What games teach us about learning

One of the main pitfalls we see with game-based approaches to learning is thinking that adding points and levels to an experience turns it into a game. This phenomenon has been dubbed ‘pointsification’ (Robertson, 2010), and while it may develop some surface-level engagement initially, this kind of approach largely misses what makes games good for learning and fundamentally misunderstands what makes a game. As Robertson (2010) notes, games have points, but having points does not make a game.

The video games that Gee concerns himself with are not surface-level point-scoring exercises but deeper affairs that allow for what he describes as ‘embodied experiences’ (Gee, 2007, 2008). Experiences where the players learn through action, interaction and dialogue. To illustrate how these principles can inform real educational design, we draw on a game-based experience developed for the MA Medical Education programme to explore two of Gee’s key ideas: identity and situated meaning.

Case study: Game-based learning - MA Medical Education

Is that ethical?! Is a game-based learning experience created for the MA Medical Education from IHSE. It is designed as an introductory activity to get students thinking about core ethical principles at the beginning of the research methods module. In the game, students take the role of chair for the ethical approval panel of a fictional university. They must approve or deny ethical approval applications correctly, to protect participants, protect the university’s reputation and keep research staff happy.

While, on first glance, this might seem like a relatively simple experience, there are some key principles from Gee’s work being implemented.

Identity

For Gee, one of the strengths of video games is their ability to allow students to take on and play with different identities. Learning is often a process of shifting identities, of becoming something new, and as Gee points out, games can provide a safe space where students can reflect on their real-world, virtual and prospective identities. This type of play can help students see things from a different perspective; it also teaches them not just about the hard facts of a domain, but also how it is socially situated.

The experience that we designed was explicitly made to help students play with identity as they are asked to take on the role of the chair of an approval panel. This is an important aspect of the experience. It helps them see what it’s like to receive ethical approval forms and the different types of concerns that someone in that situation might have.

Within research methods, we want to help students embrace the identity of a researcher, of someone who is responsible for ethical research. Again, this activity is designed to help with this transition, though the playful use of identity to prompt reflection.

Situated meaning

Presenting information and experiences in context is another key theme coming from Gee’s work. This means drawing out both the situations where knowledge is enacted, but also the relations between different elements. Through this approach, Gee argues, we help to prepare our students for future situations

Our experience draws on this heavily. It presents a real-world scenario for students to work through, making the knowledge they develop directly applicable to future activities they will be engaged with in the module and as researchers. The example ethics applications ask students to think broadly about the social and real-world implications of what’s being proposed. In this way, students begin to understand ethics not as a checklist, but as a series of situated judgements shaped by competing responsibilities.

Finally, success and failure are not just point-scoring exercises. The outcome of the game is socially contextualised. If you allow too many unethical research proposals through, alongside risking participants, you are also risking the university's reputation. If you deny too many ethical applications, you must deal with unhappy staff who are unable to conduct their research.

 

Conclusion

There are many elements that contribute to effective game-based learning, but identity and situated meaning are often overlooked when games are reduced to points and rewards. By designing experiences that allow learners to take on meaningful roles and make decisions within authentic contexts, we move closer to what games do best: supporting learning through action, reflection and consequence in a safe environment.

Rather than asking how to make learning more like a game, Gee asks what games can teach us about designing better learning experiences.

 

References

Gee, J.P. (2007) What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Revised and updated ed. New York (N.Y.): Palgrave Macmillan.

Gee, J.P. (2008) ‘Video Games and Embodiment’, Games and Culture, 3(3–4), pp. 253–263. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412008317309.

Robertson, M. (2010) ‘Can’t Play, Won’t Play’, Kotaku, 10 November. Available at: https://kotaku.com/cant-play-wont-play-5686393 (Accessed: 9 February 2026).