Fold It! Serious Games Changing the World

On September 18, 2011, a startling scientific breakthrough was reported in the rather esoteric journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.  The article announced that the structure of the M-PMV protein, a key enzyme that allows the HIVvirus to multiply and grow into AIDS, had been discovered.  According to researchers, this discovery could lead to treatments and possibly a cure for AIDS.

What was truly startling about the article, though, was how the protein structure was discovered.  Scientists, engineers and automated computer programs had worked to determine the M-PMV structure for almost a decade with no success.  The researchers, feeling that they had exhausted what traditional science could offer, decided to reach outside of the scientific community.  They enlisted the help of a global network of gamers involved in the protein folding game known as Fold It!  It took the gamers only three weeks to solve the puzzle even though most had no background in biochemistry!

I first heard about Fold It! when reading Jane McGonigal's book, Reality Is Broken.  It was one of many examples of socially important, serious games.  In her book, McGonigal proposed that the same principles that game designers use to elicit maximum concentration and engagement in players could be applied to solving some of the world's most complex and perplexing problems.  The success of Fold It! certainly gives credence to her thesis.

So why were the gamers successful when the experts were not?  There are a number of possible reasons.  First, there were thousands of them working to solve the problem.  They were highly engaged because they were doing something they enjoyed, solving puzzles, and they were working on something that they viewed as "bigger than themselves."  Finally, they weren't experts!  Thus, they were not constrained by years of professional dogma and assumptions.

The M-PMV success story serves as only one example of how things are changing in the way the world approaches problems and determines success.  This has enormous implications for education.  The world no longer looks upon a diploma or degree as the ultimate indicator of competence.  Sometimes the most difficult problems can only be solved by "citizen scientists" whose enthusiasm, naivete and special skills make them best suited for a particular challenge.  In short, people willing to think "outside the box."

Many educators today are beginning to integrate games and game theory into their instruction.  In so doing, they hope to achieve the same level of engagement, concentration and commitment that the players of Fold It! exhibited.  This may not only enhance their students' learning, but also prepare them to play a vital role in changing the world.