ABSTRACT
Educators cannot just change lesson plans to create such an environment; there must be entire shifts in the way educators teach. Gamification and social media are unique because they create an engulfing learning environment; something that old classroom methods could not do. There needs to be some vehicle, which transports a classroom from the classic lecture to a more interactive and rich environment. Gaming and play are considered great teaching tools for an active learner (see Figure 4.1). Digital gaming, a means of participatory culture, presents the opportunity to learn through the direct experience of playing a role or becoming a character and infusing oneself into a virtual situation. Being able to “see the problem in a particular context” affords the learner an increased understanding for using the new knowledge (Brown et al., 1989, p. 35).
