Video games and Indigenous education: Let’s bridge the ‘epistemology gap’

Authors

  • Susannah Emery Curtin University
  • Chad Habel University of South Australia

Abstract

There are clear challenges posed by rural and remote education in Australia. These challenges are caused both by physical and material factors, but more importantly epistemological divisions that have created a separation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous worlds. Video games have the potential to bridge this epistemological gap by explicating the differences between different knowledge systems and engaging students in exploring these differences. Crucially, these projects need to be co-constructed to ensure that not only the representations of Indigenous people surpass some dubious traditions, but that different epistemologies are adequately framed. There is an urgent need for research-informed game-based learning projects to begin to address the ‘epistemology gap’ and the challenges faced by all Australians. 

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Author Biography

Susannah Emery, Curtin University

Susannah Emery is completing her Honours project with Curtin University, which involves developing a trailer for a proposed game designed to bridge Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives on the world. She was a teacher for five years in a remote community.

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Published

2017-08-11

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Articles