Debates about Gamification and Game-Based Learning(#GBL) in Education. By Justin Marquis Ph.D., from OnlineUniversities.com There is a tendency in life to see things in absolutes. Sensationalist media thrives on the love/hate, friend/enemy, smash hit/trash it dichotomy. The proposition of including games in the classroom at any level is no different. There are those who love the concept and are all in for redesigning entire classes, curriculums, and even whole schools that are focused on game-based learning (GBL), such as Quest to Learn and the Playmaker School. There are also those who think that games and gamification have little value in education.
In reality, however, those who are really using games for learning such as Susan Bohler (stay tuned for our upcoming Google+ hangout where we’ll discuss this very issue) know that, like any innovation, games must be deployed in a measured and systematic way that maximizes their benefits while minimizing the negative consequences. The Negatives The Positives Still Open for Debate/Research.
Games Can Make "Real Life" More Rewarding. In her 2011 book, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, game development expert and author Jane McGonigal describes a number of ways that games can improve our lives by using experience and research to link games with feelings of connectedness, self-worth, fulfillment and happiness.
For instance, McGonigal describes her experiences with using the Nike+ app while running. If you use Nike+ with an iPod or Smartphone, it will give you real time feedback on your progress. You can even share your progress on social media while running, and if your friends leave you an encouraging comment, the app will read the comment to you. Another running app, Zombies, Run! , turns your run into an epic escape from flesh-eating zombies. The more runs you complete, the more you can build up your zombie apocalypse base with supplies. Augmented Reality games overlay games on top of "real life. " Games are the world that our students live in. Game-Based Learning Ideas from ISTE.