Game On!

"An interesting and well-informed book grounded in academic practice, Game On! will make a substantial contribution to today's discussion of education, technology, and gaming. The case studies at the heart of Bell's book offer a rich example of how to conceive of gamification, how to implement it, and how to revise, support, and asses this pedagogical approach."

"Game On! speaks to our need to engage and inspire learners using technologies and emergent theories of teaching and learning. Digital natives are arriving on our campus now and they will engage and learn in ways far different than their predecessors. The book further points to ways we can better engage and support our at-risk students and should encourage rich discussion on every campus. As Bell notes, fear of failure is an unproductive sentiment."

"In Game On!, Kevin Bell leads us on a personal quest to uncover key relationships between engagement and gamification. His enlightened search for a more engaging educational future leads him to a series of people, projects, and gaming participants who offer insights and advice toward a better understanding of gaming principles that can address the pressing learning needs and problems of today as well as the coming decade."

"In analyzing and qualifying what makes great games engaging, Bell has shown how instructors can assimilate some of these elements into their instruction. The case studies show how creative teachers can motivate and engage students and provide exciting ideas for further experimentation. Game On!, indeed."

"Instructors would do well to consider the key tenets of successful games if they are to engage and graduate the coming generations of learners. Bell’s careful analysis of the theories behind gamification, cognitive science, and instructional design will help them to do just that."

"The intention of the book is to enable practitioners to gamify, explaining in concise but authoritative detail the nature of gamification concepts, and how they function in practice with established principles of pedagogy. However, this does not mean that Game On! is solely applicable to the 'inclass' practitioner. With quantitative elements as well, a focus on students' experiences, and bullet point summaries, gamification is viewed with the kind of practical big-picture thinking crucial to university and academic leadership when considering the risks and rewards of innovation and large-scale implementation."