video games can be educational essay

video games can be educational essay

The Educational Value of Video Games: An In-Depth Analysis

1. Introduction to the Educational Potential of Video Games

In this article, we’ll deconstruct video games in general and show that the use of video games in learning is rooted deeply in basic educational research principles. Based upon an analysis of the learning process, we may propose a set of principles for making educational video games. From these principles, we apply gameplay to one of today’s popular educational problems: teaching mathematics to students. We have developed a video game solution to help students, and we evaluate its effectiveness by monitoring the learning that takes place while a student is using the display. The overall theme of this article is that the use of video games in education is unappreciated and under-researched. Video games teach better than many traditional methods because they motivate students to learn. Of course, students engage in learning beneficial to the game, but they also retain the information longer than from traditional methods of instruction.

Surely, by now, you have heard that video games benefit schools and other educational institutions by using technology to enhance the learning process. This idea has been frequently proclaimed by video game supporters, but are claims that video games are educational actually correct, and if so, can they be considered a quality supplement to a child’s learning? Perhaps more importantly, is learning with the help of technology at the expense of other classical educational activities? As children grow older, they spend a greater proportion of their time at work and have less time for playing outside. Doesn’t screen time, in general, and video games in particular, contribute to the growing obesity epidemic among children, and shouldn’t we address this problem before we reinstitute PE and decrease reliance on computer-based education? Whatever the drawbacks, it doesn’t seem that the increase in virtual education will stop anytime soon. The main force that seems to be driving this process is the fact that students have access to the video game solutions. With a decrease in textbook-driven learning comes a trend of reducing student motivation in traditional learning styles and tools.

2. Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games

Major video game researchers reveal that there are many “transfer” effects from video game playing. In other words, there are several positive benefits that individuals derive from playing video games and they are not limited to the games themselves. For example, playing games such as SimCity and RollerCoaster increase one’s proficiency in math and use of computer. Some other video games such as Cutthroats cultivate the ability to think strategically. Additionally, others like Tetris enhance one’s ability to think in three dimensions. Another positive effect that comes from spatial games like Doom and Quake III involve increasing the ability of children to develop and mentally rotate 3-D objects. It is interesting to know that playing the games even for a brief period of time results in these benefits.

Cognitive abilities can be defined as higher intellectual abilities such as reasoning, analysis, estimation, and synthesis. Many novel studies have been carried out in the recent past, and one thing that the scientific community now agrees on is that playing video games, specifically the right video game, has a positive effect on various cognitive abilities. Stephen Johnson in his book, “Everything Bad is Good for You”, believes that video games require problem-solving, pattern recognition, and abstract thinking and are thus making the world smarter. Video games actually give people a chance to practice their problem-solving abilities around hypothetical problems, something that real life does not provide.

3. Social and Emotional Learning Through Gaming

This pedagogical insight is designed into Super Mario Bros., which may be beaten quickly, but never too quickly, nor too easily, and then never in the same way twice, nor exactly for the same reason each time. The feedback loop—from idea, to action, to feedback—is what conditions a human being to use a tool or weapon so that it can provide its intended result. And what work in the world does not need this kind of thought behind it, and will not tend to wither and fail miserably without it? Not to withhold responsibility from television, film, stage performances, or internet content, but what games ask is not how to behave in an unthinkable craze, but whether that unthinkable craze can be thought and be meant for anything different, or more, and how. Indeed, it is common for players to become very upset when a typically exciting reward is suddenly given at the beginning of a challenge, effectively “killing the fun,” and discouraging any further attempt to compete.

Gaming may easily be discredited as a way to develop positive social and emotional traits. But as educators, parents, and game makers, to what would we turn to foster, say, creativity if not our most popular creative media platform (referring to IP or licenses and their spin-offs, e.g., the billion-dollar-grossing movies made from game franchises)? More than that, the successful game always avoids the pitfall called “parecon’s axiom,” or the rule which stupid characters, situations or explanations cannot be given to build a story. Children recognize this easily, and grow to despise the works that fall into this trap, regardless of their educational or aesthetic value.

4. Practical Applications of Video Games in Education

Games have a very tight feedback loop, critical to their success. Imagine a real-world skill that you have, one that distinguishes yourself from a video game newbie – the skill of walking, for example. Hundreds of subconscious calculations must be performed to walk safely across a room. Balancing muscles must be made to counteract imbalances, an arm extends to catch yourself on the desk, and a quick decision is made to allow the mailman to finish ringing the bell. You walk across the room, feeling confident and competent. Now, limit that information. Close your eyes, and with the same fluid stride, make it to the other side of the room. You might make it, but the odds are high that you miss something, or someone feels distracted as you struggle. You are less confident, less competent with the task. This metaphor comes from Jane McGonigal; she uses the metaphor to illustrate how challenging tasks are more enjoyable to the player.

Imagine we wanted to apply beneficial educational properties found in games, such as meaningful learning experiences or the development of specific skills. To do this, the structure of the games themselves must change. Game developers aren’t trying to make the players knowledgeable about the inner workings of a zombie apocalypse or the best strategy of conquering a fictional galaxy. Instead, an immersive world is crafted and the player is simply placed into this universe; anything less would fail to generate emotional connections from the participants. We propose to shift this perspective – that with an increase in the educational content, the player will still have a level of immersion and emotional response similar to other, more traditional games. This shift couldn’t come at a more appropriate moment – the field of education is actively revolting against the traditional methods of textbook memorization in favor of interactive, connected learning experiences. What are so strict about the rules that make games what they are?

5. Conclusion: Embracing the Educational Power of Video Games

Educators need to come to terms with the fact that many of our young people learn from popular digital culture as well as through traditional curriculum materials. In fact, it is often the interactive process involved in virtual worlds that embraces the central tenets of constructivism. This suggests that computer games can serve as a particularly powerful pedagogical tool. Integrating the resources and facilities provided by computer games into digital media production is a valuable point on the educational agenda. Standard Itemized Curriculum Package ICT Integration of Enhancing Educational Value of Computer Games.

To summarise, video games can create an enriching environment where learning can occur. Games offer the opportunity to support students in engaging and creating meaning through interaction in the virtual world. The educational essence of computer games is evident when they are integrated into the curriculum, as teachers engage students in exploratory learning to discover the structure and rules of the domain being covered. This development can be supported through effective integration. When video games are integrated into the school curriculum in a considered manner, they can be a powerful tool for engaging students in deep learning through exploration and discovery, and supporting the development of students’ higher-order thinking skills.