It has previously been shown that the gamification of learning processes within a higher education degree can enhance engagement on a course (Charles, 2010). This approach exposed the "mechanics" or "rules" of a course of learning through game based feedback techniques; so that a student's individual understanding of what is expected for him/her to be a successful learner was improved. Subsequent research proposed greater emphasis on the aesthetic aspects within the game based feedback approach through the use of virtual learning landscapes (VLL) (D. Charles et al 2010). The use of a VLL makes it possible to utilise the physical properties of game environments and virtual worlds to provide students with a rich form of multi-modal information and feedback.

A FEW MONTHS ago, Ben Bertoli, a teacher at Danville Middle School in Indianapolis, was grappling with a class of unmotivated students when he decided to put his love of video games to work.Drawing inspiration from his collection of over 400 Nintendo titles, Bertoli created ClassRealm, a system in which students create virtual avatars and gain experience points for answering questions correctly in class, completing extra assignments and helping classmates.Although the rewards were mostly abstract, the results were real. Formerly reticent pupils immediately became eager to participate. When Bertoli offered extra points for a five-paragraph essay, 20 of his 29 students rushed to write it. And they clamored to fight in Friday "duels," facing off to answer questions while "Pokémon" battle music blared."Some of those kids just need a push in the right direction to get them going," Bertoli said.ClassRealm, which Bertoli is now developing into a system for all teachers to use, is a promising example of a concept known as gamification -- the application of concepts from game mechanics (the theories that are part of the process and study of game design, like progression, prestige, competition and social feedback) to non-gaming environments to change user behavior.

While traditional education proponents may be quick to dismiss computer games as inconsequential, others argue that a strong precedent for independently motivated online game-based learning has already been established. Examples include PBS KIDS's interactive whiteboard games, which teach basic subjects to very young children, and the Learning Company's hugely popular historical learning game, The Oregon Trail.Advocates for gaming in education also point to professional training situations where games are increasingly replacing lectures and presentations. Further afield, Jane McGonigal, the director of game research and development at the Institute for the Future, has designed award-winning games to help ignite real-world solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges, such as global food security and a shift to renewable energy.

In their book, A New Culture of Learning (CreateSpace, 2011), Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown argue that curiosity, imagination, and a sense of play -- three aspects integral to learning -- are largely missing from the traditional textbook-and-test based education system. What's more, the authors point out, these are all present in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) like World of War-craft.

The breakthrough happened after the student took the Bartle's Gamer Profile Quiz and we found out that he was a "killer." Off-the-charts killer, but achievement meant nothing to this student. Just like grades. No, we haven't identified the next school shooter, and I sure wish that Bartle hadn't named one of the four gamer profiles "killer" -- but nonetheless, this student identified with this profile. Jane McGonigal mentioned it in her Gaming Can Make a Better World TED Talk when she discussed an epic meaning. My so-called "killer" student (and we really should rename this when applying it to education!) simply saw things as a battle between good and evil and wanted to fight on the side of good in an epic quest to make the world a better place. Points don't matter in gameplay, and grades don't matter, either. But when we tweaked the kinds of work he was doing in our Gamifi-ED project to focus on "world-changing games," he was suddenly engaged. Now his face lights up when he sees me. He's one of the first kids to class. He's an engaged gamer and, finally, an engaged student