Why Educators
Should Care About
In virtual games, students
act as investigative reporters,
environmental scientists,
and historians who resolve
meaningful dilemmas.
Games
Sasha A. Barab, Melissa
Gresalfi, and Anna Arici
Where can a 10-year- old have an impact on the world? Answer: In a virtual world.
Video games, recently surpassing
Hollywood films in annual sales, have
become one of the most popular forms
of entertainment. Yes, they are fun, but
they also offer players a chance to take
on new roles and experience worlds in
which they learn and problem solve.
Recognizing the power of this medium,
designers are now creating games specifically for education. Vastly different
from brightly packaged drill-and-
practice software of the past, these
games offer something new to
students—entire worlds in which
learners are central, important participants—worlds where what they know is
directly related to what they are able to
do and, ultimately, who they become
(Gee, 2003; Gee & Levine, 2009).
In the games we design, children can
become environmental scientists, investigative reporters, statistical consultants,
and historians. By adopting a persona,
or “avatar,” they make choices that
determine how events transpire and
what characters in the game will do
next. For example, in one of our
scenarios, a student playing the game
takes on the role of statistician, and
in-game characters ask the student
player to analyze data to determine
whether surveillance cameras or an
increased police presence will make the
virtual town safer. The next time the
student returns to this virtual town, he
or she may encounter cameras on every
building or a police officer on every
corner. Accountability is not based on
an external test, but on the consequences of one’s choices.
In this context, students learn how to
investigate and pose solutions—and
they learn what it means to be
historians, scientists, or mathematicians.
Students often find a passion for curricular content and begin to see themselves
as capable of solving interesting problems. We believe this kind of approach
truly ensures that no child is left behind
