Games for Learning: An Adventist Perspective

        Game-based learning, simply put is playing a game that teaches you as you go. The game is the lesson. Playing it teaches you as you play. Gamification on the other hand is doing your usual learning tasks but with game-style rewards layered on top to make it more fun. These terminologies are getting popular these days as IT enthusiasts advocate games in the classroom. 

       

        In her 2010 TED Talk, game designer Jane McGonigal argues that we can harness the motivational power of games to tackle real-world problems. She highlights that people currently spend three billion hours a week playing online games—but to address global challenges like hunger, poverty, and climate change, we need to boost that to 21 billion hours weekly. McGonigal presents the idea of the “epic win,” moments of unexpected success in gaming that inspire deep engagement and optimism and contrasts them with the self-doubt many feel in real life. She suggests that gaming cultivates qualities such as urgent optimism, perseverance, and collaborative social connections. McGonigal believes gamers can become a vital resource for real-world problem-solving; she envisions designing real-life systems and initiatives—like alternate reality games—that motivate collective action and empower people to feel like heroes in their own lives. She failed to mention though how much revenues are generated by game creators in the online gaming market. Modern businesses nowadays discover different ways and means to generate leads for greater profit. Gaming is one of them. 

        Inevitably, as modern-day teachers we are susceptible to change. As technology advances globally, the workplace naturally evolves, including the classroom. Proactive teachers and educators utilize modern ways to revitalize the classroom. In creating and introducing games, these are the key variables to be considered: 

1. Learning Objectives – Games must align with curriculum goals to ensure that fun translates into meaningful learning outcomes 

2. Learner Characteristics – Age, prior knowledge, cultural background, and cognitive development affect how students engage with and benefit from games 

3. Motivation & Engagement – Games should be designed to promote intrinsic motivation, balancing challenge with achievable success  

4. Classroom Context – Teachers must consider time limits, class size, available resources, and technological access when selecting or designing games 

5. Assessment Opportunities – Games should provide ways to observe learning progress, whether through feedback, reflection, or performance-based evidence 

6. Inclusivity & Accessibility – Teachers should ensure all students, including those with disabilities or language barriers, can participate fully 

        Based on the redemptive and Christ-centered philosophy of Adventist education, games should exhibit the following traits: 

• Christ-centered: Encourage attitudes of humility and self-sacrifice, reflecting the character of Jesus.

• Character-building: Promote virtues such as kindness, honesty, integrity, and respect. 

• Cooperative: Emphasize teamwork, community, and mutual support. 

• Compassionate: Highlight love, mercy, and care for others. 

• Controlled: Foster self-discipline and emotional regulation. 

• Complementary: Integrate as one aspect of balanced learning—physical, spiritual, intellectual, and social—not the sole focus. 

• Confessional: Provide space for reflection on God’s goodness, nurturing faith in the learning journey. 

       Additionally, as stipulated by Mrs. Ellen G. White in her books, education should aim to develop the whole person spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially in cooperation with home, school, church, and the Holy Spirit. Educational games should therefore support this holistic development and integrate faith with learning. To remain aligned with Adventist values, games should not: 

• Encourage selfish competition, vanity, or attitudes that elevate individual achievement over communal growth or diminish spiritual values 

• Promote dehumanizing content, objectification, or scenarios that undermine self-respect, empathy, or the image of God in others 

• Focus on excessive competition, violence, or win-at-all-costs dynamics that conflict with the faith-centered, character-forming orientation of Adventist education. 

References: 

1. du Preez, R. (2000). Integrating Faith in the Peri-curricular Practices of an Adventist Institution of Higher Learning. Institute for Christian Teaching. https://christintheclassroom.org/vol_27/27cc_059-078.htm 

2. Ellis, M. (2014, November 30. Classroom Gamification Tips for Even the Non-Gamer. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDn5FM7aX1s 

3. Foundry10, (2024, March 27). Gamification vs. Game-Based Learning. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/elJVk_Ro4VU?si=nyYQ9K8ZPwInUejQ 

4. Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. Palgrave Macmillan. https://blog.ufes.br/kyriafinardi/files/2017/10/What-Video-Games-Have-to-Teach-us-About-Learning-and-Literacy-2003.-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf 

 

5. McGonical, J. (2010, February). Gaming Can Make a Better World. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare 

6. Miller, P. W. (1997) Team Sports in Adventist Education Another Look. Institute for Christian Teaching. https://christintheclassroom.org/vol_19/19cc_189-204.pdf

7. Plass, J. L., Homer, B. D., & Kinzer, C. K. (2015). Foundations of game-based learning. Educational Psychologist, 50(4), 258–2 https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1090277.pdf 

8. White, E. G. (1903/2017). Education. Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. https://media2.egwwritings.org/pdf/en_Ed.pdf