Problem Solving!

Problem Solving!




Problem solving is yet another way games succeed in motivating a player to learn. Video games offer what Gee (2004) refers to as “well ordered problems” (page 19). Most games start out with training or introduction that teaches the player the basic mechanics of the game, for example, teaches a player how to walk, jump, and hit things. The game then moves to allow the player to practice the skills they have just learned, asking the player to apply these moves. The player must jump on a rock, walk to a box, and hit it to open. To move to the next level of learning, the player must be able to make assumptions on when to use these skills they have just learned.
Another of Gee’s (2004) principles of problem solving is “on-demand, or “just in time” information. In a game a player reads a sign, or learns a skill just before they must use it to complete a task. Players gain a sense of satisfaction as they become proficient at skills.

Examples of Problem Solving in Games:
• Murder Mystery
• Scavenger Hunt
• Puzzle solving
• Experiement