The author designed and taught the first course on digital game based learning at the author’s institution which was also one of the first of its kind in North America. The course has been taught twice: once in the spring of 2005 and again in the summer of 2006. The design of the course is outlined and participant reaction is profiled. Topics discussed in the class included violence in games, up-to-date research on gaming and gamers, and how games might be used effectively in classroom settings. Also included in the paper are comments on some of the games that were examined, as well as the nature of the projects completed by the participants. Key elements crucial for teacher preparation are discussed.
