Review of Language and Learning in the Digital Age

Review by Paul Rama, University of California Irvine Gee and Hayes’ latest work, Language and Learning in the Digital Age, is an informative read dealing with the potential, perils, and implications of digital media. Parallels and comparisons are drawn between oral language, literacy (defined as reading and writing), and digital media, and how these latter two have altered the way we communicate and interact. As leading authorities on games and learning, Gee and Hayes illustrate their arguments with examples from video games, including Second Life and World of Warcraft. These, along with non-game examples such as a cat listserv, “birding” (p. 72), and amateur science, contrast school learning with that found in “passionate affinity spaces” (p. 69), which are argued to be ideal spaces for personally meaningful, situated learning. The authors challenge institutionally valued literacy skills, which have been reinforced in our current school systems. The book’s title describes the content of this work, which succeeds in illustrating how language, which is essential to learning, is once again being shaped, this time by digital media.