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"The School of Information Studies (www.csu.edu.au/faculty/educat/sis/) at Charles Sturt University (CSU) is a national and international provider in the design and delivery of a comprehensive suite of courses in library and information studies. We face many challenges, and among these the latest one has been to respond to new media environments by expanding the scope of our services to the vitally important information professionals we know as teacher librarians."

"Using games as a learning tool is not new--research abounds to demonstrate the use of video games enhancing problem-solving skills and creativity. Pioneer educational games, like Carmen Sandiego and Oregon Trail, have given birth to online, multiuser, digital simulations that would make their forebears blush. Now, in what seems to be a natural evolution, a growing number of schools are taking the concept one step further and asking students to design the games themselves. Game creation as a learning tool is really just a digital-age take on the old learning-by-doing approach to teaching: Students pick up concepts easier and retain more information when they are hands on with their subject matter. In game creation, students are presented with the task of building a digital learning activity that focuses on a particular topic, such as ecology, mathematics, or social studies. Using a framework and the fundamentals of game design, they create a game that demonstrates their knowledge of the topic."