Applying games to education is not a new idea. Playing is an inherent trait of human beings which is closely tied to the learning process. The basic claim for supporting the introduction of games into learning processes is that games, unlike more traditional educational situations, are fun to play. Technologies continue to bring up new possibilities for gaming environments.
Videogames allow the immersion of the student in richly recreated environments with a relatively low cost per student. Also, videogames support many educational approaches such as collaborating and/or competing within the game or, alternatively, simulating artificial peers in order to achieve similar results to collective playing in a cost-effective way. In short:
- Games are fun
- Games are immersive
- Games stimulate cooperation/competition
- Games provide innovative assessment mechanisms
