Jim Gee says, “When we think of games, we think of fun. When we think of learning we think of work”. (P. 43, 2007, Good Video Games + Good Learning)
Is that really true? Somewhere along the line kids begin to associate what they do in school with “work”, where “work” is seen to be unpleasant. I have yet to meet a single 6-year-old who feels that way, so what happened?
Is it really learning that we dislike, or is it formal education?
At some point many kids begin to associate negative feelings with schoolish subjects, yet most happily spend hours in a game and have no problem talking about what they learn there.
OK. So the leading question is probably somewhat rhetorical, but here’s one that isn’t:
What qualities does a low-budget educational game need to have in order to avoid being lumped in with all the other “education” they are required to do?
