Five Levels of Videogame Integration

In the following pages, I will be describing what I call the different "levels" of using games in education. I consider this to be a framework for game-integration rather than a

taxonomy. Its parts aren't mutually exclusive. Rather, as we begin looking at specific examples, these levels are often used together as compliments rather than individually.

In the best lessons, they blend together in mutually constructive ways.

Quick Definitions of the Levels

• • Gamification: Use of the appearance of games to structure non-gaming environments

  • Content Games: Use of actual games to teach the "content" portion of a class

  • Critical Game Studies: Study and analysis of games as a text

  • Gaming Discourse Community: Use of games to enter a writing community

  • Developing Games: Exercises in which students actually create games

The organization of these levels is of my own design, but the names are derived from the writings of various other authors. I will discuss these authors in more detail in the section on each level.