“So the next time you get hopelessly stuck in a game, remember - it’s not your fault. You’ve simply been badly taught by the designer.”

So says Keith Stuart in today’s Guardian. That’s hardly rocket science, nor the suggestion that gaming environments should reward curiosity and creativity, and similarly a general flow of bite-sized learning opportunities. But Keith is absolutely right in bringing this point to the fore -  as gaming development has perhaps reached adolescence there is still a lot of awful stuff out there, but at least we’re in an age where the potential for “serious gaming” is being realised. Its absolutely clear that what is taken for granted in a well structured, traditional learning experience/classroom environment could be easily and meritoriously transferred to game design. Depending upon your viewpoint, the opposite could equally be applied!

Much has been written about serious gaming and the “new” opportunities for learning that this brings. At IE we have a great track record in providing games that absolutely deliver to clear learning objectives. One that has been around for a few years now is the Buzz Game (http://www.buzzgame.org.uk). Aimed at teaching young people about how to be a sustainable, environmentally conscious farmer, and still being successful at making a profit and drawing the government and EU subsidies available. It absolutely takes a complex and difficult subject area and provides an experience that delivers tangible learning results - observed by third parties to be more successful than a traditional approach to this theme.  Commissioned by FACE it has been so successful that its now used to train farmers. Another game commissioned for IE that is now receiving critical acclaim is the Renewable World Game (http://www.renewableworld.org.uk/game) which looks at the environmental impact of the materials used in our homes, and how this has changed over time and into the future. Underpinned by validation from the University of York, it again demonstrates why at IE we believe that great design of games can make for an excellent learning experience.