The role of games within elearning and their effectiveness in workplace training are among the topics to be explored in a week long social media event.

#GameWeek, hosted by award-winning elearning provider, Sponge, will bring together blogs, infographics, opinion and resources from around the world about game-based learning and gamification.

The event includes a keynote interview with Professor Karl M. Kapp of Bloomsburg University, who is a leading authority on the use of games in learning and instruction.

He will explore whether games can really teach and how game design differs from ‘traditional’ instructional design – among other topics.

Louise Pasterfield, Managing Director of Sponge, said:

Many organisations have questions about how they can be used effectively and appropriately in the workplace. We decided to host #GameWeek as a way of sharing knowledge and also generating debate around some of the big questions concerning gamification and elearning games.”
“We get a lot of enquiries about elearning games and introducing game thinking in elearning.

Game-based learning is one of the fastest growing sectors in the learning technologies industry with the global market valued at around 1.7 billion.

In 2014, 24% of L&D leaders used games or simulations in their training and the figure is expected to increase this year.

#GameWeek takes place from April 11-17, 2015 via Sponge’s social media channels.

The company’s game expert, Jason Butler, will be hosting a Twitter chat via @Sponge_UK between 12-1pm (BST) on Wednesday, April 15, 2015.

Anyone who would like to get involved with #GameWeek should email communications@wearesponge.com