We already have too much medicine that is (cognitively) good for the patient-who will not take it-and medicine that patients fi nd delicious-but that contributes little to their cognitive abilities. (Simon, 1995, p. 508) There is an enormous chasm between what kids do for fun and what they are required to do in school. School covers material we deem “important,” but kids, generally speaking, are unimpressed. These same kids, however, are highly motivated by what they do for fun (e.g., interactive, entertainment games). Imagine these two worlds united. Student engagement is strongly associated with academic achievement (e.g., Finn & Rock, 1997; Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004; Fredricks & Eccles, 2006). Thus, combining school material with games has tremendous potential to increase learning, especially for lower performing, disengaged students.
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