Games have long been teaching skills to players without them necessarily realizing it. They teach problem solving, logical thinking, map reading skills, and improve hand eye coordination. Video games are already being implemented to help teach small children how to read and do math, but how can we increase the potential for knowledge in this new and exciting medium?
When I was a small child, I fondly remember my elementary school computer lab. It was my absolute favorite class. I loved booting up Oregon Trail or my super typing game that would shoot aliens out of the sky when I correctly spelled prompted words within the time limit. My fun would not stop when I left school. When I got home, I inserted my disk into my parents computer and loaded up a game where I traveled through the human body. I learned about organs, skeletal structures, and bacterial. I learned and had a blast while doing it.
Now that I am an adult, I see that the new trend in games is geared towards adults and teenagers. Most new games that release are glorious blood baths with 1080p resolution and little to no educational value with the plot of B movies. However, there are still gaming gems that promote new and creative ways of thinking, strategy, problem solving, and basic education.
The game Brain Age for the Nintendo DS was the herald for a new way to play and learn. You play this game by solving math problems, spacial puzzles, and wit. It teaches gamers while they have fun. Since the games release, Nintendo has been working harder to make games that have educational value. Professor Layton and the Curious Village is about solving a mystery by solving logic puzzles for various villagers. The plot does not move along until the player solves these puzzles. Legend of Zelda's dungeons are full of tricky puzzles and the player has to draw on and use their maps to save the day.
I don't know about video games. I mean you have some pretty significant experience, having played them for a good portion of your life. I will concede that playing games can be educational and that technology can be educational, but to bring up the age-old argument that video games help reflexes, or this newer one that Call of Duty can be a worthwhile use of time seems a bit far fetched. I will remain a skeptic until I see some solid evidence.
ReplyDeleteI believe that video games to the opposite of what your arguement leads to. My little brother is fifteen and my parents have had a lot of issues with him because of video games. He learned foul language, violence, and sexuality from videos. Overall, it consumed him and he became addicted to his video games. He kept himself locked in his room for days at a time because he did not want to leave his game. My best friend's little brother had an incident where he peed on himself because he did not want to get up from his game.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do see your point about educational video games, such as Oregon Trail, because I do remember playing that in elementary school. It was a fun way of learning about different things. Also, I remember playing the alien shooting game, but I do not believe it was important to my learning as a child.
Overall, I do not believe video games are a good way of educating children.