Dr. Jane McGonigal inspires me. What she sees in games, and in gamers inspires me to consider how that can inform pedagogical adjustments. I’m not proposing we throw out everything in favour of games; but I find it hard to ignore her statement that “Gamers are super-empowered hopeful individuals”. I see gamers come through my computer lab by the hundreds each year, and I am inclined to agree with that statement.
Her observations further include that gamers encompass:
Urgent Optimism
Social Fabric (they network and collaborate naturally)
Blissful Productivity
Epic Meaning
I encourage everyone to spend twenty minutes watching her most excellent TED talk – and understand that it is from 2010. Consider what has changed in your own world since this talk was given.