Serious Games: A Better CBT?

A blog item posted by Dipak Mawale at
http://dipakmawale.blogspot.com/2008/09/serious-games-and-related-concepts_19.html discusses “serious games” a strategy that can provide motivating and engaging learning experiences on computers. Alessi & Trollip (2001) describe the behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist views of learning and how they can and have been applied in CBT and WBT. I have constructivist leanings so I am interested in learning that involves the learner, where interactivity is a prime characteristic of the learning environment. Many training software packages provide the content, but in a way where the learner is a passive component in the learning (or should I say the teaching).

I have to admit that I am not very familiar with the term “serious games”. In a Google search of other sites I learned that it is using games in non-entertainment sectors. Education is certainly one of those sectors. It sounds like a strategy already being used in education called “edutainment”. Dipak points out that serious games focuses on problem solving and important elements of learning where edutainment focuses on having fun. Serious games is a strategy of using digital game technology to provide the interactivity needed by students as they construct knowledge. Dipak states that edutainment failed because its games were boring and were often nothing more than drills.

Serious games has been slow be accepted as an educational tool due to its high tech needs which had not been available. With the creation of multiplayer games, serious games now has the capability to provide powerful educational tools. More information about serious games can be found at the Serious Games Summit site at http://www.gdconf.com/conference/sgs.htm.

Alessi, S. M., & Trollip, S. R. (2001). Multimedia for learning: Methods and development (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.