Massively Multiplayer Game-based Education

Abstract

Technological advancement progressively affects games quality and availability, provides opportunity for new types and genres of games. In this regard – while there is strive to harness games effectiveness for educational purposes through those use and gamification process – those might not appeal, reach expectations and meet needs of modern gamers. With increasing role of networking in daily life – it is possible that use of the massive multiplayer online (MMO) games approach could further enhance educational experience in comparison to non-massive games. Through critical analysis subjective game usage traits have been sought that would falsify such generalizations. It has been reasoned that game use and gamification in education is highly subjective and its effectiveness cannot be generalized for specific group. Use of the MMO approach has been concluded to indeed provide further possible enhancements, however presence of any social aspect in an intended educational use – either competition or collaboration – is required. It is suggested that turning education system into massive game could be most promising research direction, due to it already sharing massivness trait with the MMO.

Keywords

• gamification
• massively multiplayer online
• massive education
• video game culture
• game-based education
• edutainment
• pervasive games