies, Wheeling Jesuit University, 316 Washington Ave, Wheeling, WV 26003. E-mail: debbie@cet.edu.

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  1. Center for Educational Technologies, Wheeling Jesuit University, 316 Washington Avenue, Wheeling, WV, 26003, USA

    Debbie Denise Reese

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  1. Debbie Denise Reese
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Correspondence to Debbie Denise Reese .

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  1. , Educational Psych & Instructional Tech., University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall 604, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA

    Michael Orey

  2. , Dept. Leadership, Tech. & Dvpmt, Georgia Southern University, PO Box 8131, Statesboro, 30460, Georgia, USA

    Stephanie A. Jones

  3. , Educational Psych & Instructional Tech., University of Georgia, Aderhold Hall 604, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA

    Robert Maribe Branch

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Reese, D.D. (2012). An Instructional Design Approach to Effective Instructional Game Design and Assessment. In: Orey, M., Jones, S., Branch, R. (eds) Educational Media and Technology Yearbook. Educational Media and Technology Yearbook, vol 36. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1305-9_11

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