Players and thinkers and learners

The stronghold that games have on our society has made it imperative that educators understand the impact that video games can have. Owens (2012) presented two frames for how the press discussed the popular game Spore, which incorporates elements of science topics. One frame suggested that the game teaches children about intelligent design, while the other implied the game merely made students excited about science topics. While this debate is nothing new, having foundations in several theoretical perspectives; educators must identify their own perceptions of video games and how even commercial games can be used as tools for teaching.