Bill MacKenty

MMORPG’s in education

Mark Wagner has finished his dissertation! Many congrats to Mark.

His dissertation, MMORPGs in Education, asks if MMORPG’s can be educational, and under what conditions.  This paragraph, from a draft of the conclusion, is so perfect about some problems of implementing games in education:

If such a paradigm shift is a desired destination, the road will likely be a long and difficult one. The results of this study suggest that significant infrastructure and logistical challenges may lay ahead for any implementation of MMORPGs in schools. Infrastructure challenges may include student access to computers, hardware requirements, and bandwidth requirements. Logistical issues may include great costs, in terms of finances, time, and human resources. Even more significant may be the kinds of organizational change necessary for successful implementation, particularly given the likelihood of resistance not only on account of MMORPGs being seen as videogames, but also on account of the tendency of educators and educational institutions to resist innovations in educational technology.

Again, that games are educational is without doubt. but the devil is in the details - and they are formidable. But this study contributes heartily to the informed discussion of how we can use these important tools. I’ll keep working on it!