| The well-supported claim that play makes a significant contribution to social and intellectual development has led to a shift in pedagogical approaches which increasingly have been adapted to include many of the principles that are found within good games. The goal of this thesis is to understand the role of design in these merging paradigms, and to design tools in order to direct the kind of learning that research tells us is happening in games.;Three approaches were utilized to extend the use of games as educational tools. A design-based challenge involving the 'gamification' of a learning module examined students' ability to extend their understanding of academic concepts. The creation of a digital, physics-based game prototype works to introduce specific scientific concepts into academic curriculum and the design of an interactive website maps connections between gameplay mechanics and academic curricula. |
