School-aged children and gaming have become ubiquitous; casual and competitive gaming is a part of nearly every school-aged child’s daily activity. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project, about 99% of boys and 94% of girls play digital games about 7-10 hours per week.[1] These figures are not a surprise for anyone that regularly interacts with children and educators have long-ago incorporated games within their classrooms. Many schools across the country have set up after-school gaming clubs, integrated games like Minecraft or Roblox into their STEM coursework, or have developed Esports teams that compete in interscholastic leagues. At a time when student engagement and enrollment are down, many educational institutions are turning to game-based learning (GBL) to re-connect with students and equip them with the skills needed to tackle 21st century challenges.
[1] Homer, Kinzer, and Plass, “Foundations of Game Based Learning,” 258.