eGames and adaptive eLearning: A practical approach

The aim of this symposium of Simulation & Gaming is to address practical approaches and experiences in the development and application of educational electronic games and gamelike simulations (eGames) in adaptive eLearning and bLearning (blended learning) processes. eGames seem to capture the attention of students far more effectively than any other form of educational content. However, their educational potential transcends the simplistic notion that we should use them just because students pay more attention to games than to classes. Apart from being fun, games provide immersion in a reactive environment, promote the development of problem-solving skills, and propose a narrative flow that yields a feeling of progression; everything happens in an environment that the students wish to explore by their own intrinsic motivation. Games also have focused and structured goals, well-defined rules, and challenging and clear tasks, and they let participants try new things without adverse consequences. Another key factor is that games provide outcomes and feedback in real time. This feedback can help users in the next actions to be taken and to perceive their activities and decisions as part of the flow of the games. In addition, games can support several pedagogical approaches: learning by doing, learning from mistakes, goal-oriented learning, roleplaying, collaborative learning, and constructivist learning. The implementation of these game-based approaches can be deployed in personalized eLearning and bLearning processes, supporting the appropriate features of games that match better with learning objectives. There is growing interest among teachers in using games as part of their adaptive lesson plans. However, this use is often isolated from the rest of the learning experience, leading to a disconnection between educational settings and games. A standardized, interoperable approach to the sharing of such game-based lesson plans would allow teachers and educational technologists to compare and contrast eGame-based experiences, allowing best practices and lessons learned to emerge. Although games can be used as “add-ons” in educational contexts, greater benefits can be attained by integrating games more tightly into the educational process. This special issue is an attempt to present several perspectives and efforts in fields of game-based learning and adaptive eLearning. The selection of the contributions