Video games should be used to assist with education. While video games are often not considered valid as educational resources, there is no question that they have a unique ability to engage children and teenagers. This means that they can be used to improve education, and there are a number of ways in which this can be done.
Video games have merit as educational tools. They are interactive, which engages young children in a way that passive learning cannot. Games mimic how young children learn about the world because of this interactivity.
In one study on the use of games in 1st and 2nd grades, it was found that games can help improve students' learning of math, reading comprehension and spelling. There is increased motivation for the students because of the game situation, and there were improvements in classroom dynamics as well. This indicates that for younger students in particular, games are an effective way to help them to learn quickly, because they do not feel that they are studying.
Slide 4: There is also an argument that can be made that video games teach children how to solve complex problems. Most gamers prefer long, complex games where problem solving and perseverance are key to...
There is an argument that with a well-designed game, important life skills can be learned. This opens the door for the possibility of developing an academic game that can last the entire school year, allowing students to build on their knowledge.
Slide 5: Video games can also be an effective tool for reaching students who are not responding to a traditional education program. It has been argued that gaming can reduce the need of the education system to organize school life around social control, and steer it more towards results. For struggling students in particular, games offer a different approach to learning. For students who do well in the classroom, however, video games are often not seen as legitimate educational tools and such students often get frustrated with their use in classrooms.
Slide 6: Even if video games are not used in the classroom, there are some lessons that the educational system can take away from video games. The popularity and high engagement levels for video games among children and teenagers provides an opportunity for educators to learn about the best ways to engage this audience. Engagement strategies of popular video…
