03/14/2026
Something that Brightened my day today:
This article just got published:
Tabletop Board Games to Teach the Literature of Climate Change
Here's what it says about my work:
The scholarly framework provided by Katrin Becker is essential for conducting the structured analysis necessary to deploy or design serious games and for moving beyond anecdotal observation to predictive evaluation. Becker systematizes game content into three layers: the Operational component (learning controls/mechanics), the Educational component (the critical piece tied to formal learning objectives), and the Discretionary component (elements like humor and trivia). This layered analysis can help ensure that students’ games serve as more than an interactive worksheet. The Discretionary component especially provides a necessary motivational counterbalance against games that might otherwise be far too grim due to serious subject matter. By evaluating these layers, instructors can do quality control to make sure that games offer a sound instructional design that engages students without trivializing or overwhelming them with the gravity of the climate crisis....
The scholarship on serious game studies (e.g., Becker; Miller; Plass, Homer, and Kinzer) distinguishes four related concepts that inform how game elements manifest in the classroom: gamification, gameful learning, GBL, and GDL.5 Although these distinctions may not be crucial, highlighting and understanding them remains important when articulating specific pedagogical goals. Becker’s Choosing and Using Digital Games in the Classroom helpfully describes many pedagogical strategies and terminology. Each approach carries its own implications for how learning is structured and experienced; recognizing their specific characteristics can lead to more intentional and effective educational design.
This comes from the book I published:
Becker Katrin. Choosing and Using Digital Games in the Classroom: A Practical Guide. Springer, 2016.
This book presents an in-depth overview of the uses of digital games in education, from K-12 up through post-secondary. Beginning with a look at the history of games in education and the context for digital games, this book guides readers through various methods of serious game implementation, in...
