| Roundtable: Nontrivial Pursuits: Can We Use Games for Serious Work? |
| Roundtable Presentation 411 to be held in the Slate Room on Thursday, Nov 6, 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM |
| Sponsored by the AEA Conference Committee |
| Presenter(s): |
| Brenda Peters, Benjamin Rose Institute, bkpeters@oh.rr.com |
| Abstract: Since games exist in all human societies, it is reasonable to conclude that they are important to us far beyond modern connotation of leisurely pastimes. They serve several functions, from teaching strategy to moral instruction to social interaction. Educators develop games to stimulate learning from preschool to corporate environments. Psychological experiments explore human behavior through simulations. When designing a learning game, I noted skills needed to create a game are strikingly similar to skills and activities in evaluation. So I ask: could games be used as a technique in evaluation? Data collection? Needs assessment? For reaching stakeholders and understanding program models? Engaging clients in the evaluation process? Bridging cultural differences? What kinds of games would work, in what context? I hope this roundtable will provide an opportunity to discuss some of the evaluative potential and inherent challenges in using games as a technique in evaluation. |