“The motivational power of video game play for education lies not so much in the technology – the ‘video game’ – but in the way people approach and interact with it – the ‘play.’” – Sebastian Deterding, Germany | Daily Edventures

“The motivational power of video game play for education lies not so much in the technology – the ‘video game’ – but in the way people approach and interact with it – the ‘play.’” – Sebastian Deterding, Germany | Daily Edventures:

Trends in education can come and go, and many educators are wary of adopting a new approach, only to see it quickly replaced by the “next big thing.” One trend that I’m confident is paramount to engage students, increase their motivation and improve learning outcomes is game-based learning (GBL).

However, “gamification” is: hot, hyped, oversold, misunderstood, unavoidable, a buzzword, a question mark, a quick fix, a huge unfulfilled potential. In the past two years, the notion of infusing digital products and services with game elements to make them more engaging has been stirring up the digital industries. Multiple vendors have sprung up that sell gamification as a software service, and ‘gamification gurus’ are beginning to litter the online airwaves like ‘social media experts’ in years before. or my part, as I’ve traveled the world speaking to innovative educators, I’ve come to believe that gamification is not only radically changing the way teachers teach and students learn, but also providing unique opportunities to further 21st century skills. “Game design isn’t just a technological craft. It’s a twenty-first-century way of thinking and leading. And gameplay isn’t just a pastime. It’s a twenty-first-century way of working together to accomplish real change.” as says Jane McGonigal. And many past Daily Edventures interviewees, including Donald Brinkman, Stephen Jacobs, Nicki Maddams, Bernardo Letayf Abraham and Tracy Fullerton,, make a good case for the shift to GBL.