Pros and Cons of Game-based learning

Pros:

- Computer games can invoke intense engagement in learners

- Computer games can encourage active learning or learning by doing

- Empirical evidence exists that games can be effective tools for enhancing learning and understanding of complex subject matter

- computer games can foster collaboration among learners

Cons:

-Games don’t appeal to everyone, but sitting in rows doesn’t appeal to everyone either! games can be social, and non-judgemental, games promote social constructivism, someone not into it might not just be an issue with game based learning

-On being distracted by gaming, without getting the learning out of it: make game very math focused, not about creative gameplay experience, fighting monsters does not serve the mathematics, keep purpose in mind when designing

-ways to design the game to eliminate student just trying to get through : logical journey of zoombinis,1985 make consequences for actions, eg losing a life and having to start over if the answer is wrong

-teachers are opposed to games in learning it because it’s not what they’re used to, scared of the change and the extra time, people don’t believe in educational games yet

-gender bias: Design game to try not to persuade boys more than girls, games in 90s appealed more to boys w/ spatial reasoning, now women in their 30s are highest populations of mobile game use

no matter what you’re into, there’s something available