Integrating Non-Virtual Electronic Activities in Game-Based Learning Environments

Our past experiments with Game-Based Learning multi-players environments, have shown some weaknesses in specific learning activities. Learners seem to acquire a skill in the game, but they are not able to apply it easily in the real world. This is particularly the case for learning skills that require concrete manipulation with real objects. In fact, Game Based Learning Environments (GBLE) lack of means to learn know-how aspects. Some learning processes involving real world objects are very difficult to reproduce in the GBLE and there is an essential technological issue in mixing virtual and real aspects in GBLE. In this article, we describe these problems through an example in the electronic domain. We explain how to consider activities taking place outside the numeric environment. We have set up an experiment, where students needed to design "electronic circuits" with concrete electronic elements before being allowed to continue a quest in a virtual world. A complete scenario aiming at learning this kind of knowledge thus swaps from activities in the virtual world to activities in the real world. New issues linked to this transition are explained.