The symposium itself was divided into three main sections: 1) serious gaming and the future of game technology, 2) new virtual platforms and the 3D web, and 3) the science of education and virtual learning in the 21^st century.

In his presentation, David Williamson Shaffer argues that “games create worlds” and that “a game is always a culture.” While members of a culture require certain knowledge, skills, and values in order to participate in it, they need to share that culture’s epistemology. As Shaffer explains, that epistemology includes the way that decisions are made and actions are justified in that particular culture. He highlights his work with epistemic games, and differentiates these from educational games that simply entail rote learning. A video of his full talk is available on the Eduverse website.

Shaffer argues that we need to look closely at such findings if our goal is to make game environments more effective, both for exemplifying practices as well as getting people to understand and use them. He suggests that if our aim is to both comprehend and facilitate innovative practices, it is not enough to simply look at knowledge, skills, values, and identity. Instead, we need to understand these elements in relation to epistemology. Ultimately, our epistemic frame is what allows us to see the world – and our learning process – from one perspective and not another.

This short video gives an overview of our work on Urban Science and other epistemic games as part of the Macarthur Digital Media and Learning Project and the National Science Foundation.

In these games, players have a chance to learn 21st century skills by playing as urban planners, engineers, journalists, and other professionals in the knowledge economy.

I suppose next we’ll need to make an epistemic game about making epistemic games….

Watch for the interesting shots from video games and simulations in the background, and the “creattive” spelling in the graphics–all of which only points out that innovative professionals need basic skills too. Or perhaps just that everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

Jim and David talk about games and the future of education.