Games in education

Adding to our discussion in class this week, games are becoming a tool not only to entertain but also to teach something to their players. A clear example is the game that was played in class, Citizen Science. This game is engaging and through the events of the game, it is evident that it seeks to raise awareness about ecological issues. The game brings real-world issues to players in ways that perhaps if they were explained by scientists or experts in the subject, the average person would not understand. I think this too can be seen when at the beginning of the game the boy come near the girl in charge of saving the lake and tells her they can't go in because of 'eutro-poopy', most people don't understand eutrophication, but when they boy puts it that way we immediately get an idea of the problem with the lake.
As much as these games can be beneficial, I think that it would be difficult to see them being implemented in a classroom setting. As Squires mentions, little is known about how they work or how they should be implemented in a classroom. But I do believe that as long as there are games with message such as the one from Citizen Science, video games should be encouraged in schools not only to change the dynamics of ways of learning but also to motivate newer generations to be aware of social issues and think critically and not limit video games as entertainment only media.