Try, err, learn. Games as hype or Holy Grail?

March 2 2016

Is there too much optimism associated with the use of computer games in teaching? What possibilities and challenges do the games offer, and is there a difference in the learning effect between commercial games and educational games?

The Fritt Ord Foundation, in collaboration with Spillpikene.no, PressFire.no and the Centre for ICT in Education, invites the public to a critical debate and exploration of games such as The Walking Dead, The Witness and Minecraft. Take part in discussing learning outcomes, different teaching plans and how to work for better, more strategic use of games at school.

Date: 2 March 2016
Venue: The Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises, Uranienborgveien 2, Oslo

From 4.30 p.m.
We invite the public to an open house, where it will be possible to play The Walking Dead, The Witness and Minecraft/Computercraft. Light refreshments will be served.

6.00 p.m.
Participate in an open discussion with:

  • Björn Berg Marklund, Department of Information Science, University of Skövde
  • Tobias Staaby, gaming educator, and Stine Håheim Stensønes and Jørgen Wegner Lønning, pupils from Nordahl Grieg Upper Secondary School
  • Vibeke Guttorsmsgaard, senior adviser at the Centre for ICT in Education
  • Lisbeth M. Brevik, associate professor at Department of Teacher Education and School Research, University of Oslo
The session will be moderated by Martin Bergesen.

Free of charge and open to everyone. Registration on Facebook. Please tell others about the event.


Update: Thanks to all participants! Footage from the debate has been uploaded to the Fritt Ord Youtube Channel.

The project Digital Lives was established by the Freedom of Expression Foundation in collaboration with Spillpikene and PressFire. Visit our website and take part in the competition on digitaleliv.no

Read more about the project here.

The hashtag for the event and the competition is #digitaleliv

News

Call for nominations: Free Media Awards 2025

March 14 2025

In collaboration with the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS of Hamburg, the Fritt Ord Foundation has allocated the Free Media Awards annually since 2004 to Eastern European journalists and media that defy every obstacle to tirelessly ensure independent press coverage. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the subsequent wave of disinformation clearly demonstrates the need for independent reporting in the region. Journalist, editorial teams and media companies in and from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary who make a contribution to press freedom through their investigative, independent reporting can be nominated for the Free Media Awards.

Civitates' Tech & Democracy open call

March 6 2025

Civitates – The European Democracy Fund is a pooled philanthropic fund that was set up in 2018 for the sole purpose of addressing democratic decline and closing civic space in Europe. The case for confronting these threats is growing increasingly urgent. Fritt Ord Foundation is one of the initiators and partners of Civitates.

Civitates has launched its Tech and Democracy open call to support organisations working to ensure safer, more inclusive online spaces (social media platforms, search engines etc.) by improving the enforcement of EU tech regulations at the national level.

This open call offers a unique opportunity to strengthen civil society’s role in holding the tech sector accountable, with a focus on key EU regulations such as the Digital Services Act, GDPR, AI Act or the European Media Freedom Act to name a few.

Norwegians increasingly more positive to computer games

March 5 2025

Norwegians are increasingly more positive to accepting computer games as culture

About 17 per cent have developed a more favourable view of computer games over the past year. Six of ten play computer games, and one of three plays computer games weekly. At the same time, computer games are ranked as having lower status than books and music, for example.
“Computer games deserve more attention and discussion”, contends Joakim Lie of Fritt Ord.

– Computer games are also art

March 4 2025

“The problem with far too many media reports about computer games is that they start begin with sentences like: ‘computer games have come a long way since Pac-Man’,” sighs American computer game critic Jacob Geller.

“Let us first simply agree that computer games are indeed an art form and an expression of culture, and then let us examine the works as part of the history of art and culture.