Game On: Ways of using digital games to engage learners in reading for pleasure October 2011 1 Contents Summary and key recommendations 3 1 Background 5 2 Recent research 8 3 A further review of games 13 4 Developing and testing two games 23 5 Observations from the think tank event 36 6 Recommendations 38 This report has been compiled by Genevieve Clarke and Michelle Treagust with thanks to colleagues at The Reading Agency, NIACE and PlayGen and also to students and tutors at Morley College, Transport for London, Brent Adult and Community Education Service and Park Future Family Learning Centre in Havant who took part in this project. Please contact
[email protected] for further information. The Reading Agency has been funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to undertake this study as part of its ongoing work to promote the use of reading for pleasure to engage, motivate and support adults with literacy needs. The Reading Agency Free Word Centre 60 Farringdon Road London EC1R 3GA tel: 0871 750 1207 email:
[email protected] web: readingagency.org.uk 2 Summary and key recommendations This document reports on the project undertaken by The Reading Agency for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and NIACE between April and June 2011 which aimed to: help develop the Department’s thinking and plans to capitalise on the power of digital games; lay better groundwork to help the learning and skills sector harness the potential of games to engage and support people who are struggling with reading and writing and transform their perception of literacy and its relevance to their lives; and take The Reading Agency’s adult literacy development work with digital games to the next stage.