Intergenerational Learning through World of Warcraft

Although World of Warcraft, one of the most popular multiplayer games, is not traditionally perceived as a learning medium, there is evidence that players teach and learn from each other. This paper reports a series of controlled sessions where strangers of different generations were paired and instructed to learn from each other. Ten pairs participated in 5 one-hour sessions spread over two weeks. The study found that the older players learned about agility and aimless fun from the younger players, and the younger players learned about courteous interactions from the older players. Very few conflicts were observed in those interactions, and when conflicts happened, they were due to difference in playing styles rather than age differences.