Why Do Many Kids Like Games More Than School?

Our 3D GameLab workshop asked us to consider why many kids prefer games to school. I think schools from K-12 through college could easily adopt game mechanisms to support learning but often simply stop short of doing so. I am not sure why they do not take the extra step, but they do not. Perhaps it is the time they believe is involved that is a common complaint. Here are some game design mechanics that schools could adopt when designing courses.

Choice

Throughout my education, instructors rarely let me choose which assignments to complete for a grade. When instructors offered options, they often let us do less work for a lower grade. This is really not a choice because to do nothing, which is the choice, results in a lesser grade.World of Warcraft offers multiple tasks. Each helps you advance your character’s level.

Failure

In games, if you fail a quest, you simply try again. You can try as many times as possible until you are successful. However, when you submit an assignment in school, the teacher grades and records it. On rare occasions, you get a chance for a rewrite, which usually results in a higher than failing grade, but often never for the highest grade. Life is not like that. I have failed frequently at something new, and repeated until I got it right. Edison “failed” repeatedly before he got the light bulb right.

Progress

Games do a great job of letting you know your progress as you advance. Games make it clear what you need for the next level in almost everything. As I look at my advancement in the classes I have taken, I have been aware of where I stood throughout the class, except for the final grade that often was a surprise.

Feedback

Games are great at providing both positive and negative feedback. It is immediate and to the point. Several classes I have taken offered no feedback at all or provided it so late that it did not help with subsequent assignments.

These are just a few items where I believe schools could learn from game developers. I personally would like to try these in a future class. My experience with the 3d Game Lab workshop has been positive. I hope to leverage this knowledge in the future.

Additional Reading

• 3D GameLab is Making Skill Development Fun
• Book Review: Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World
• Book Review: SuperBetter: The Power of Living Gamefully
• Book Review: Level Up Your Life
• Improve learning: tweak the reward system
• Are Games Better Than Life?