When Gamers Cheat BIG!
September 27th, 2006 by Christopher HarrisSomeone brought up a question in a workshop I was leading a while back. Why, they asked, if games are such powerful learning tools and if the Army uses gaming so effectively to teach soldiers…then why are we having so many problems?
One part of the answer, according to some, is because the Army cheated when playing some of their games. The Millennium Challenge of 2002 was a really big game – about $250 million – that pitted the might of the United States’ massive technology and intelligence power against a less structured opponent. Instead of attempting to match the US forces in a “fair fight” the opposition forces used guerilla tactics and “sneaker net” communication to overwhelm and ignore the technological advantage. Instead of learning from their defeat, however, the US forces decided to “refloat” their navy and change the rules.
One of the most powerful aspects of game-based learning is the ability of the player to learn through repeated attempts that build upon successes and avoid repeated failures. When you cheat at a game, it may be more fun in the short term but it will certainly impair your long-term learning.