Carly Finseth is the Senior Vice President of Education at Northwest Lineman College, where she leads and develops educational standards of excellence for the power delivery industry. Her work has appeared in such publications as the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, the Journal of Applied Instructional Design, Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy, the Journal of Teaching Writing and Computers and Composition Online.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments

Preface

Introduction

1.¿Games, Play and the Intersection of Learning

2.¿Games and the Humanities

3.¿Identity Creation and Customization: Finding One's Place in the Game

4.¿Simplified Subset: Learning Without Risk of Failure

5.¿Exploration and Discovery

6.¿Achievements and Rewards

7.¿How Games Teach Their Players

8.¿Role-Playing Games and Instructional Design: Best Practices, Heuristics, Applications and Conclusions

Concluding Thoughts

Appendix: List of RPGs Considered for This Study

Chapter Notes

References

Index

Digital role-playing games such as Rift, Diablo III, and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning help players develop skills in critical thinking, problem solving, digital literacy, and lifelong learning. The author examines both the benefits and the drawbacks of role-playing games and their application to real-world teaching techniques. Readers will learn how to incorporate games-based instruction into their own classes and workplace training, as well as approaches to redesigning curriculum and programs.