The most important things about 'gamifying' education

 
There's been a chasm between games for "edutainment" and entertainment. Educational games' primary focus is to educate, and can leave the player with a feeling of being smacked in the face with a lesson plan. Entertaining games can sometimes leave players feeling flat once they're done, as they haven't necessarily bettered themselves in some way.

Video games can utilize tangential learning to both engage and educate. When one exposes an audience to topics it's already interested in, it will often choose to "self educate" and seek out new information.

Tangential learning can both be subtle and obvious. It's all about smoothly integrating it into the narrative of the game by picking the right moments and opportunities. Done this way, the gaming experience can be enhanced with learning while still being fun.

By exposing players to new concepts, designers can lay the groundwork for new learning. This idea makes sense, and is perhaps one of the reasons Assassin's Creed and Mass Effect - two games I love - have been immensely popular. When I play these games I have fun, but I also learn, so the time spent playing doesn't necessarily feel "wasted."