Title: The affordances of informant design in educational game development

Authors: Beaumie Kim; Lynde Tan; Mi Song Kim

Addresses: University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada ' National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637665, Singapore ' National Institute of Education (NIE), Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, 637665, Singapore

Abstract: This paper argues that in 'educational' game development, there is often a gap between design and learning. It suggests how involving learners in the design process, known as the informant design approach, is able to close this gap. One key affordance of such an approach is the provision of learning opportunities for the learners themselves where designing and learning are intertwined. Specifically, learners had opportunities to use their experiences as their resources for learning and game design. They were capable of drawing on their knowledge of their lifeworlds, particularly adolescents' gaming culture and Earth phenomena, when suggesting game ideas for learning.

Keywords: informant design; educational games; cultural models; plate tectonics; game development; learning opportunities; game design; learning resources; game ideas.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2013.055388

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2013 Vol.6 No.3, pp.215 - 228

Published online: 25 Jul 2014 *

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