As part of C21U's 2012 program, we are holding a series of Unconference Style Catalyst Workshop with CETL to define issues on the future higher education and act as a catalyst on actions we all can agree upon.The next workshop will be on "Games in Education" -- held Jan 19 from 3 - 5:30pm in Klaus 1116E. Register online here. 

Games has been widely used in education. It has shown to be an effective way of keeping students motivated and engaged. Recently, new types of social games have added more sophisticated game mechanisms among players, which makes these games more dynamic and interesting, while not placing overwhelming requirements on game designers.

Our students are digital natives. 65% of them are frequent video or social game players. How to use games to facilitate learning is a topic all educators need to consider.

In this discussion, we will be exploring questions such as:

What games are used in education? What (digital) games have been out there and how can new types of social games be used?  

What are the pros and cons of using games for learning, from instructors’, students’, and parents’ points of view?

How to integrate games in classroom learning? What is required from instructors? How should the university support new experiments like this?

What are the legal and cost barriers of using games in higher education?

We will have a mixed group of traditional and nontraditional stakeholders there to discuss interesting and innovative ideas around using games in education at Georgia Tech. Bring your top ideas/hot buttons/beliefs.