Playing and learning in virtual worlds: the educative potencial of simulation games

Abstract

The present paper describes the results from a research that investigates how teachers translate the didactic contents and strategies of their disciplines using games and what are the changes they perceive in their creation, management and regulation processes for the learning situations in the classroom using innovation. The research was conducted between 2003/2004 at the Escola Técnica do Vale do Itajaí (ETEVI), at Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), following three high school teachers (Portuguese, Math and Geography). Following a brief review of the literature on playful activities and the social and educational function of playing, this paper analyses the narrative possibilities of the game SimCity4, as well how the teachers chose the selected game, planned of the activities with the game and what were the results of the pilot experiment with the students in one semester.