The main idea of this article is that we need to change our teaching methods to enhance the skills that future citizens will need in a digital society. Children and young people are introduced to the virtual world via videogames, and the ways that they interact with technology may be changing ways of learning
and the production of knowledge. Engagement and motivation are interesting benefits of the use of games but they are not enough for educational purposes. Like books and movies, videogames can be used in many ways. The content of a game can produce a simplification of reality, and a lot of games are based on violent and misogynistic themes. For this reason, many critics suggest that what people learn from playing videogames is not always desirable.
However, the design of a learning environment built on the educational properties of games can be an appropriate way to improve learning. Digital games are user-centred; they can promote challenges, co-operation, engagement, and the development of problem-solving strategies.
This paper is divided into five parts. First, we give a brief introduction of rel- evant research. The second part discusses the evolution of videogames. The third part focuses on research on the use of videogames in education. After this we discuss approaches to introducing games into formal education. Finally, some problems and challenges are discussed.