Microsoft is by no means looking to reinvent the wheel but, at the same time, the Redmond giant is investing in reinventing gaming from the perspective of the learning process. In a partnership with New York University and a consortium of universities, Microsoft Research will participate in collaborative research efforts under the umbrella of the Games for Learning Institute (G4LI). The end purpose of Games for Learning Institute is to bridge the gap between gaming and education, delivering scientific support for games to be used as learning tools.

Technology has the potential to help reinvent the education process, and excite and inspire young learners to embrace science, math and technology,” revealed Craig Mundie, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer. “The Games for Learning Institute at NYU is a great example of how technology can change how students learn, making it far more natural and intuitive.”

In fact, the Games for Learning Institute is nothing more than a research endeavor set up to draw middle-school kids to science, math and technology via gaming. A total of $3 million have already been invested in the project with Microsoft Research and NYU and its partners each offering half. The $3 million correspond to three years of the G4LI’s research, a time when the institute will focus on testing games from the perspective of learning tools.

“While educational games are commonplace, little is known about how, why or even if they are effective,” added John Nordlinger, senior research manager for Microsoft Research’s gaming efforts. “Microsoft Research, together with NYU and the consortium of academic partners, will address these questions from a multidisciplinary angle, exploring what makes certain games compelling and playable and what elements make them effective, providing critically important information to researchers, game developers and educators to support a new era of using games for educational purposes.”