Gaming in the Classroom: A Scholarly Perspective with Personal Reflection

Written By Ryan Hayden

The integration of video games into education has gained momentum in recent years, supported by research and evolving pedagogical practices. However, for many students who attended school in the UK between the late 1990s and early 2000s, this shift came too late. As someone who attended Scaltback Middle School in Newmarket, Comberton Village College in Cambridge (2005–2008), and later Cambridge Regional College (2008–2010), I experienced firsthand an era where gaming and learning were worlds apart.

Why Gaming in Education Was not Possible (1998–2010)

During my school years, the idea of using video games for learning was virtually nonexistent. At Scaltback and Comberton, computers were primarily used for basic IT skills, including typing, spreadsheets, and occasionally educational CD-ROMs. Gaming was viewed as a distraction, rather than a tool. The UK’s National Curriculum emphasized standardized testing and traditional instruction, leaving little room for innovation or digital experimentation. Even at Cambridge Regional College, where vocational training was more flexible, game-based learning had not yet entered mainstream education. Teachers lacked resources, research, and institutional support to explore gaming as a legitimate teaching method.

This stands in stark contrast to today’s classrooms, where research indicates that video games can have a positive impact on learning outcomes. For example, Checa-Romero and Gimenez-Lozano (2025) conducted a systematic review and found that commercial video games, when paired with metacognitive strategies, significantly improve academic and social competencies. They concluded that “commercial video games enrich academic and social aspects as well as the metacognitive level” (p. 2), highlighting how games stimulate reflection, planning, and self-regulation, skills that were rarely cultivated through traditional methods during my time in school.

Literacy and Multimodal Learning

The educational potential of video games extends beyond cognitive development into literacy and multimodal learning. Von Gillern and Nash (2024) analyzed 32 studies and found that both serious and entertainment games support a wide range of literacy practices, including reading comprehension, narrative construction, and critical analysis. Their review emphasized that “most articles supported the use of video games as effective ways to support students’ literacy learning and engagement” (p. 510). This immersive, text-rich environment was absent from my own schooling, where reading was confined to textbooks and worksheets, and storytelling rarely ventured beyond the confines of essays.

Design Principles for Learning Games

Today’s most effective educational games are built on design principles that promote exploration, agency, and authentic learning. Rosenheck (2021), a researcher at MIT’s Education Arcade, advocates for the use of “resonant games”, those that transcend gamification and encourage players to engage with real-world systems. He explains that “good games spark curiosity, provide hard fun, and help players make connections with real systems.” These principles guide educators in selecting games that align with pedagogical goals, a feature that was lacking in the rigid, test-driven curriculum I experienced in the UK between 1998 and 2010.

Classroom Applications Today

Games like Minecraft Education Edition, Kerbal Space Program, and Assassin’s Creed Discovery Tour are now used to teach subjects ranging from urban planning to orbital mechanics and ancient history. These immersive tools offer differentiated instruction and foster collaboration, something I never experienced in my own schooling. Had these tools been available during my time at Scaltback or Comberton, they could have transformed how we learned history, science, and even literacy. Instead of memorizing facts, we could have explored ancient civilizations, built virtual cities, or launched rockets, all while developing critical thinking and teamwork (Checa-Romero & Gimenez-Lozano, 2025; von Gillern & Nash, 2024).

Conclusion

The contrast between my educational experience and today’s game-based classrooms highlights how far we have come. What was once dismissed as frivolous is now embraced as transformative. For students today, learning is no longer confined to textbooks; it is interactive, immersive, and often powered by play. As research continues to evolve, educators must remain critical and creative in leveraging games for meaningful learning (Rosenheck, 2021; Checa-Romero & Gimenez-Lozano, 2025; von Gillern & Nash, 2024).

References

Ryan Hayden
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