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Water Cooler Games served as the web's primary forum for "videogames with an agenda" — coverage of the uses of video games in advertising, politics, education, and other everyday activities, outside the sphere of entertainment.

The site was maintained at watercoolergames.org from 2003-2009, where it was edited by myself and Gonzalo Frasca. It is now archived here in full.
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Playtime in the Classroom
by Ian Bogost June 2, 2005
categories: Educational Games

The Guardian has a nice article out today about videogames and learning, featuring Jim Gee, Persuasive Games, and this humble website. The article mentions Project:Connect, the educational game suite that Ben Sawyer and I have been working on for Telecom Pioneers for some time. It's releasing publicly this week.

Comments (2)
The eLearning industry is belives that instant feedback is necessary if the learner makes a mistake in a simulation/game. How long should the leash be when a user starts going astray.

The idea of using videogames as a learning tool is definitely an inviting topic, especially in the minds of younger generations. I think the key to a successful educational game would be to create a game without labeling it under the "educational game" genre. I think when educational material is integrated into a game it could easily compliment a lesson plan. Imagine using Age of Empires as an interactive example of medieval history. If teachers were able legitimately combine similar concepts, I can easily see how children could be motivated to learn and retain the material out of pure interest if for no other reason.