A Framework for Conducting Research and Designing Games to Promote Problem Solving

Cognitive psychology and instructional design have been studying problem solving for many years, and a rich body of research exists which can help inform our studies and design of problem solving in games. In this chapter, we attempt to bridge theory and practice by examining the relationships between games, problems, their cognitive processes, and instructional design. It should be noted that this framework is only a start; we have no more empirical evidence for the problem typologies we reference and rely upon than game researchers do for the ability of games to promote those different types of problems. Yet theoretical research on problem solving exists which has been studied, evaluated, and conceptually validated through peer review. This seems a good place to begin the process of generating empirical evidence for problem solving and games.