Embodiment, Embeddedness, and Experience: Game-Based Learning and the Construction of Identity

The twenty-first century places new demands on student learning. New times call for new literacies. We witness keen interest in “serious games” and the use of games to enhance student learning. Against this backdrop, this paper1 examines issues related to bringing game-based learning into classrooms. It is argued that the construction of students’ identity and sense of self are important but mostly overlooked educational goals. It is also noted that immersive games, by virtue of three associated learning characteristics— embodiment, embeddedness, and experience—are well-suited to supporting identity construction goals because they orient learning toward performance competencies that are intentional and possess a high degree of personal agency. We advocate a pedagogy that involves dialectic interplay between game-play experience and classroom-based discussion and reflection. These ideas are illustrated through a research project on National Education in Singapore. The game we have developed, Space Station Leonis, is a hybrid that comprises two modes of play: simulation mode and role playing scenario mode. We show how the game has been designed to help students develop a sense of who they are and what they stand for in a classroom learning environment that seeks to facilitate development of their identity in relation to being and becoming a Singapore citizen.