Language and Culture Acquisition through Computer Game Design and Play
Project Directors: Drs. Ken McAllister (U Arizona) and Judd Rugill (Arizona State University) [In collaboration with the Learning Games Initiative and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies]
Description: This project will facilitate the learning of FL skills by teaching language instructors how to inexpensively design and implement custom FL games using off-the-shelf computer game development tools that permit in-game FL dialogues between game characters and the player, in-game FL texts (such as found documents, journals, maps, and other game clues), and FL puzzles that the player must solve in order to advance the narrative of the game. This project developed cutting-edge teaching materials and toolkits for FL instructors. Outcomes will include: a language teacher’s guide to digital game-based learning–the Fluency in Play publication; a Spring 2009 workshop/demonstration; publication of the results in leading academic journals in this area and presentations at conferences.
Materials
Fluency in Play introduces educators to the process of educational computer game design, and provides design prompts for designing teaching opportunities with games. Purchase the book online at Lulu Press