Graduate Skills and Game-Based Learning

by Matthew Barr

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 including Portal 2, Borderlands 2, Lara Croft, 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.

245 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Dr Matthew Barr is a lecturer at the University of Glasgow, where he established the university’s first game studies course and was the founding editor of the peer reviewed student game studies journal, Press Start. He is currently based in the Centre for Computing Science Education, where he leads the Graduate Apprenticeship in Software Engineering programme and is co-director of the University’s Games and Gaming Lab. Matt has also taught on the games development programme at Glasgow Caledonian University, leading modules including Game Content Design and Game Narrative. His research, which has attracted significant media attention, examines how video games may be used to develop skills and competencies such as critical thinking, adaptability, and communication skill. Matt currently serves as Vice Chair of British DiGRA (the Digital Games Research Association) and is a Trustee and Director of the Scottish Game Developers Association. He also sits on the BAFTA Scotland Committee. Matt’s Super Mario Kart skills are superior to those of his brother, David.

Reviews

[Csimplot Simplot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!