Dondlinger, M. J. (2007). Educational video game design: A review of the literature. Journal of Applied Educational Technology, 4(1), 21-31.

Currently accessible at http://www.eduquery.com/jaet/JAET4-1_Dondlinger.pdf .

This article is more than just a categorized bibliography: Dondlinger succinctly pulls out theoretical findings from key sources and highlights areas of scholarly debate (such as sources of motivation in games).

Dondlinger searched 13 databases using the search terms "game design AND video or computer or PC AND educational or instructional". She culled the resulting hits down to a core of 35 sources, which would seem to constitute a solid introductory curriculum on game based learning (or her chosen term, educational video game design). She divides the sources into the following categories:

• characteristics of educational games
• elements of effective design
• learning theories
• learning outcomes
• gender preferences

One could use Dondlinger's review as a jumping-off point for explaining game-based learning theory in a proposal, gaining perspective on instructional questions or questions about gameplay, or finding studies of games that are comparable to one's current project.