Foregrounding Play [PDF ebook] 

In the last fifteen years, we have witnessed a shift in the perception of video games in our society from being a distraction or merely a recreational activity to a powerful teaching and learning tool for youth and adults. This article introduces the special issue of Information and Learning Sciences, entitled Foregrounding Play: Games and Playful Engagement in the Study and Design of Formal and Informal Learning Environments. Here, we, the co-editors of the issue, present the need for engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue on games and learning with a focus on play as a framework to connect theories, designs, processes and outcomes of learning across the two disciplines. We provide a background on play, overview the themes that run across six articles in this special issue, and identify directions for future research and development work we can collectively engage to broaden our understanding of the relationship between games and learning.