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Games can be powerful learning experiences, as long as adaptive learning doesn’t put an algorithm, rather than the student, in the driver’s seat.

I grew up when the original Nintendo Entertainment System was released, and Super Mario Bros. was one of my favorite games. As I progressed further through the levels, I remember Mario dying… a lot. I would get frustrated and may have even taken a break, but I didn’t give up. I stuck with it because I knew that it was a game and that it could be beaten by a kid like me. I could also see that the game stayed the same, but I was getting better at it each time I played. I was learning.

Unlike my experience with video games, when many students sit down in a math class they start with the notion that a kid like them can’t master the content. As educators, there’s a lot we can learn from video games that can be applied in the classroom. The key is making sure that the foundation of a game or game-based learning program for the classroom is built on the same goal: enhancing the learning outcome of the student.

Game-Based Learning and Motivation

Many educators are interested in using games in the classroom to boost motivation and engagement. When it comes to learning, though, the lesson from video games is that real learning itself is all the reward necessary. When I think about the most rewarding learning experiences I’ve seen or experienced, they happened when a person persevered to truly learn, not when they customized an avatar, scored points, or earned a new badge.

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