Games and Simulations in Informal Science Education

January 3, 2011

Video games and simulations have emerged as an important cultural and educational medium. The goals and contexts of informal science education make science a natural fit for games and simulations. Informal science educators’ desire to increase student motivation matches well with the affordances of games, for example. A new WCER Working paper reviews the challenges and opportunities for using games and simulations in informal science education. Kurt Squire and Nathan Patterson conclude that opportunities do exist and that educators need to engage with commercial designers and content providers if they hope to avoid “standing on the sidelines of their own ballgame." Read the Working Paper here.