My experiences in EDTECH 531 and 532 at Boise State University have shown me how much gaming can impact my own learning. By participating in gamified graduate courses and spending hours playing games that can be leveraged in the classroom, I have found that I retain content better and I have developed increased confidence in my own problem-solving abilities. This begs the question, what can gaming in the classroom do for our students?

Almost every student I have spoken to has some type of gaming experience. Once I began posting Minecraft machinima projects on YouTube, many different kiddos began showing up on the doorstep of Room 208. They are eager to talk to me about what they like to build in Minecraft, other games they like to play, and strategies for success. Their capacity for self-direction and intrinsic motivation astounds me, because some of these same children are not able to be successful in the traditional school environment.

Some of the challenges facing gaming in education are less theoretical and more practical in nature.  Working with the ETIS department can be time consuming, because there are few technical employees and many teachers and school sites that need attention.  Also, there are many different regulations in place to protect student privacy and ensure Internet safety. Dealing with all of those literal and figurative firewalls can be frustrating.  There is also the question of reaching critical mass with technology. For example, I am eager and ready to utilize Minecraft Education Edition with my students, but I am unable to begin because there are no devices available on campus that fit the required specifications.

These questions remain: What is the practical potential for gaming in the classroom? How can challenges be overcome in an infrastructure that is geared toward educating the people of the Industrial Revolution?  How do we move our practice into the 21st century?

I love this infographic from OnlineSchools:

The very first computer game I asked my parents to purchase was Carmen Sandiego. There was a children’s television game show by the same name on PBS at the time, and I never missed an episode. I couldn’t wait to play the game each day! Somehow, I do not remember ever catching up to that elusive Carmen, but I do remember the many happy hours I played. Perhaps it was this game that instilled in me a lifelong fascination with geography and travel.
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Around the same time, I remember using a GameBoy the size of a brick along with black and white game cartridges featuring the Mario Brothers. Again, I do not remember ever beating the game, but I do remember that the challenge of playing each level left me with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. The thrill of collecting coins and power ups is part of the reason that I have become interested in the gamification of education.

I did not play many games through my college years, but as an adult my husband and I purchased a Wii and developed a fascination with WiiSports Resort, which provided hours of entertainment. We also succumbed to the Facebook game craze, playing Farmville for hours on end at our local Panera Bread restaurant since we did not have an Internet provider for a time when we were newlyweds and not yet financially stable.


The advent of mobile devices and pocket games really changed the way I viewed games because I saw them as something that could rescue me from tedious waiting rooms and long lines at the DMV.  I began to play Tiny Chef, Bejeweled, and Minecraft using my iPhone.  I also discovered Settlers of Catan and a PantherSim for iOS, along with The Walking Dead. The joy of discovery and meaningful stories are the most appealing parts of my favorite mobile games.


As a professional, my interest in gaming in education began when I attended several sessions on MinecraftEDU at the CUE Conference in 2015. I was impressed by how content could come alive and tap into student interests in virtual worlds.  At the time, the closest thing my district could support was Class Craft, which adds elements of gameplay to my classes.  My students assume three different character classes and earn XP for completing tasks.  They lose HP for negative behaviors, but I primarily use the game as positive reinforcement over punishment. Now, through my graduate program, I’ve learned how to leverage Minecraft for learning and I am eager to move into the next phase of my gamification journey.

My idea is to use 3-D Game Lab to gamify two of my classes: Social Studies and Leadership.  I checked out the pricing packages and I thought it was worth it to spring for an educator subscription. While I already utilize Class Craft, Google Classroom, and Weebly to deliver content to my students, I really like how the quests can be unlocked in a certain sequence in 3-D Game Labs. I think that feature alone will make the subscription fee worthwhile.

Added to that, I am pursuing acquiring Minecraft-ready devices for classroom.  I am determined to integrate Minecraft into every unit for my Social Studies class next year.  I am convinced that the learning will be EPIC.