Great Research Article on MMORPG's & Learning

My previous post discussed the debunking of myths about online MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games) and this article by, Dr. Rod Riegle of Illinois State University, examines the relationship between instructional design as a foundation for these online games. In a sense, we are learning the foundations of designing and implementing teaching methods through the application of these games.

http://people.coe.ilstu.edu/rpriegle/mmorpg/index.htm

Essentially this article applies the instructional design model of Madeline Hunter (Riegle, 2005, p.2) to that of instructional design implementation inside these MMORPG's. The article dissects the relationship of foundational design, guiding principles and learning theory for practical application to students or gamers in this case by using examples mainly from the Game Everquest II. Although much of the design terms are analogous in nature to the context and framing of the argument; instructional designs of the information age may learn a great deal by adapting strategies from MMORPG's and as a necessity to remain innovative in learning theory and methods for students in education. The article leaves the reader without a concise proclamation that gaming will have a profound impact on education, moreover that education seeks to either admit gaming designs to instruction and the classroom or leave it exempt. However, the undeniable fact remains that gaming certainly carries a great deal of instructional design to generate a dedicated base of consumers and if education were to operate in the same fashion, teachers and learning theorists may understand the future of the education dynamic in the digital classroom to help student succeed well beyond the information age.

Riegle, Rod (2005). Dying to Learn:
Instructional Design and MMORPGs. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from http://people.coe.ilstu.edu/rpriegle/mmorpg/index.htm