TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — Arizona State University is embracing a new age of learning: video games.
“There’s so much ambient learning happening by playing games,” said professor Mark Ollila.
Ollila is a professor at ASU’s rebranded The GAME School and the founding director of Endless Games and Learning Lab, where play meets education.
Now, he’s on a new quest. ASU has partnered up with the non-profit Games for Change to give gamers a real way to build up their professional resumes.
“It’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a long time,” Ollila said. “I’ve been in the games industry since the last century, and I hear so many times people basically saying, ‘Hey, I learned this by playing this game.’”
Under a new pilot program, student gamers can earn a “micro-credential” through gaming tournaments.
“We’re very strict about it. We want an artifact to be created, so there’s no participation awards,” said Ollila. “It’s all about actually making something, and that’s the key element.”
A micro-credit is essentially a badge from ASU for a specific skill.
Ollila’s colleague, professor Pavan Turaga said popular games, like Sim City, can teach students about city planning and other skills applicable to real life.
Turaga realizes not everyone believes gaming is a legitimate learning tool.
“I’ve been a gamer even during my college years, and the question was always, ‘Am I wasting time or is it useful time?’ I mean, I think gaming as a tool for education is under-explored,” Turaga said. “There is no doubt about it, but gaming as a way to keep yourself engaged in college has a lot more research around it at the same level as athletics.”
Ollila explained students can also earn micro-credentials by having an artificial intelligence system monitor hours of play and log skills being learned, such as critical thinking, problem solving and probing.
Ollila said those skills can be applied to different fields outside of gaming.
“We can now show parents the learning that your kid actually had by playing a game,” he said. “That changes the equation, changes the conversation. I think games are going to be an extremely powerful part of society going forward.”
The GAME School will also offer a Bachelor of Science in Game Design for the first time in fall 2025.
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