Good Video Games and Good Learning

1. Video games exemplify effective learning principles

Good games achieve good learning because they do not set out, first and foremost, to teach. They set out to assess, and their approach to assessment leads to good teaching and learning.

Games as learning environments. Video games are designed to be effective learning environments, incorporating principles supported by research in the learning sciences. They provide clear goals, immediate feedback, and progressively challenging tasks that keep players in their "zone of proximal development." Games also allow for experimentation and failure in safe environments, encouraging players to take risks and learn from their mistakes.

Assessment-driven design. Unlike traditional education, which often separates teaching and assessment, games integrate these elements seamlessly. Players are constantly being tested and challenged, with the game adjusting difficulty based on performance. This continuous assessment drives the learning process, ensuring that players are always working at the edge of their abilities.

Motivation through engagement. Games are inherently motivating because they tap into intrinsic rewards such as mastery, autonomy, and purpose. Players choose to engage with games voluntarily and often spend hours practicing and developing skills. This level of engagement is what educators strive for but often struggle to achieve in traditional classroom settings.

2. Games foster problem-solving and 21st-century skills

The game is designed to change the way players approach, manipulate, and surmise the possibilities in a given environment.

Problem-solving focus. Games like Portal are essentially problem-solving spaces. They present players with complex challenges that require creative thinking, spatial reasoning, and the application of physics concepts. This focus on problem-solving aligns with the skills needed in the modern workplace, where adaptability and critical thinking are highly valued.

21st-century skill development. Through gameplay, players develop:

• Critical thinking and analysis
• Creativity and innovation
• Collaboration (in multiplayer games)
• Digital literacy and technological fluency
• Adaptability and learning how to learn

Transfer of skills. The skills developed in games can often transfer to real-world contexts. For example, the systemic thinking required in strategy games can apply to understanding complex social or environmental issues. The rapid decision-making in action games can improve real-world reaction times and decision-making processes.

3. Affinity spaces promote collaborative learning and expertise

Pro-Ams are people who have, as amateurs, become experts at whatever they have developed a passion for.

Affinity spaces defined. Affinity spaces are informal learning environments, often online, where people gather around a shared interest or passion. These spaces break down traditional hierarchies, allowing novices and experts to interact and learn from each other.

Characteristics of affinity spaces:

• Shared passion as the primary organizing factor
• Diverse participation across age, skill level, and background
• Multiple routes to participation and status
• Knowledge is distributed and collective
• Learning is proactive and self-directed

Expertise development. In affinity spaces, individuals can develop deep expertise through sustained engagement with their passion. This "Pro-Am" phenomenon challenges traditional notions of expertise, as amateurs can achieve professional-level skills through self-directed learning and community support.

4. Traditional education struggles to engage modern learners

Humans are the sorts of creatures who cannot learn well what they have not chosen to learn.

Outdated educational models. Traditional education often relies on passive consumption of information, standardized testing, and a one-size-fits-all approach. This model struggles to engage students who are accustomed to the interactive, personalized experiences offered by digital media and games.

Disconnect with modern realities:

• Rapid knowledge obsolescence
• Information overload
• Changing nature of work and skills demanded
• Diverse learning styles and needs

Lack of relevance and choice. Students often fail to see the relevance of what they're learning to their lives or future careers. The lack of choice in what and how they learn can lead to disengagement and superficial learning focused on passing tests rather than developing genuine understanding and skills.

5. Learning should focus on "surmising possibilities"

The game is designed to change the way players approach, manipulate, and surmise the possibilities in a given environment.

Shift in learning focus. Rather than memorizing facts or even mastering specific skills, the focus should be on developing the ability to "surmise possibilities" – to analyze situations, identify potential solutions, and creatively apply knowledge and tools to solve problems.

Adaptability and innovation. This approach prepares learners for a rapidly changing world where specific knowledge may quickly become obsolete. By focusing on the process of discovering and evaluating possibilities, learners become more adaptable and innovative.

Application to game design. Games like Portal exemplify this approach by providing players with a tool (the portal gun) and challenging them to creatively use it to navigate complex environments. This design philosophy could be applied to educational settings, focusing on giving students tools and challenges rather than preset information to memorize.

6. Knowledge tools reshape our perception and problem-solving

These tools are also used in other enterprises, for example in building roller coasters in RollerCoaster Tycoon or designing rockets in real life, much like geometry is used in designing for Second Life.

Tools as lenses. Knowledge tools, whether they're concepts, theories, or physical tools, act as lenses through which we perceive and interact with the world. They shape what we notice, how we interpret information, and what solutions we can envision.

Transformation through tools:

• Change perception of problems and environments
• Expand the range of possible solutions
• Enable new forms of interaction and manipulation

Practical applications. In games like Portal, the portal gun transforms how players see and interact with the environment. In education, providing students with conceptual tools (like systems thinking or design thinking) can similarly transform how they approach learning and problem-solving across various domains.

7. Explicit articulation enhances tacit game-based learning

Such explicit understandings and the ability to articulate one's knowledge are not, however, foreign to commercial entertainment video games.

Balancing tacit and explicit knowledge. While games excel at developing tacit, experiential knowledge, combining this with explicit articulation of concepts enhances learning. This mirrors the process of scientific understanding, where intuitive grasp is complemented by formal theories and models.

Community-driven articulation. Game communities often engage in explicit discussions of game mechanics, strategies, and underlying principles. This process of articulation helps players deepen their understanding and transfer knowledge to new contexts.

Educational implications:

• Encourage reflection and articulation of game-based learning
• Integrate game experiences with formal instruction
• Leverage community discussions as learning opportunities

8. Education must evolve beyond fact memorization

Unfortunately, such facts don't get retained long, don't lead to being able to solve real problems in a domain, and are in overwhelming supply these days.

Limitations of fact-based education. In an age of readily accessible information, memorizing facts has diminishing value. Facts in isolation don't equip learners to solve real-world problems or adapt to new situations.

Shift to conceptual understanding:

• Focus on core concepts and principles
• Emphasize application and problem-solving
• Develop skills in information evaluation and synthesis

Interdisciplinary approach. Modern challenges often require integration of knowledge from multiple disciplines. Education should reflect this by focusing on themes and problems that cross traditional subject boundaries, mirroring how knowledge is produced and applied in the real world.

9. Passion-driven learning leads to deep expertise

Pro-Ams have passion and go deep rather than wide. In fact, it seems that developing such a passion is a sine qua non of deep learning that leads to expertise.

Power of passion. Passion-driven learning leads to deeper engagement, persistence through challenges, and ultimately, expertise. This contrasts with the broad but shallow approach often taken in traditional education.

Characteristics of passion-driven learning:

• Self-directed exploration
• Willingness to invest significant time and effort
• Intrinsic motivation
• Engagement with communities of practice

Educational implications. Schools should create opportunities for students to discover and pursue their passions, even if these fall outside traditional academic boundaries. This could involve project-based learning, internships, or integration of student interests into curriculum design.

Last updated: September 27, 2024