Gee, James P. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.
In this book, the author Gee makes the case that good video game design uses the same principles as good instructional design. He goes on to define 36 learning principles that can be derived from good video game design, illustrating them using specific games and gameplay scenarios. There are a few major themes that are predominant through the principles: learning in the context of a “semiotic domain”, with its own situated meaning, affinity group and cultural models; an incremental, bottom-up learning environment that enables probing and practice in a reduced risk environment; and moving beyond literacy and active learning into critical learning and intuitive knowledge.
Although this resource is a literary work, as opposed to an academic article, the author Gee holds a PhD in Linguistics, and is currently a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University. His book has an academic feel to it, and he does provide significant notes and references. The book has received very mixed reviews though, and in fact, I particularly disliked Gee’s writing style, and found it very difficult and almost painful to read. That being said, I did actually agree with many of Gee’s conclusions and his learning principles.
I read this book as part of Dr. Veltsos’ ENG 572 Instructional Design course, and given my strong negative reaction to the book, I would have been content to never open it or discuss it again. However, during the readings for this research project, I found myself comparing the instruction of communication to engineering students to the learning principles in Gee’s book. Perhaps my emotional reaction to the book resulted in its “stickiness” (another reference to ENG 572). I couldn’t help but wonder if Gee’s learning principles could be applied to the semiotic domain of engineering students learning how to communicate.
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