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| Call of Duty Elite (photo from GameBeat) |
For a while now I’ve been wanting to know if there were any educational benefits that children are getting from playing real-time strategic/action based video games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Combat Mission, etc. I know that the media has reported heavily on how violent and graphic these games are and how they are negatively impacting the mental state of children. Yes I will be the first to say that these games do tend to have some level of violence, graphic language and images. However I do think most of these games are rated for mature audience and parents would have to be more proactive to ensure that their child is ready for these types of games
Yet again my posting is not on the argument of how violent and/or inappropriate one may think these games are for children. My posting is to shed light on the potential learning skills that students are or can gain from playing real-time strategic/action based video games. An article Pay2Play: The Virtual Classroom from Yale Daily News by Ava Kofman helps to answer my curiosity. Strategy/action games are mostly based on the players trying to complete a mission, working together as a team, and most importantly trying to stay alive. Such games causes the players to be more alert, think more analytical, become better listeners, take on various teamwork roles, etc. “Games present an “intriguing model of learning” as a way of aiding individuals in their academic studies through providing instant feedback on performance and [presenting] challenges that are precisely tailored to the player’s ability.” (Kofman, 2011.
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Gillian Laub for The New York Times
Class Media Nicole Dodson, Dakota Jerome Solbakken
and Nadine Clements, students at Quest to Learn,
a New York City public school, play a game they designed
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This innovative form of using technology is proving to have such positive usefulness that Yale School of Medicine, doctors, video game designers, and community organizations have partnered together to create Play2Prevent, which is a research initiative focus on creating a video game to help educate students about HIV/AIDS. According to Play2Prevent “Video games possess several advantages as a method of delivering educational information. They are engaging, they allow the player to repeatedly practice or rehearse a new skill, and they are transportable -- traveling with the player via mobile device.”(Kofman, 2011).
Developing and using video game to stimulate realistic situations can be seen as a much more practical and probably beneficial learning aid than a textbook or a teacher lecturing. I’m not advocating for textbooks or teachers to be replace by video games. I’m just trying to introduce a new perspective on how video games can and does dramatically enhance the learning process. Like all enjoyable past-time activities, things are to be done in moderation. If video games are to be used to aid in developing vital learning skills, then educators have to become more active in highlighting the benefits and monitoring the impact gaming will have on their students learning development.
Kofman, A. (2011). Pay2Play: The virtual classroom. Yale Daily News. http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/nov/11/pay2play-virtual-classroom/
Developing and using video game to stimulate realistic situations can be seen as a much more practical and probably beneficial learning aid than a textbook or a teacher lecturing. I’m not advocating for textbooks or teachers to be replace by video games. I’m just trying to introduce a new perspective on how video games can and does dramatically enhance the learning process. Like all enjoyable past-time activities, things are to be done in moderation. If video games are to be used to aid in developing vital learning skills, then educators have to become more active in highlighting the benefits and monitoring the impact gaming will have on their students learning development.
Kofman, A. (2011). Pay2Play: The virtual classroom. Yale Daily News. http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2011/nov/11/pay2play-virtual-classroom/
Video games, the perfect way to motivate today's students. =) I too have wondered the benefit of video games and children's learning. I've read articles and studies with pros and cons towards both.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that I can say is when I'm covered vocabulary with my 4th graders I've had more than one of them know what higher level words meant because the were in games that they had played. I thought this was interesting as both of these kids are ones that don't pick up a book without being forced to do so.
Anyhow, I think that I'll continue to read about this monitor the results of studies being done and see how it plays out. If nothing else, I think having kids learn how to design and make them could set many up for a successful career in their futures. That's not a bad thing at all.
First off, I like your posts but reading white on a black screen for any length of time hurts my eyes you should consider changing your text to grey or some other muted color or your background.
ReplyDeleteNow as for video games. I am a fan. I think for elementary and even middle school game developers could really benefit from making games that can teach kids; especially history. At the high school level it might be a little more difficult but if it is well done you can be assured that high school kids could learn from it. In fact one of the AP Euro test takers at our school said that alot of facts from the Renaissance that he remembered showed up on the test, proof for sure.
My only concern would be that the pace of learning might be slower than that of the classroom teacher and for that reason I think games could be made to reinforce learning instead of teaching the subject matter itself. I think online competition would be good too as students like competitive games such as Words with Friends, Temple Run, and all the Facebook games. There is an article in Wired magazine that refers to the genius of such games, so why cant we develop and use these in our classrooms.
Anyway, good post! And change your background, it is killing me. :)
I am a big supporter of educational games. My son learns better this way. He has a lead pad, and there are games that focus on things like dental hygiene. I wonder what the theme or storyline for the HIV/Aids game would be.
ReplyDeleteI am also curious as to how you think videos games promote teamwork. Are these games where people are playing with each other, or is it solitary and a person has to figure out what the game wants on his own? Most of the teenagers that I know who heavily play video games do so to avoid interaction with actual people. Do you have any suggestions for students like this?
Some of these game have students working together on a team to complete a task or mission.
DeleteIt depends on the game that will allow the student to play by themselves, but to my knowledge a lot of people that play online games are usually playing against someone and/or working with someone on a team. Call of Duty is a great example of this. Players pair up on teams and play against each other to win a mission...