"Some people think of learning in school - for example, learning biology- as all about learning "facts" that can be repeated on a written test. Decades of research, however, have shown, that students taught under such a regime, though they may be able to pass tests, cannot actually apply their knowledge to solve problems or understand the conceptual layout of the land in the area they are learning." (Gee, 2008) Games can be educational, engaging, motivating, and entertaining.
James Paul Gee, in his article, "Good Video Games and Good Learning", cites 16 learning principles that good games incorporate. I've chosen 10 of these principles to explain in more detail as follows:
Production - Players co-produce games with their actions.
Interaction - "Games do talk back." They react to players actions and decisions.
Risk Taking - The consequences of failure are low, allowing for more risk.
Well-Order Problems - The difficulty of problems is ordered in levels.
Challenge - Routine challenges allow for "virtually routinized or automated" solutions.
"Just in Time" - Players recieve information at the precise time of need.
Situated Meanings - Meaning is determined via actions, images, and dialogues.
System Thinking - Players need "to think about relationships, not isolated events."
Cross-Functional Teams - Each member of a team must master his/her own specialty, and then learn to work in collaboration with other players.
Performance before Competence - Players perform tasks until they are competent, not when they become competent.
Reference:
Gee, J.P. (2007) Good Video Games and Good Learning. New York. Peter Lang. Retrieved from: http://www.academiccolab.org/resources/documents/Good_Learning.pdf
Image: http://www.betaoutcdn.com/inbound/2013/08/gamification_vjgus.png
