Games in Learning: Shedding Light on a Problematic Taxonomy

The use of games as tools for learning has been a paradigm of great interest for over fifty years. Several terms have emerged to describe disciplines that study and apply this paradigm. Many of these terms may be synonymous or have overlapping uses or have multiple definitions within different disciplines. The literature was surveyed for the definitions terms relating to this paradigm. Their working definitions and relationships are discussed. Through both a survey of the literature and a novel variant of sorting activity, the Item Definition Semantic Sort (IDSS). It is shown that individual item definitions do not semantically cluster together by corresponding term. This indicates both a lack of consensus on terms’ definitions, and of clarity between terms. The umbrella term Games in Learning (GiL) is coined to integrate the disciplines and products within this design paradigm. Games in Learning is defined, “Research and work involving the use of games, in whole or in part, as tools to improve motivation, engagement, and/or understanding in learning”. The rationale for the term is elaborated, and the major functional divisions found within.