We know that students like educational games, but most teachers don’t think of themselves as game designers. Perhaps, we will take that on in the future, or at least take on the editing of some games—just like we do with other educational resources. Keeping in mind that students and many adults find some games addictive, we need to consider why this addiction happens and how we might use this knowledge to improve educational games and perhaps solve other problems as well. If we can create games that motivate students into problem solving modes, just like the most popular online games do, this will not only mean learning across the curriculum but also learning that may benefit education and our world.
Game designer Jane McGonigal's goal is to show everyone that game play can help solve the world’s problems. Just consider: playing games online helps students “learn as they go” and to collaborate and cooperate with others. Games match ability to game levels, offer collaborators to help, feature inspiring stories, give rewards, and leave users with a feeling of satisfaction. Many students spend as much time gaming as they do in school. Also, gamers may get better feedback in virtual worlds than they do in our schools. Because of her belief that gamers can offer solutions to many of our world’s problems, McGonigal has developed three games to test her theory. These include: World Without Oil (what happens when oil supplies run out), SuperStruct (gamers have 23 years left on Planet Earth), and Evoke (motivating social innovation skills especially for those in developing nations). Evoke is available online for you and your students to try. Users of these games have, according to McGonigal, come up with some “amazing solutions.”
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