http://www.aboutfas.org

The Summit on Educational Games occurred October 25, 2005 under the sponsorship of the Entertainment Software Association, the National Science Foundation, and the orginization/sponsorship of the Federation of American Scientists.

Hundreds of experts Participated, including executives and developers of the growing video game industry, as well as researchers, teachers, publishers, educational software representatives, the U.S. Military, R&D funders, Government policymakers, and other experts on technology and pedagogy.

There are many prominent reasons why educational games are causing such a commotion in the industry world and across the nation. Thorough training and education is needed to enhance our economy and ensure efficiency and success. For instance, the U.S. workforce must raise skills in order to compete in global labor markets and to support an innovation-based economy. The U.S. workforce must also be prepared for the developement of new jobs and occupations created by daily technological advancements. It is apparent that digital media is the foremost medium of attention for youth. They are familiar with games as a form of entertainment, and becauce of this it is clear that video and computer games are the best way to reach out to children and motivate them to learn in the way they understand best. Schools must become high-performance organizations in order to produce high-performing students.

Policy Leaders are Saying...

" We must support workers’ and families’ ability to succeed, not merely
survive, in a world in which skills needs are rapidly changing and the
competition for jobs is global. "
                                                 - Innovate America, Council on Competitiveness

" A substantial portion of our workforce finds itself in direct competition
for jobs with lower wage workers around the globe… "
                                                 - Rising Above the Competitive Storm, National Academy of Sciences

" …the Workforce/Education issues are critical to our Nation’s longterm economic security and innovation leadership. "
                                                 - Sustaining the Nation's Innovation Ecosystems, PCAST.

" The bedrock of America’s competitiveness is a well-educated andskilled workforce. …we can do more to provide American students and workers with the skills and training needed to compete with the best and brightest around the world. "
                                                - President George W. Bush, American Competitiveness Initiative

What Makes Games Attractive for Educational Purposes
Why do video and computer games show so much potential in education? Educational games allow clear learning goals for students of all ages. These games support broad experiences and practice opportunities that the students would otherwise be without. For example, educational games like the ones developed by FAS allow the player to fly through the interior of a cell, operate equipment, and allow trial and error learning without physical consequences that help to try over and over again to mastery. Educational games serve to monitor students' progress, provide continual feedback with each step, and challenge the player as their mastery of the concept is gained. Educational games encourage inquiry and allow students to ask questions without feeling self-conscious among their peers.

Educational games also enforce contextual bridging. They allow the gap between what is learned and its use to close and as a result, students are more inclined to embrace that newly acquired knowledge rather than forget it. It allows students timed goals and keeps them on task. These games enforce stronger motivation in students, and consequently, they become noticeably more goal oriented. Scaffolding is another benefit of Educational games. They provide clues or hints to keep the learner progressing. The games enhance personalization and make the student feel involved, ergo more motivation to continue their education. Unlike many teachers or tutors, educational games are an infinitely patient medium. Students never feel like they are holding anyone back or revealing their ignorance, and thus eliminate much of the anxiety of learning.

Some of the expected benefits/results of Educational games are...
• Higher order skills
• Practical skills
• Practice for high performance situations
• Rarely used skills
• Developing expertise
• Team building

Research and Developement : Challenges and Agenda
R&D specialists face many challenges when designing games that can educate and entertain players simultaniously and effectively. They must explore facets of computer games that are important to education. R&D specialtists want to discover the best way to design video games for positive learning outcomes in order to encourage players of all ages to embrace education with enthusiasm.

Another important challenge Research and Developement specialists face, is how to create these games efficiently and without great cost. They want to fashion a quick way to create educational games that is efficient and economical. This concerns the actual production of such games as well as basic and applied research, technology, and prototype development.

R&D Agenda
• Role of games in learning
• Design of pedagogy for game-based learning
• Best features of games to apply to learning
• Features of challenges for motivation/learning
• Stories/scenarios for motivation/learning
• Educational density
• Effect of immersion and engagement on learning
• Gaming and goal orientation
• Degree of authenticity
• Designing simulated actors
• Designing for gender/socio-cultural differences
• Educational scaffolding
• Assessment/learner modeling data
• Assessing attainment of higher order skills
• Understanding change in education and training institutions