Affordances and constraints of analog games for ethics education: Dilemmas and dragons

Today's students face a wide range of complex moral dilemmas, and games have the potential to representthese dilemmas, thereby supporting formal ethics education. The potential of digital games tocontribute in this way is being increasingly recognized, but the author argues that those interested inthe convergence of games, ethics, and education should more fully consider analog games (i.e., gameswithout a digital component). This argument draws from a qualitative study that focused on the use ofan analog roleplaying game in an undergraduate activity that explored ethical issues related to politics,society, and culture. The results of this study are examined through an educational technology lens,which suggests that games (like other educational resources) afford and constrain learning and teachingin certain ways. These results demonstrate that this game afforded and constrained ethics education inboth ways similar to digital games and ways unique to analog games.