Explaining the Educational Power of Games

Abstract

This chapter introduces two views of learning relevant for game-based learning: experiential learning theory and the constructivist view on learning. The authors will first discuss, how these views explain learning from a perspective that is relevant for game-based learning. They will also evaluate, how these views on learning relate to assessment of learning through gaming. Last, they will concretize the diversity of the potential learning outcomes of gaming: how, for example, the learner’s previous knowledge, personality, the team members affect the learning experience and outcome. According to constructivism, learning is a constructive process in which the learner is building an internal representation of knowledge. This is something to which game-based education clearly adds value to.