Multilayered Games for Science Education

Abstract

Electronic games have significant potential for overcoming major difficulties in science education, namely, the necessity for practice, the abstract, complex nature of the material, and the sparse opportunities for observation. A role-playing game with a many-layered story that reflects the structure of the domain can use several mechanisms for enhancing learning. These mechanisms include story-domain mapping, practice in the fantasy context, and virtual laboratories. That the player becomes the hero of the game story also helps him or her incorporate the lessons taught by the game.