What Classrooms Can Learn from Video Games

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What Classrooms Can Learn from Video Games

By Jason T. Rogers

I’m not a big gamer—not by a long shot. But I’ve always found games fascinating.

There’s something about how they pull people in. How they make failure feel okay. How they teach you something new without even feeling like you’re being taught. And honestly, I think classrooms have a lot to learn from that.

I recently watched a short video that explains this better than I ever could. It’s called “How Game Designers Protect Newbies” by Game Maker’s Toolkit. It’s less than ten minutes, and it’s packed with insights that go way beyond gaming.

Watch here → Game Maker’s Toolkit: How Game Designers Protect Newbies

Confidence First, Challenge Later

One of the biggest takeaways from the video is this: good games start by helping players feel confident. Not overwhelmed. Not lost. But capable.

In game design, this technique is sometimes called "fue strategies"—short for fun, understanding, and engagement. The idea is to give players a small, early win. Something that makes them feel like, "Yeah, I got this."

Then, once they’re in that mindset, you slowly start layering in more complexity.

And that’s where I think education needs to catch up.

Start Where Students Can Win

Think about a typical classroom. Too often, students sit down and are immediately hit with something hard. Something unfamiliar. And if that’s their first impression of the day? Most students shut down before they’ve even started.

But what if we flipped that?

What if the first five minutes of class always started with something students already know how to do? Something that gets them moving, responding, engaged—and most importantly, feeling capable.

Because confidence isn’t just a feeling. It’s fuel.
When students believe they can succeed, they’re more willing to try. To risk failure. To keep going when things get hard.

That’s what great games do so well. And that’s what great classrooms can do too.

The Power of Early Momentum

There’s a psychological shift that happens when you succeed at something early on. It doesn’t just affect how you feel—it affects how you approach everything that comes after.

That first win builds momentum. And momentum is what carries us through the harder parts of learning.

So instead of starting the day with "Here’s what you don’t know yet," maybe we start with "Here’s what you already know—and here’s how we’re going to build on that."

It’s a small shift. But it changes everything.

Learning Should Feel Like Progress

One more thing games do well? They celebrate progress—even the small stuff.
You don’t have to beat the boss to feel good. Sometimes, just reaching the next level or unlocking a new tool is enough to keep you going.

In school, we tend to overlook those moments. We wait until the test to say, "Good job." But by then, some students have already tuned out.

We need more moments of feedback. More signals that say, “You’re getting better. Keep going.”

Not just grades—but acknowledgment. Encouragement. Recognition of growth.

Learning Doesn’t Have to Feel Like Losing

I think the biggest reason people love games is because they can fail without feeling like a failure.

You mess up, you restart. You try again. You experiment. And somehow, it’s still fun. Still engaging. Still worth it.

That’s what I want learning to feel like.

Not pressure. Not fear. Not shame.
But a space where trying again is part of the journey—and where the early wins give students the courage to keep going.

So no, I’m not a gamer. But I’m paying attention. Because how we design experiences—whether in a game or a classroom—shapes how people engage, grow, and believe in themselves.

And if video games have figured out how to make people feel confident and capable within minutes…
then maybe it’s time education caught up.

Let’s keep learning forward.

Want help building a classroom activity based on this idea? Or turning this into a short teacher training session or workshop outline? I’d be glad to sketch that out with you.



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