MAINTAINING COLLABORATIVE, DEMOCRATIC AND DIALOGUE-BASED LEARNING PROCESSES IN VIRTUAL AND GAME-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

This article examines what consequences a replacement of a "physical learning room" with a game based learning strategy have regarding maintaining collaboration and democratic dialogues. Most computer games contain a game-design, which is built on an underlying premise or vision of a predefined "exemplary process" That challenges the teacher's ability to disturb and push to the student's learning process. Another significant challenge is the way in which virtual learning platforms change social synergies, such that they appear as reduced representations of reality's physical and social learning space. Based on a theoretical discussion of relevant literature and review of existing computer games (Primary World of Warcraft, Everquest, Lotro, Eve) the article aims at exploring which design principles that especially mediate collaboration and democratic dialogues through social interaction in a virtual learning environment. The article will have a selected focus on computer games within the genre "Massive Multi Online Role Playing Games" (MMORPG) as they offer new ideas to authentic and situational learning environments that contrast with traditional web 2.0 learning platforms and computer games.