Digital Games and Learning: Research and Theory

Whitton, Nicole. Digital Games and Learning: Research and Theory. 2014. ISBN 978-0-415-62939-3.

Though educational computer games have existed for decades, the arrival of the iPad and competing tablets suddenly trust the educational market wide open for developer of apps and for those who were interested in creating and sustaining motivation while learning digitally. In this well-researched book, Whitton discusses the theoretical underpinnings of motivation and how these apply in the world of digital learning. She dives into game theory and how it can be used to foster learning and interest. She considers how gamification and play can be implemented in almost every facet of the educational world, helping students learn from each other and being empowered to guide their own learning. Teachers transform into guides who support students in their exploration, providing structure and resources while students explore topics of interest to them.

Whitton predicted three trends in game-based learning. First, game-based learning will quickly saturate and force a move towards more playification, which embeds both exploration, creation, and higher-order thinking. This trend has already started, with students no longer satisfied with leaderboard positions or badges, but wanting more ability to customize and guide their own learning. The second trend she predicts is the development of game-making capabilities instead of game-using. Though there are many games that can be used to create user material, these are by no means the norm, and most educational games remain focused on delivering content instead of allowing users to create their own. The third trend she predicts is the rise of mobile gaming, where the learning spaces can be adapted to physical and virtual environments. Augmented reality, such as Pokemon Go, and Virtual Reality such as Half Life, are already here, and better gear is being developed to incorporate these new modes of displaying information in devices such as phones and tablets. Only seven years have passed since Whitton’s predictions, but despite her warning that they were unlikely to happen during her lifetime, it is clear that education is changing, and that digital games will play an outsize role in guiding students in their learning.