Gee, J. P. (2008). Cats and portals: Video games, learning, and play. American Journal of Play, 1(2), 229.

The article “Cats and Portals: Video Games, Learning, and Play” by James Paul Gee, published in American Journal of Play (2008), explores the potential for “good” video games to impact learning. Using his analogy of Cats, he describes how play allows for discovery and therefore the development of new skills and learning. Gee illustrates this interaction with video games through various examples, such as SIMS, to show how play can foster skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, language acquisition, and knowledge building. Gee argues that video games integrate play and learning, offering space where mastery is achieved through trial and error, similar to the process of learning in real life. However, he does not address diverse learners and their unique abilities and challenges to benefit from this discovery. How can Gee’s concept of “play as discovery” be utilized in designing educational learning environments, and how might this approach be adapted for in-person activities to enhance and support learning?

Gee, E., & Gee, J. P. (2017). Games as distributed teaching and learning systems. Teachers College Record, 119(11).

The article “Games as Distributed Teaching and Learning Systems” by Gee and Gee (2017) explores distributed teaching and learning (DTAL) systems, discussing how learning can occur outside traditional schools through affinity networks and digital tools. Gee and Gee highlight that humans draw on experiences from texts, media, virtual worlds, peer interactions, and often do not distinguish between these but rather utilize them to navigate future problems. Video games are an example of a new conversation that we can utilize in learning, ultimately not far off from the games we are already playing in our own minds while trying to solve a problem or testing different scenarios. The authors suggest that learning through distributed systems like games could help create better, more engaging education, since these tools encourage problem-solving, collaboration, and social interaction. They also found that DTAL systems offer more freedom and agency for people to learn with flexibility of schedule, income level, social network, location, or other restricting factors. Did the authors consider whether knowing you are engaging in learning within a DTAL system enhances or detracts from the learning experience? Could this awareness influence motivation and engagement if learners recognize their activities as educational or valuable?

Both articles emphasize that learning in online spaces or through video games is closely tied to real life learning, where experiences in virtual environments can translate into skills and knowledge in the real world. While the first article by Gee (2008) focused on video games and skills or learning associated with them, the other (Gee & Gee, 2017) was focused more broadly on DTAL systems associated with those games and how they impact further learning and knowledge building.