FTW: Gaming for Learning

"Our research shows that playing relaxing video games puts people in a better mood," said Brad Bushman, a professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University and co-author of the study.

With educators finally embracing electronic games as a legitimate context for learning, there are a lot of questions and some debate about how to situate games in school. In addition to figuring out the place of gaming in school, I’m interested in exploring the ways gaming and gamers transgress the limitations of institutional/formal learning and what we can learn from authentic gaming cultures and contexts outside of school – as a key to learning with games but also the very future of education.

These games can be addictive. They are designed for addiction, much like cigarettes. While there is a considerable amount of thought that goes into the historical accuracy of the images and characters, as well as the depth of the stories, it’s really about getting kids playing and then keeping them there. This is not “casual” gaming. This is the kind of things that makes you question what is real.