▁to ▁design ▁lear ner - center ed ▁learning ▁environments ▁effectively , ▁trying ▁to ▁eng age ▁learn ers ▁more ▁in ▁the ▁learning ▁process . ▁Cla ims ▁have ▁been ▁made ▁that ▁online ▁games ▁have ▁the ▁potential ▁to ▁teach , ▁train ▁and ▁educ ate ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁effective ▁means ▁for ▁learning ▁skills ▁and ▁att itudes ▁that ▁are ▁not ▁so ▁easy ▁to ▁learn ▁by ▁ro te ▁memor ization . ▁ ▁There ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁research ▁done ▁in ▁ident ifying ▁the ▁learning ▁effect iveness ▁in ▁game ▁based ▁learning . ▁Lear ner ▁characteristics ▁and ▁cogn itive ▁learning ▁out comes ▁have ▁been ▁identified ▁as ▁the ▁key ▁factors ▁in ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁games ▁in ▁educational ▁settings . ▁In ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁learning ▁a ▁language ▁through ▁an ▁online ▁game , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁strong ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁lear ner ' s ▁prior ▁knowledge ▁of ▁that ▁language ▁and ▁their ▁cogn itive ▁learning ▁out comes . ▁For ▁the ▁people ▁with ▁prior ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁language , ▁the ▁learning ▁effect iveness ▁of ▁the ▁games ▁is ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁those ▁with ▁none ▁or ▁less ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁language . ▁ ▁Other ▁learning ▁theories ▁Other ▁learning ▁theories ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁developed ▁for ▁more ▁specific ▁purposes . ▁For ▁example , ▁and rag ogy ▁is ▁the ▁art ▁and ▁science ▁to ▁help ▁adult s ▁learn . ▁Connect iv ism ▁is ▁a ▁recent ▁theory ▁of ▁network ed ▁learning , ▁which ▁focus es ▁on ▁learning ▁as ▁making ▁connections . ▁The ▁Learning ▁as ▁a ▁Network ▁( La a N ) ▁theory ▁builds ▁upon ▁connect iv ism , ▁complexity ▁theory