Learning Games as a Platform for Simulated Science Practice

Abstract

In recent years, science education has been the focus of study and development of new game- based learning environments. It has been argued that active and critical learning about rich semiotic systems, learning through learning communities and the complex problem-solving that good games involve, resemble science learning as being an active process of inquiry just as real life science practice. In this paper, I present the first studies from a test of the cross-disciplinary science educational game ‘Homicide’, a forensic investigation game developed at Learning Lab Denmark. The goal with Homicide is to use the game media to simulate an ‘authentic’ learning situation of science experts. In the game the players go through the process of inquiry similar to that of forensic experts. In this paper I present the first observations from a play test of Homicide and discuss the potential in this type of game-based learning spaces.