Graduate Skills and Game-Based Learning: Using Video Games for Employability in Higher Education

Description

This book explores the efficacy of game-based learning to develop university students’ skills and competencies. While writing on game-based learning has previously emphasised the use of games developed specifically for educational purposes, this book fills an important gap in the literature by focusing on commercial games such as World of Warcraft and Minecraft. Underpinned by robust empirical evidence, the author demonstrates that the current negative perception of video games is ill-informed, and in fact these games can be important tools to develop graduate skills related to employability. Speaking to very current concerns about the employability of higher education graduates and the skills that university is intended to develop, this book also explores the attitudes to game-based learning as expressed by instructors, students and game developers. Front Matter ....Pages i-xix Video Games and Learning (Matthew Barr)....Pages 1-31 Graduate Attributes and Games (Matthew Barr)....Pages 33-62 Playing Games at University (Matthew Barr)....Pages 63-98 The Student Perspective (Matthew Barr)....Pages 99-125 Reflections on Game-Based Learning (Matthew Barr)....Pages 127-155 The Educator Perspective (Matthew Barr)....Pages 157-180 The Games Industry Perspective (Matthew Barr)....Pages 181-204 Gaming for Graduates (Matthew Barr)....Pages 205-218 Back Matter ....Pages 219-226