Introduction Games, Gamification, and Virtual Environments

Abstract

Welcome to the games, gamification, and virtual environments special issue of the Journal of Technology-Integrated Lessons and Teaching (JTILT). Why a special issue on games? Because games have merit! Games can be played by anyone, can provide safe ways to practice essential skills, and can adapt to various interests and settings.

As more states and nations require computational thinking skills in P-12 education, connections between games and problem solving, algorithmic thinking, decomposition, and abstraction become visible. Players demonstrate these problem-solving skills when considering the probability of success with certain moves, character placement to minimize damage, or fine-tuning resources to maximize gains. The variation in complexity, type, genre, time requirements, player interactions, and so forth helps make games so popular. Individuals can locate the exemplars that match their interests.