The Creative Technologies Learning Lab focuses on integrating emerging digital technologies and pedagogies towards enriching learning experiences for diverse groups.

The lab deploys technologies that include serious games, simulations, learning platforms, communities, and more towards more effectively addressing learning objectives in formal or informal learning settings.

These technologies support innovative learning design based on active, experiential, explorative, collaborative, peer, and other models.

The proposed solutions address the differing needs of user groups ranging from pre school and primary to secondary, higher, vocational, and professional education.

Serious games

Serious games are games that are developed for a purpose other than entertainment. They are popular in sectors that range from education to health and business training.

The idea to use games, and more specifically digital games, for learning is not new. In fact, the idea is as old as the concept of digital games themselves. Gaming elements, such as rewards, competition, collaboration, recognition, a sense of affiliation, and others, can act as motivating factors that promote long term engagement with learning.

Gamification, which is a more general concept, refers to using gaming elements in other contexts. Gamification can refers to services that go beyond digital applications. It can be deployed, for example, within learning platforms and communities to promote collaboration and sharing among learners.

The Creative Technologies Learning Lab focuses on how serious games can enhance learning experiences in diverse contexts. A number of serious games have been developed through research projects. The games are freely available on this web site.