From Gamification to Touch Interfaces: Designing for 21st Century Learners - Jeff D. Borden, EDUCAUSE Review Online

The proven efficacy of games in helping students learn has yet to fully surmount skeptical attitudes among educators, but the motivational aspects of games are enticing, as are the futuristic apps and cross-cultural connections that new devices make possible. Anyone who has read Carol Dweck's Mindset would tell you that learning via intrinsic motivation trumps external motivation — always. Well-constructed games seem to provide just that. And what about a safe place to fail? What is the penalty for failure in school? How many chances do students typically receive? How many faculty members still see failure as a "weeding out" of the weak or unmotivated? Games can offer many lessons for educators. http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/gamification-touch-interfaces-designing-21st-century-learners