We are a not-for-profit design studio, founded in 2007 by a group of game designers in New York City. We are now home to an interdisciplinary team of designers, strategists and learning practitioners. Our first project was the design and implementation of an innovative New York City public school, called Quest to Learn.
Today's schools face major problems around student motivation and engagement. Gamification, or the
incorporation of game elements into non-game settings, provides an opportunity to help schools solve these
difficult problems. However, if gamification is to be of use to schools, we must better understand what
gamification is, how it functions, and why it might be useful. This article addresses all three questions – what,
how, and why bother? – while exploring both the potential benefits and pitfalls of gamification.
How the broader structure of games in relation to classroom practices can be applied to integrating technology in the classroom.
Edutopia's new series takes a look at game-like learning principles in action and commercial games in real classrooms -- and offers tips and tools for bringing them into your own practice.