Gaming in the Classroom

In my tenth grade Economics class I remember playing a Sims game.  It was a fun way to build cities and be engaged in the classroom.  The hard part is, I don't remember what the educational outcome my teacher was hoping for.  Maybe if he had us document our journey or pretend to be the major and journal our experience while using econ vocabulary it could have been a more rewarding experience.


Andrew Miller's Edutopia article, Game-Based Learning to Teach and Assess 21st Century Skills, discusses how games can actually be beneficial to the classroom.  He makes important arguments where I can take both sides.  I am not a big "gamer" so I don't feel comfortable telling you that I have a strong opinion either way.  So my next step is to purchase World Of Warcraft and sit in front of my computer for a straight 72 hours and then I will give you my educated opinion.  Well, I don't have time for that, but I know people who make time.  


Back to Miller's suggestive article...  


He states that you can set up a curriculum involving World of Warcraft with Language Arts standards.  I know a dozen kids that would never leave the classroom!  His most important points are that games can help produce "collaboration, communication, and critical thinking/problem solving".  


Miller has me on the collaboration and says that games can be followed up by "written reflections"  which would incorporate some of those great Language Arts standards.  


He also has me convinced on the communication piece.  Whether it be a whole class discussion at the end of the lesson or communicating via a headset during the game communication would also be a product of gaming.


Where it gets a little fuzzy for me is the critical thinking/problem solving.  I agree that it can help students with these important skills.  He brings up "Angry Birds" (I haven't played, but it appears that you fling birds at things) and how it teaches "perseverance".  I agree it probably does, but in the educational setting I think that there could be a more productive and just as engaging way to do that.  Maybe with a different game. 


In conclusion, I am open to the hearing more about incorporating game-based learning in classroom.  


I really want to find some more examples, but I think this is an emerging concept and would like to find more ideas.  Do you have any ideas?