Games Can Make the World Better

In the Ted Talk called Games Can Make the World Better, Jane McGonigal talks about 4 things that make people virtuosos of gaming. The first is urgent optimism. There is an urgent desire to tackle an obstacle with a strong belief of success. The second is the social fabric. Gamers build strong relationships with other gamers in which trust is built. The third is blissful productivity. Gamers are happy when they are working hard when doing the right work. The final thing that makes people virtuosos of gaming is having an epic meaning. Gamers love to be attached to awe-inspiring missions. All of these together give gamers a belief that they can change the world. However, it is a virtual world.

All of these things are motivational for gamers in a virtual world. If these could be adapted into learning, students could possibly be motivated in similar ways. If students had an urgent optimism to succeed in a learning task, they would want to accomplish it, but would also have a strong belief that they would succeed. The social fabric is an important factor in gaming, but also can be important in learning. Students enjoy working with their peers and can learn from one another. They also love competing with one another. Blissful productivity can take place in education when students are working on something that they think matters. Finally, having a epic task to complete could motivate them to succeed. If these things could be translated into learning, students would be more motivated to participate and succeed.

Games and learning go hand-in-hand. Students love to play games and often do not even realize that learning is taking place. When competition is involved, they even try harder. Also, students like to know that they are doing well and being successful. If the aspects of gaming can be translated into education and learning, the sky will be the limit for students.

https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world#t-611851












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