Social Psychology and Massively Multiplayer Online Learning Games

The use of computer games and especially online games for educational purposes is growing in popularity. In this chapter we attempt to summarize findings from the area of social psychology as a basis to form propositions, guidelines, and research questions that will help develop effective multiplayer environments for learning. We are particularly interested in how to foster collaborative learning in multiplayer environments by exploiting the naturally occurring structures and features of popular massively multiplayer games. Where possible, we offer examples of how these features can be used to support learning and highlight areas in need of future research.