While I have opted to work with board games because they are easily modified and widely available, I believe some of the most effective work in educational gaming has come in the form of electronic media. I grew up in a generation in which kids eagerly awaited time in the computer lab so that they could play old educational games like The Oregon Trail or Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Looking back, these games taught me a great deal about history and geography, respectively, but the important thing was that they were games, and that got me excited.
In general, educational games today have lost the sense of play that made these older games exciting. They're often the digital equivalent of a lecture, at least in terms of engagement. But Persuasive Games, founded by Georgia Institute of Technology professor Ian Bogost, creates educational (or at least informative) games that strive to maintain the sense of play that many educational games have lost. These games have goals and positive feedback loops, essential to the game experience, but they seek to inform as well. The topics range from Killer Flu, a game that teaches players about the spread of disease to Take Back Illinois, a GOP-funded game about the political issues that party considers important, to Project Connect, which is offers a primer in communication technology in game form. Lots of companies are trying to make educational tools that are also effective as games, but Persuasive Games offers some of the most interesting options, even when they fail.
