This page will provide a breakdown of the challenges and implications our previously identified solution will pose.
There are several challenges to moving forward with our proposed tiered surrogate solution.
Time - Teachers need to spend a significant amount of time implementing DGBL into their subject areas and getting it to functionally run before adding different play modes. If teachers are given a different teaching schedule, this game may fall into disuse, making the extended planning and creation time no longer relevant.
Student buy-in - As previously stated, students judge the value of the games that they play, and if a game is being compared to a commercially available game designed wholly for entertainment, they may be disappointed or feel "forced" into using the game as a learning tool.
Design - Not all designs are going to appeal to all students. This can be true in a single classroom or a set of students from year to year. This may lead to trial and error find match the right style of game with the right set of students to optimize successful integration.
Technology - Schools may not have the adequate technology or have limited technology available for a whole class to play the tiered game at the same time. Many schools have one computer lab that all students use throughout the school day. This can cause issues with scheduling as the room may not be available when needed by the teacher and students.
The goal is for all students to be able to interact with the games used within their classroom at one of the four tiered levels, thereby ensuring that they are using an important tool to learn from at their level of comfort which in turn raises student engagement. Students who are actively engaged have been shown to perform at higher levels than those who are disengaged. The implication, therefore, is better overall student performance and a higher rate of student success within the classrooms these games are being used in.