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Learning with Computer and Video Games: How Play Motivates Learning
Christine Hulme
University of British Columbia
ETEC 511 Instructor: F. Feng







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Computer and video games can change education by assisting students to learn in innovative and
creative ways. In this paper, I will argue that playing computer and video games can improve
learning. First, I will examine how playing computer and video games can help children develop
skills through real world applications. Second, I will explore how computer and video games can
be used as motivational and engaging tools in education to target differentiated learning and skill
development. Third, I will investigate limitations to computer and video games in the classroom.
Lastly, I will conduct a review of literature to support my argument in favour of computer and
video games to enhance learning.
Technology helps todays children to prepare for tomorrows future. Young people need to be
innovative and creative in order to adapt to the fast-paced speed of our world. Computer and
video games can help children become not only tech-savvy, but they can also help them apply
knowledge gained using these tools to the real world. In this section I will look at specific
examples of computer and video games that enable children to take ownership of their
knowledge.
The video game The Sims is a strategic, life simulation game and the best-selling PC game in
history. The Sims allows players to live in a Suburban town, where they have a house and a job,
can buy and sell things, go to school, go to parties, date, marry, have children, and eventually die.
Much like the real world, The Sims allows players to get inspired by the endless creative
possibilities and unexpected moments of surprise and mischief (The Sims, 2011). The appeal of
the game is that it allows children to experience worlds they are curious about or afraid of, while
building relationships with other Sims in a fun and engaging way (Shaffer, 2006, pg 24). Games
such as this teach children about roles, responsibilities, rules, fairness, and consequences.
Playing a role means following some set of rules for behaviour. There are sets of norms that
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determine what a player can and cannot do. There are consequences such as what happens when
you dont go to the bathroom or when you dont work hard. In playing games, children are doing
explicitly, openly, and socially what as adults they will do tacitly, privately, and personally
(Shaffer, 2006) pg. 24). From The Sims experience, children are learning in the safety of their
own home, what it might be like to be in the real world.
The computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon is a construction and management simulation game,
which allows players to create a theme park, beginning with a fixed amount of money. Success
is dependent upon whether or not virtual customers visit and if the player makes or loses money.
In general, players learn how to build and run an enterprise. More specifically, players learn the
real-life skills of resource management and trade-off analysis (Prensky, 2006). For example,
players learn that if they clean the park, fix broken rides, and have accessible food and washroom
facilities, their amusement park will attract guests and be successful. Players also learn about
economics and mathematical development (application of numbers). There are budgeting
decisions to be made and maintaining the park costs money. In addition, if the player decides to
raise prices, customers will not be happy and may not return. Another important lesson children
can learn from the game is how to work together in groups. The game allows for multiplayer
mode where users can connect with other players online. Roller Coaster Tycoon is a fun and
visually appealing way a way to help children learn entrepreneurial, problem-solving, and
collaborative skills.
The video game Grand Theft Auto is a controversial game with a mature rating (intended for
Adults). However, like most R rated movies, the game is regularly played by kids. Kids are not
recommended to play Grand Theft Auto, but if they do, I argue there are some real-world lessons
to learn. The game is centered in an open-world where the player accepts missions to progress an
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overall story. Players learn their choices have consequences. If the player does bad things they
will acquire a reputation and die sooner. If the player is really bad, the authorities eventually
show up and arrest them. Although there is the element of motor vehicle theft, if the player steals
an ambulance or fire truck to save lives, they will live longer. Prensky (2006) states, even in the
most violent games, there is an extremely wide range of appropriate things to do (p.75).
The above-mentioned computer and video games are only a few examples of the learning that can
stem from being an active player. In the next section, I explore the merits of computer and video
games as motivational tools to assist learning. Young people experience a wide range of media
and technology outside of school. If students find computer and video games engaging at home,
then it would seem appropriate to use them in school. Games can allow for more personalized
forms of learning and can also accommodate different learning styles. Playing educational
computer and video games can promote authentic learning in the classroom because they have an
interactive element. There is ongoing input by the user whereas if students were watching a
video, there is no interactive element. Children can learn to use computer games through trial
and error by exploring, experimenting and reflecting. Playing certain types of computer and
video games can involve and extensive series of cognitive activities including remembering,
hypothesis testing, predicting and strategic planning (Buckingham, 2007). Playing games can be
seen as informal learning where much of it is carried out without explicit teaching. It involves
active exploration, learning by doing, apprenticeship rather than direct instruction
(Buckingham, 2007, pp. 100-101). Game play is also a multi-literate activity as it often involves
interpreting complex three-dimensional visual environments, reading text and processing
auditory information (Buckingham, 2007). Students can also learn the etiquette of online
communication from games that have a chat or instant messaging option. Games teach children to
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think and enable them to develop skills such as reasoning, problem solving and decision-making
that are immediately generalizable to real-life situations (Prensky, 2006, p. 8). Most
importantly, games are very social. There is the element of collaboration and interaction with
others.
Furthermore, through computer and video games, children play out their ideas with each new
creation. In design activities, as in play, children test the boundaries, experiment with ideas, and
explore what is possible (Resnick, 2003). As children design and create, they are learning new
concepts. Playing computer and video games can help retain student attention and increase
intrinsic motivation. Resnick states students that are actively engaged in what they are learning
are more likely to develop deeper understandings and richer connections to knowledge (Resnick
2003, p. 191). Technology can support playful learning and exploration. Children become most
engaged with new technologies, and learn the most in playing with these technologies, when they
work on projects they are personally interested in (Resnick 2003). Children need to nurture and
develop their creativity. We can support them by providing children with opportunities to
exercise, refine, and extend their creative abilities (Resnick 2003, p. 203). This will require new
approaches to education and learningand new types of technologies to support those new
approaches. I believe the new approaches are the integration of computer and video games into
an educational setting to enhance learning.
There is a negative connotation associated with playing computer and video games. In this
section I will explore the limitations to playing computer and video games to enhance learning.
There are obstacles that teachers face such as logistics and the consequences of relating game
play to the curriculum (Buckingham, 2006). Logistically, classrooms may not have the access to
computers or have the legal rights associated with playing certain games within the school. As
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for the curriculum, teachers would have to find a game that ties to the subject matter. The
amount of content games contain that is relevant to school curriculum varies, but is generally
low. Technology of any sort, including video games is not adequate all by itself for deep
learning (Shaffer, 2006). Computer and video games are not the only tool to help children learn,
however they can be used as one way to open up their imaginations and personalities. Another
limitation is measuring the learning that stems from computer and video game play. It is difficult
to assess if there is any new and direct knowledge gained from the computer and video game
process. There are also gender issues to consider, as computer and video game play are
predominately a male domain and have the potential to reinforce gender stereotypes. With that
said, as technology is becoming increasingly accessible, computer and video games are becoming
more widely gender neutralized, but it is still worth mentioning that many games target boys.
Despite these limitations, integrating technology into the classroom through game play is one
way to engage learners.
I have presented specific examples of the learning that can occur from playing computer and
video games. I have examined the motivational aspect of computer and video games to enhance
learning. I have also stated limitations to computer and video games as educational tools. In the
next section, I will review literature on the topic that supports my argument.
In his paper, Learning by Design: Good Video Games as Learning Machines, Gee theorizes how
game designers can get players to learn long, complex, and difficult games. He believes there is
something about how games are designed to trigger learning that makes them so deeply
motivating (Gee, 2004). Gee goes on to explain game designers can create worlds where people
can have meaningful new experiences, and these experiences have the potential to make people
smarter and more thoughtful (Gee, 2004). Gee created a checklist of 13 features where a video
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game can be scored. The more features a game scores, the greater the learning. The list is
organized into three sections: I. Empowered Learners; II. Problem Solving; III. Understanding.
Figure 1 is a checklist of the 13 features and includes a principle relevant to learning for each
feature.
I. Empowered Learners Principle
1. Co-Design Good learning requires that learners feel like active agents
(producers) not just passive recipients (consumers)
2. Customize Different styles of learning work better for different people
3. Identity Deep learning occurs when people become heavily invested in a
new identity they value
4. Manipulation and
Distributed
Knowledge
Humans feel empowered when then can manipulate tools in
intricate ways that extend their area of effectiveness
II. Problem Solving
5. Well-Order Problems The problems learners face early on should be well-designed to
lead them to strategies that work well
6. Pleasantly Frustrating Learners should be challenged but their efforts should be
rewarded with a sense of competency
7. Cycles of Expertise Learners practice their skills until they become masters and move
on to a new level and repeat the process again
8. Information On
Demand or Just and
Time
Learners use verbal information (such as a manual) when they
need it and can reference it when they need it again
9. Fish Tanks Fish tanks in the real world are a simple ecosystem within a
larger more complex world. Learning can take place when there
are simple processes (such as tutorials) to explain a whole system
10. Sandboxes Sandboxes in the real world are a safe place for children to play
in that looks and feels like the real world. Learners are put into a
situation that resembles the real thing but doesnt include the
risks
11. Skills as Strategies

People learn and practice skills best when they see a set of
related skills as a strategy to accomplish goals they want to
accomplish
III. Understanding
12. System Thinking People learn skills, strategies, and ideas best when they see how
they fit into an overall larger system to which they give meaning
13. Meaning as Action
Image
Learners think through experiences they have had to give words
and concepts meaning.
Figure 1. Adapted from Learning by Design: Good Video Games as Learning Machines by
James Paul Gee (2004).
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In her paper, Playing and Making Games for Learning: Instructionist and Constructivist
Perspectives for Game Study, Kafai explores the two perspectives with respect to the learning
that stems from game design and play. First, instructionists think about the instructional design
of educational materials. Content is a major factor in game design. The greatest learning occurs
for those engaged in the design process, therefore, the player is not the one receiving the benefits
of learning the game designer is. Second, constructionists do not think about the lessons
directly in games, but their goal is to provide students with greater opportunities to construct
their own games and to construct new relationships with knowledge in the process (Kafai,
2006, p. 38). The learner is involved in all the design decisions and begins to develop a
technological fluency (Kafai, 2006). Kafai concludes with the argument that whether one is a
game designer or a game player, there is a need to pursue the promising context of game study in
order to increase ones technological fluency.
In their book, Rules for Game Play, Salen and Zimmerman argue, the goal of successful game
design is the creation of meaningful play (2003, p. 33). A game designers emphasis is on
creating a meaningful experience for the player. Design is defined as, the process by which a
designer creates a context to be encountered by a participant, from which meaning emerges
(Salen and Zimmerman, 2003, p. 47). They believe there is an active relationship between the
game player and the game system. They look at the design of games through a lens that they can
apply to the creation of any game. The three lenses are rules, play and culture. Rules focuses on
the intrinsic mathematical structure of games, play emphasizes the players interaction with the
game and other players, and lastly, culture highlights the cultural contexts games are embedded
in (Salen and Zimmerman, 2003). Rules, play and culture all enhance a users experience. By
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understanding how games function, it is clear that games are designed to engage the user through
meaningful play.
Computer and video games can be a way to integrate technology into the classroom. Students
usually associate learning with work, but with this new integration, students can learn while they
play. Educators can hone in on the learning potential that can occur from playing computer and
video games. Motivating students to be accountable for their own learning will no longer be a
challenge for educators.












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References

Buckingham, D. (2008). Beyond Technology: Childrens Learning in the age of digital culture.

Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

Gee, J.P. (2004). Learning by Design: Games as Learning Machines. Interactive Educational
Multimedia, 8, 15-23. Retrieved from
http://www.ub.edu/multimedia/iem/down/c8/Games_as_learning_machines.pdf

Kafai, Y. B. (2006). Playing and Making Games for Learning: Instructionist and Constructionist
Perspectives for Game Studies. Games and Culture, 1, 36-40. Retrieved from
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/~kafai/print/pdfs/playing.pdf

Prensky, M. (2006). Dont Bother Me MomIm Learning! St. Paul: Paragon House.


Resnick, M. (2006). Computer as Paintbrush: Technology, Play, and the Creative Society. In

Singer, D., Golikoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (eds.), Play = Learning: How play

motivates and enhances children's cognitive and social-emotional growth. Oxford

University Press.


Salen, K. & Zimmerman, E. (2003). Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press.


Schaeffer, D. W. (2006). How Computer Games Help Children Learn. New York, NY: Palgrave

Macmillan.


The Sims (2011). Retrieved from http://thesims.com/en_US/home