Games are a powerful tool for promoting student learning. They connect with young learners in an environment they find very familiar, and provide opportunities for exploration and inquiry. It is no surprise, then, that gaming is so closely aligned with the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.
For more information about gaming and its connection with learning:
Steven Johnson - Everything Bad Is Good For You
John Beck - Got Game
James Paul Gee - What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy
David Williamson Shaffer - How Computer Games Help Children Learn