The Road From Zoombiniville

Speakers: Scot Osterweil

Track: SGS: Game Design

Format: Lecture

Experience Level: Intermediate

Description: Zoombinis was one of a number of inventive learning games released a decade ago, when the boundary between entertainment and education games was not so stark. Over time, the "edutainment" category devolved into nothing more than drill and practice, while the entertainment sector rejected anything that smelled of education. Now there is growing awareness that real learning happens in game play, and a renewed interest in games that teach. This talk, by the Zoombinis' creator, is a look at lessons learned from those earlier games, and what more recent innovations must be incorporated if learning games are to matter again.