There seems to be a divided camp between the "serious" games and the games that "entertain." Why can’t both sides see that serious games entertain, and entertaining games teach?
Here are the four fundamental characteristics that need to be present for learning to be facilitated (Gibson, p. 179 in reference to Bransford, Brown, and Cockling, 2000):
1. Knowledge-centered
2. Community-centered
3. Assessment-centered
4. Learner-centered
The upcoming generation of gamers perhaps has a different skill set than older gamers or even non-gamers. The amount of stimuli that a younger gamer can assimilate is amazing at times! They process on different levels, texting, IM-ing, chatting in a vent server, while immersed in a game– how easily bored they are with traditional classrooms!
As I was reading the assignment, I thought how wonderful it would be to have a new teacher orientation that walked someone through pedagogy and androgogy (especially targeted for voc-tech educators who know their content area, but may have never formerly taught) using a game in Second Life. That could be further enhanced by a teaching simulation in-world. This orientation could also orient them to college policies and procedures (in a delightful way), and introduce them to using games in teaching and learning.