James Paul Gee



 DGBL Pioneers   James Paul Gee

James Gee (born April 15, 1948) is a researcher with a breadth of expertise in education, pyscholiguistics and literacy.

Gee's work in linguistics and discourse and lead him to developing an interest in videogames. Much of his work in the last 10 years has been about the learning principles of videogames, the underlying pedagogy.and how these learning principles can be applied to pre teens or k-12s.

Gee found that well crafted video games, challenge and engage players. They can simulaneously teach players to learn guiding principles while also motivating them to persevere through adversity.

Originally identifying 36 learning principles that could be found in well designed videogames, Gee rationalises his list down to 14 basic learning principles.

Good Learning Principles in Video Games

 * 1) Active Control: The learning environment in the video games are set up to encourage active and critical, as opposed to passive, learning
 * 2) Design Principle: The videogames teach an appreciation for their design and design principles, which is core to the learning experience
 * 3) Semiotic Principle: Videogames can promote learning about interrelations within and across multiple sign systems (images, words, actions, symbols, artifacts, etc.) as a complex system
 * 4) Semiotic Domain: Games deliver an opportunity to master semiotic domains, and develop or participate in an affinity to groups connected to them
 * 5) Meta-level Thinking: Active and critical thinking about the relationships of the semiotic domain being learned to other semiotic domains
 * 6) Psychosocial Moratorium Principle: Real world consequences do not apply so videogames can allow more "risk" taking
 * 7) Committed Learning Principle: Videogame demand and motivate learners to commit to investing a lot of effort and time into a virtual learning
 * 8) Identity Principle: Vidoegames can allow learners to act and reflect through multiple identities - real, virtual and projected
 * 9) Self-knowledge Principle: Videogames can teach not only content but also about the gamer and their capabilities and potential
 * 10) Amplification of Input Principle: Output can be greater than input.
 * 11) Achievement Principle: Videogames offer in game intrinsic rewards from the beginning to the epic outcome
 * 12) Practice Principle: Videogames demand that gamers practice and experiment to proceed
 * 13) Ongoing Learning Principle: Videogames can implement cycles of new learning, process development, process detruction and process reconstruction
 * 14) Regime of Competence Principle: Vidoegames can force gamers to proceed beyond their comfort zone and operate at the edge of their capabilities (Gee, 2003)



Gee further refines this list by grouping them into three three student-centered, classroom-friendly clusters:

Empowered Learners
These cluster of principles include the concept that an engaged learner is engaged through active designing and customisarion of their own learning experience. They can learn by taking on virtual identities and feels “more expanded and empowered when they can manipulate powerful tools in intricate ways that extend their area of effectiveness"

Problem Solving
These principles deal with the thrill and frustration of problem solving. Problem solving is a reweard in itslef and viso games offer endless opportunity and scale to problem solve.

Understanding principles,
In “system thinking”, students gain an understanding and insight through the experiences they have rather than the lectures or passive taught learning they have witnessed.

Selected books

 * Gee. J. P. (2004). Situated language and learning: A critique of traditional schooling. London: Routledge.
 * Gee. J. P. (2008). Policy Brief: Getting Over the Slump: Innovation Strategies to Promote Children's Learning
 * Gee. J. P. (2005). "Learning by Design: good video games as learning machines". E-Learning, Volume 2





 