Curriculum Mapping = Game Design

Hear me out for a moment on this one...

I spent 4 days last week either prepping or lecturing about curriculum mapping. I also helped walk the librarians at another college here in town through the process of curriculum mapping the week before. And thus, curriculum mapping is on my mind as of late. This afternoon, while mowing the lawn (exciting, I know), I realized that good game design is very similar to curriculum mapping.

Of the following applications, please tell me which apply to video games, curriculum, or both:

• Introduce new skills
• Provide practice opportunities for new skills
• Demonstrate application of skills
• Advance skills by modifying and/or adding skills
• Provide opportunity to demonstrate mastery of skills

Regardless of if a program is introducing, reinforcing or providing mastery of a set of objectives or a video game introduces basic moves/controls, adds to their function and complexity and then has the player demonstrate mastery by advancing through levels and bosses - they are attempting to do (in a rough sense) the same thing - Create new learning that can be retained.

If this model works, what (if anything) does it mean for library instruction?