Beyond better pencil sharpeners

In a recent national survey, available here, 51% of students in grades 6-12 think games make it easier to understand complex concepts and 50% think that games will help them be more engaged in school subjects. Even higher percentages of parents, administrators and teachers think that games can increase learning for students.

Yet, according to the same study, the number one use of technology by teachers to facilitate student learning?

Assigning homework or practice work.

From the perspective of someone who spends most of his time designing and testing educational games, the fact that so many believe that games are effective learning tools is heartening. The fact that technology in schools is mostly limited to something as mundane as assigning homework tells me just how far we have to go. New technologies, including games, need to be used to change what happens in schools, not simply as new (and very expensive, I might add) ways to do the same old things. Until then they aren’t anything more than better pencil sharpeners.