Playful practice for everyday working life

Educational games are a bestseller in the field of vocational education and training. Due to the high demand, the German Federal Institute of Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) has updated and extended its multimedia handbook "Planspiele und Serious Games in der beruflichen Bildung" (Business and serious games in vocational education and training). The publication now includes the topic of 'serious games', because these digital educational games and their scenarios are becoming increasingly more important for the gaining of experience and feature a great degree of similarity with business games and corresponding simulations. As with business games, the expected outcome of using these 'serious games' is an increase in the quality and desirability of vocational education and training, because both these two forms of games are particularly suitable for simulating and practising real life scenarios of subsequent everyday working life during the vocational training and continuing education phase. They promote complex and interconnected thinking and, moreover, that learning is fun.

With this publication, by now in its fifth revised edition, the BIBB satisfies the demand for information regarding the utilisation of the educational game concept for the imparting of occupational competences. In addition to the text book explaining the principles of teaching behind these games as well as the individual forms of games, the publication includes a DVD. Of particular interest is the catalogue of games on offer and more than 100 experience reports by business game trainers and users. With the newly included 'serious games', the new catalogue now provides an overview of more than 600 current products from the German-speaking countries, describes their content and possible applications in practice and presents select demo versions for the testing of the games.

The BIBB thus provides a platform for all developers, trainers, manufacturers, providers and publishing houses in the field of games for vocational education and training purposes; here they can present their teaching and learning material to education and personnel managers as well as to people interested in vocational and advanced training.

The BIBB online forum www.bibb.de/planspielforum (in German only) moreover provides the option of posting further game and product descriptions as well as expert reports on innovations and experience. Initiatives and expert networks in the field can likewise use the platform to present their information and activity forums.

The BIBB multimedia publication "Planspiele und Serious Games in der beruflichen Bildung: Auswahl, Konzepte, Lernarrangements, Erfahrungen" (German-language version only), published in the BIBB series "Berichte zur beruflichen Bildung" can be ordered from the BIBB under www.bibb.de/veroeffentlichungen/de/publication/show/id/7504 or from W. Bertelsmann Verlag (wbv) under service@wbv.de at a price of EUR 44.90 (including the DVD).

Images are available under www.bibb.de/pressefotos.

Contact at the BIBB:
Dr. Ulrich Blötz

Sample copy requested.