ABSTRACT
Early computer games were very rigid in structure, giving players a limited experience of what they could do within the game. Modern computer games give players much more control, or at least a feeling of more control, through vastly increased choices of action and opportunities to extend or augment game environments themselves. For example, ‘sandbox’ games are now increasingly common, which rather than having a set sequence for players to follow allow players to explore and undertake activities in any order or way that they choose, potentially also building or creating artefacts within the game environment itself. This provides an environment for learning through exploration and discovery and by creation and development. In this chapter I explore these ideas in more detail, starting by looking at the importance of freedom and control for learning, before moving on to discuss two areas of learning that are particularly facilitated by the freedom that is inherent in play: exploration and creativity.
