Abstract :
The aim of this paper and the one which follows is to explore how the potential
of computer games may be taken up in schools to support learning engagement
among students. It is not the intention of the papers to dismiss existing
classroom practices or overlook accounts of innovative practices in schools;
the papers’ aim is to provide educators who are interested in exploring the use
of computer games in schools with information and ideas about how these
games may be effectively used to engage students in their learning. This paper
questions whether the empowerment of students to create games for one
another based on the school curriculum may address the insignificance of
computer games in the sociocultural setting of the school. Both papers
have been commissioned by Microsoft (Asia-Pacific) under the Partners-In-
Learning Initiative. Under this initiative, Microsoft establishes partnerships
with ministries of education, national and local government bodies, and other
stakeholders to empower students and teachers to realize their full potential,
mediated by information and communication technologies
