A GAME BY ANY OTHER NAME: Just because a program is game-like doesn't make it fun. (And just because it touts itself as an "edu-game" doesn't mean it will help you learn.) Frank Catalano, author and consultant, slices through the murky fog of gamification, simulation, and (simply) games. He describes how they distinguish themselves from one another, as well as the "fuzzy continuum" where their characteristics overlap--something that can lead enthusiasts and educators to form wildly divergent expectations when they hear the term "learning game."
