HARNESSING THE POWER OF GAMES IN EDUCATION

The video game industry has been a major influence on students' lives in recent years. Now researchers consider how games might be used in pursuit of engaging, effective learning experiences. Kurt Squire and Henry Jenkins describe five detailed scenarios designed to illustrate the pedagogical potential of computer and video games. In the Leadership section, Borjana Mikic, Kara Callahan, and Domenico Grasso discuss two initiatives under way in the Picker Engineering Program at Smith College. These projects focus on the design of games and toys to enhance science and engineering education for K-16 students. a life-and-death battle with invading aliens. 1 The best and brightest young minds are gathered together and trained through a curriculum that consists almost entirely of games—both electronic and physical. Teachers play almost no overt role in the process, shaping the children's development primarily through the recruitment of players, the design of game rules, and the construction of contested spaces. Games become the central focus of the students' lives: they play games in classes, in their off-hours, even as part of their private contemplation. Much of the learning occurs through participation in gaming communities, as the most gifted players pass along what they have learned to the other players. that nobody teaches kids what to do in these games; they are left on their own to experiment and solve compelling problems, and as they do so, they master strategies and tactics they will eventually apply to the world beyond the games. The teachers monitor the game play to increase their grasp of each student's potential. The teachers are counting on the holding power of games to push these already gifted students to their limits. And the games automatically adjust to the skill level and objectives of each student. Card's novel anticipates many of the challenges and opportunities we face as we harness this powerful medium for pedagogical purposes. Card himself worked as a games critic, consistently expressing skepticism of any real-world alignment between education (as it is currently constituted) and games (as they currently exist). For Card, most existing educational games have been little more than " flashcards " that operate according to a drill-and-practice model, reflecting the value schools have traditionally placed on rote memorization. Instead of replacing the textbook, he argued, educational games should be more like the school corridors, where kids experiment, interact, create, and share what they create with others, outside the rigid …