Computer games now play a major part in most young people’s lives. In March 2008, a government-funded report from the DCSF indicated that sales of games for the under-12 age group represented nearly three quarters of the total UK games market. 87% of 5-16 year olds have a games console at home, and the enormous success of the Nintendo Wii has shown that new technologies can reach and hold audiences who never expected to enjoy playing computer games.

However games still struggle with their association with frivolity, violence and mindlessness. As such, can they ever find a natural place in education?

There is now a growing body of evidence that some characteristics of games have a positive role in learning settings. Gaming technologies developed specifically for educational purposes are improving, often in an attempt to emulate the engagement factor offered by commercial computer games. Certainly the power of games to persuade has already been adopted by advertisers, who produce witty, quick-hit games playable on a webpage or as fast, free downloads.

The potential of games to tackle difficult, multifaceted issues and to ultimately change behavioural models is being explored through some groundbreaking educational projects. Recently, this genre has been adopted by charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as UNICEF in games such as “Darfur is Dying” and “Ayiti: the Cost of Life”. With some innovative re-branding, edu-games could without doubt be used to enhance both formal and informal learning.

In 2008 the ThirdForce R&D team met with industry leaders to discuss games-based learning and were particularly impressed with tools like MissionMaker which allows young people to make their own impressive 3D games. Already in use by schools across the UK, this software enables young children and teenagers to learn how to create a gripping narrative using interactive spaces, multimedia and engaging dialogue.

Meanwhile, the horizon for new types of games with potential for education goes on expanding. From ‘augmented reality’ games that use handheld technology to map the physical environment into a digital game – to a system that lets you care for a pet while you’re away from home or school – there really is no limit. The challenge is how can we make these games so that they are both engaging and still offer real potential for learning? The answer, it seems, is to get the games industry and education stakeholders working together to share expertise and understanding.

Another approach being used by many teachers is to use online virtual worlds to enhance their lessons. Launched in 2003, Linden Lab’s Second Life differs from other massive multiplayer online games in one critical way – it does not have game-play at its core. In this environment, cyber land is bought and sold, markets selling virtual goods thrive and a new currency (the linden dollar) has been created.

The people who are coming to this online universe aren’t just socializing – they’re also doing business, collaborating on research, teaching courses and meeting new people. It is this open exploratory experience that provides the key to understanding the potential of Second Life as a training platform.

While other more game based online experiences promote communication between participants as part of a cooperative or competitive gaming experience, the purpose of Second Life is essentially to do nothing more then explore, make friends, gain status and build up a whole new persona in the process.

Like many technologies, those supporting virtual worlds seem to be ahead of the learning theories on how best to use them. So while virtual worlds are increasingly being used for education, like any component of a blended learning approach, they should not be seen as a complete package, but as an integral part of a broader solution.

Currently, the fastest growing area of gaming is in the mobile sector, which has exploded in recent years. Mobile games are developed using platforms and technologies such as Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, Adobe’s Flash, Java and now iPhone or Google Android platforms.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently made a big show of how the iPod touch and the iPhone have become serious gaming machines. Apple thinks the iTouch devices can fast catch up with Nintendo’s handheld DS game machine, and give Sony’s PSP a run for their money in the handheld games market. The devices boast beautiful, multi-touch enabled screens, an accelerometer that senses motion and of course, Internet connectivity. After its first 60 days in operation, Jobs announced that the Apple Store already had more than 700 games to offer.

The social and multiplayer aspects of gaming are going to become an increasingly important part of games made for Apple devices. The iPhone can provide an always-on social experience. Whilst a lot of the iPhone games are currently either throwaway, or suffer from longevity issues, educational applications for the future look promising.

Watch this space!