This article discusses the ways that tasks and classroom cultures can be supported through the
design of online immersive games. The authors focus on a mathematics unit in which students
become statisticians who must understand the contextual implications of using particular math-
ematical tools in analyzing different data sets and reflect on what their tool choice reveals about practical situations. Through these designs, the goal is to illuminate four types of engagement:
procedural, conceptual, consequential, and critical. These new opportunities to learn and to experience the consequences of decisions have the potential to change the way that students experience school. Rather than simply complying with school practices because they are important, such curricula can create opportunities for students to truly appreciate what they are doing, and why.
Gresalfi, M., & Barab, S. A. (2011). Learning for a reason: Supporting forms of engagement by designing tasks and orchestrating environments. Theory into Practice 50(4), 300-310.
About Sasha A. Barab PhD
Sasha Barab is a Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University, where he co-founded and serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Games and Impact.
Dr. Barab is an internationally recognized Learning Scientist who holds the Pinnacle West Chair of Education, and who has researched, designed, and published extensively on the challenges and opportunities of using games for impact.
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