Extract from The 2010 Horizon Report K-12 Edition (a publication of The New Media Consortium)
Research into games for educational purposes reveals some interesting trends. Early studies of consumer games helped to identify the aspects of games that make them especially engaging and appealing to players of various ages and of both genders: the feeling of working toward a goal; the possibility of attaining spectacular successes; the ability to problem-solve, collaborate with others, and socialize; an interesting story line; and other characteristics. These qualities are replicable, though they can be difficult to design well, and they can transfer to games featuring educational content. We are discovering that educational content can be embedded in games rather than tacked on, and that players readily engage with learning material when doing so will help them achieve personally meaningful goals.
Published on: 06 Jan 2011
