Designing for Learning Through Play: The MAPeD Framework for Conceptualizing Learning Games

Abstract

Despite learning games’ long history of use and recognized pedagogical potential, the actual results of implementing them in practice have been inconsistent. Existing frameworks for learning game design often prove too complex to be applied, overly narrow in their focus, or reinforce a faulty binary opposition between learning and play. This article introduces a new framework for learning games, a theoretically grounded yet accessible model for researchers and designers. It places games in a two-dimensional space made up of two axes: practice-discourse and authorial-player control. To evaluate the utility of the framework, a validation study was performed with fourteen practitioners from the fields of game design and education. Thematic analysis of the results revealed widespread recognition of the framework’s clarity, simplicity, and adaptability. Participants highlighted the value of the framework as a reflective and communicative tool for designers and stakeholders. The study shows that the framework has potential as a practical and domain-agnostic tool to support the conceptualization, communication, and refinements of learning games.