When play works: turning game-playing into learning

  • Authors:

  • Brittany Steiner;Nancy Kaplan;Stuart Moulthrop

  • Affiliations:

  • University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD;University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD;University of Baltimore, Baltimore, MD

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 2006 conference on Interaction design and children
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

Current research on technology development for children focuses on children's roles as design partners helping to set high level goals or exploring prototypes and interfaces. In this project, we investigate whether game modification toolkits enable children to build games themselves rather than turning their ideas over to expert developers. Using an accessible toolkit for the game Neverwinter Nights, we invited seven children between the ages of 12 and 14 to design and build their own games. We analyzed their plans, the games, and their reflections on the experience to explore what our participants discovered about the roles of developers and players, how their experience as builders differed from their experiences as players, and what they perceived to be the benefits of building rather than simply designing or playing games. Our results show that children can master modification toolkits and that there may be value in encouraging children to build rather than simply play computer games.