Other than the fact that this paper uses “e” and “digital” to describe learning and games (person peeves), it (Charles, M, Bustard, D, and Black, M. “Game Inspired Tool Support for e-Learning Processes” Electronic Journal of e-Learning Volume 7 Issue 2 2009, (pp101 – 110)), it does provide an example of how not all games for learning need to be “new age/electronic/whiz bang”. Games can be as simple as forming teams and providing feedback, authentic tasks and using low risk assessment.
After reading this, I’m thinking that we might be better served by talking about “game based learning” as “engaging learning”. This turn of a phrase may be what is needed to get people away from thinking about games as merely entertainment vectors. Of course, we already use engaged learning, but if we move to include some of the gaming ideas/ideals into it, future work might be easier to start or to disseminate.
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