Computer games in education: conflicts and overlaps!

Abstract

Novel educational environments promote an increasing use of technological mash-ups, which include serious games. These games purpose is to facilitate learning and promote behavioural change, so this contribution debates their potential role into education. Beyond this traditional analysis, the authors explore the overlap between serious games and positive psychology as a way to minimise the ethical and social dilemmas of e-education which literature seems to disregard. Therefore, this paper acknowledges three major sections: computer/video games (overview and philology); serious games (overview, educational dimensions and political stance); and discussion (ethical issues, social dilemmas and get positive seriously).