Transformational play as a theory has emerged through our design and research on games for learning. Specifically, transformational play involves positioning students as empowered actors who must understand and enlist academic content in order to effectively transform problematic scenarios. In this mansucript, written for K-12 teachers, we argue that, more than sugar-coating content to coerce disempowered students into caring about disciplinary knowledge, games can establish worlds where children are transformed into empowered scientists, doctors, reporters, and mathematicians who have to understand disciplinary content to accomplish desired ends. This appeared in Educational Leadership.
EDUCATION LEADERSHIP | SEPTEMBER 2009
About Sasha A. Barab PhD
Sasha Barab is a Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, where he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Games and Impact.
Dr. Barab is an internationally recognized Learning Scientist who holds the Pinnacle West Chair of Education, and who has researched, designed, and published extensively on the challenges and opportunities of using games for impact.
Leave a Reply