Teachers and Teaching in Game-Based Learning Theory and Practice

Abstract

Interest in game-based learning has grown dramatically over the past decade. Thus far, most of the focus has not included the role of teachers. This chapter first summarizes the theoretical research on game-based learning and the implications of that research for the role of teachers. The authors next review the game-based learning literature that has specifically articulated a role for teachers or achieved an empirical description of teacher action within a game-based learning context. They then connect these accounts with more general research on teachers and technology use, elaborating on points of contact and identifying differences that may signal special challenges. Finally, the authors articulate an expanded role for teachers in game-based learning practices in terms of game-based learning research and new scholarship on the psychology of games.