I’m not sure using games for engagement in the classroom is enough, but it is a start:
It is this persistence in learning that I find so special about learning spaces that involve clear challenges. What they can experience in a game is working toward a definite goal with real opportunities for choice in order to get there. The one thing I don’t see in this kind of gaming environment, however, is a time where learners can establish their own challenges or problems to solve.
How is it that we can help them take the clearly defined rules and outcomes of games and apply that to their everyday work? How can we support them in defining their own goals and setting their own outcomes for achieving? I think there is a lot we can learn from the way games engage us, but I also think that games (even difficult and complex ones) may not be enough for kids to apply what they have learned within the game to real world problems. It likely takes a teacher and a community of learners to do that.
