Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning - Blog Book Tour

Welcome to the eleventh stop on the Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning blog book tour. For the past two weeks, the author, Dr. Karl Kapp, has been facilitating a tour of 15 different blogs (see scheduled stops) each contributing their own perspectives on the book.

At first glance, some may think this is just another book praising the potentials that serious games and other technologies offer in learning situations. However, Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning incorporates a fundamental issue that is bigger than just using games in learning...namely, the issue of the retiring Boomer generation and the impact on organizational knowledge. No doubt, the issue of the retiring Boomer generation has received a lot of attention. Articles, such as those found at The Oakland Tribune and CIO, touch on the issue of Boomers taking an entire generation of knowledge with them once they retire. Even articles indicating that many Boomers will continue to work well into retirement (i.e. CNN) recognize that Boomers will most likely be working in a field with "more purpose".

Unfortunately, I think the media has caused such a scare that organizations are focusing on trying not to lose knowledge (0r limiting the losses) instead of focusing on how they can use this time to become a more effective business. One of the great things about Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning is that Karl Kapp does not focus on trying to limit the amount of knowledge loss caused by retiring Boomers, but rather views this as a strategic opportunity for organizations to become more effective in how knowledge is transferred, shared, and used in order to become more successful...a classic "glass half-empty" vs. "half-full" case.

Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning looks at the group (Gamers) who will be filling the void from the departing Boomers. Karl begins the book by debunking the common myths surrounding Gamers and begins to address the educational value that games have. An example of how he shows the differences between Gamers and Boomers that particularly stuck out in my mind is:

"...incoming gamers have grown up in a vastly different world than the boomers did. Gamers have different ideas about connectivity, reporting hierarchies, learning, and communication, all forged while playing games, manipulating gadgets, and surfing the web."

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows that I am finishing up writing my dissertation, and I can say that this book helped me strengthen the argument in my dissertation. I've cited it over a dozen times in my dissertation. Although it's great for helping write dissertations, the book is useful for designers through C-level executives to help transfer knowledge from Boomers to Gamers.

The bottom line is that Gadgets, Games, and Gizmos for Learning belongs in the library of anyone who is interested in organizational knowledge, performance improvement, and learning design. This is not just a book for those interested in serious games. I highly recommend this book for any organization (corporate, academia, government, etc.) who either has retiring Boomers or incoming Gamers...which pretty much covers every organization. To order a copy of the book, please visit Amazon or Pfeiffer.