Video Games in Education
As someone who has a love for video games and computer games, it is easy to understand how video games can be a great tool for the teaching. Brilliant T, D., Nouchi, R., & Kawashima, R. (2019)“Video gaming, the experience of playing electronic games, has shown several benefits for human health.” Video games that are learner focused can assist in student interactivity. Puzzles, role-playing and sport games can be designed to inspire knowledge driven entertainment for learners.
There have been many studies in the distinction of what influence video games can have on the brain and what factors attribute to this. Brilliant T, D., Nouchi, R., & Kawashima, R. (2019)“The systematic review has several conclusions related to beneficial effects of noncognitive-based video games. First, noncognitive-based video gaming can be used in all age categories as a means to improve the brain.”
Video games can have the positive effect of enhancing the brain’s ability to adapt and change according to scenarios being faced. Allowing for learners to overcome puzzles or difficult bosses and enemies, providing rich stories that can be emotional and human natured for more relatable learning experience. The actions being made within gaming can alter the economic effects and conditions in the game which in turn can be relatable in the real world.
They’re diverse worlds already built out within video games that mimic real world locations and time periods. These games allow for geographical and historical accuracy that can be demonstrated in real time and with the addition of virtual reality haptic feedback they can feel physically interactable.
Setting Clear Learning Goals
Playing video games that are focused on information processing, attention span or scenario adaption.
Providing a clear understanding to how well we can test or even asses the benefits of gaming. What some would consider a waste of time shooting down aliens or becoming a powerful hero, learners are increasing their levels of cognition and understanding requirements to succeed. If we combine math and shooting down aliens by multiplying the required amount of damage across a given set of actions. We’re improving the individual’s ability to demonstrate mathematical knowledge under pressure or constraints.
A learner’s ability to continuously become better at any given task over time through regular gameplay demonstrates mental growth and the importance of video games in any learner centric environment. Not all video games are focused towards learning and are designed for educational use. Green, C. S., & Seitz, A. R. (2015)“The scientific research to date indicates that some, but not all, commercial video games do indeed have the potential to cause large-scale changes in a wide variety of aspects of human behavior, including the focus of this review—cognitive abilities.”
Video games are an important part of our generational culture and have become much more accessible and affordable. The overall significance of video games goes far beyond learning and teaching. They can both positively and negatively drive emotions, interests and behavior. But as we’re constantly learning how the brain works, we can focus and associate gaming in learning to enhance the most positive cognitive results.
How Video Games Can Build Social Skills
Video games can be considered as a non-social approach to teaching. But there will always be someone who enjoys playing video games as much as you do and or shares an equal interest in gaming.
Video games are a popular medium for many children and adults. that can be used to build fundamental social skills. Pang, Y. (2010) “Lego is a perfect material for play therapy that aims to increase social interaction among young children with and without disabilities because Lego does not demand a lot of verbal communication nor does it have a specific rule as opposed to other team games such as duck, duck, goose.”
by designing and implementing a system that benefits our learners through videogames, we as educators can engage and take learning to a new level where the learners’ abilities such as strong thinking and adaption skills can be focused into problem solving scenarios.
By engaging in social activities such as collaborative gaming, group or team discussions and participating in any learner engagements. We’re building social skills through gaming activities.
These activities are also a great way to gauge how well learners will engage with other people. Such as family members, friends and anyone they could come in contact with throughout the day. This is important because a learner’s well-being also depends on how they’re interacting socially.
Reference:
Brilliant T, D., Nouchi, R., & Kawashima, R. (2019). Does video gaming have impacts on the brain: Evidence from a systematic review. Brain sciences, 9(10), 251.
Pang, Y. (2010). Lego games help young children with autism develop social skills. International journal of education, 2(2), 1.
Green, C. S., & Seitz, A. R. (2015). The impacts of video games on cognition (and how the government can guide the industry). Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(1), 101-110.
Video games in education. YouTube. (2021, July 30). Retrieved May 21, 2022, from https://youtu.be/c5AN0JDmQY4
How Video games can enhance learner capabilities
Motivation to learn is promoted when learners believe they can succeed in mastering the learning task.
Richards (2022) writes video games can have the positive effect of enhancing the brain’s ability to adapt and change according to scenarios being faced. They allow for learners to overcome puzzles or difficult bosses and enemies, providing rich stories that can be emotional and human natured for more relatable learning experience (Richards, 2022). Cuervo-Cely, Restrepo-Calle, and Ramírez-Echeverry (2022) found that students felt authentic desires to learn, had greater self-confidence to approach the learning tasks, and had better expectations to achieve their learning goals in the subject.
In thinking of how students in my class were much…
How Video games can enhance learner capabilities!
Spark Interest
Attention could be obtained either by perceptual arousal or by inquiry arousal. Robert and John said in their book that motivation to learn is promoted when a learner's curiosity is aroused. Perceptual arousal meaning that the learners' attention would be gained by surprise, doubt or disbelief. Inquiry arousal means that the learners' curiosity would be stimulated by challenging problems that needed to be solved. One method to grab and hold the learners' attention can be through gaming. Through games, learners are encouraged to become active participants in the learning process. Gaming can also be a stress reliever, even though you may think your playing for your enjoyment it can also be…
Carla Ingram
March 8, 2023
Third learning principle: Curiosity Killed the Cat
In the case study for How Video Games Can Enhance Learner Capabilities! the learning principle that I found interesting was that curiosity can be created in students by introducing video games into the learning tasks. These games were used to create more passion to learn and develop many different skill sets at all levels of learning. The video that was included addressed video games used in elementary and secondary schools, but also in Universities such as Harvard. Ktrichards argues that “First, noncognitive-based video gaming can be used in all age categories as a means to improve the brain.” Kids and adults think they are taking a break…
Greetings ktrichards,
Satisfaction Guaranteed:
The satisfaction of beating a boss or simply making it through a level of a challenging game speaks directly to the principal of volition and motivation. Some games are directed towards entertainment while others connect directly to learning outcomes. As an educator there are several ways to take advantage of what video games have to offer in the way of motivating a student. Using a game to reward a student is one option. If the student has completed their homework or in class assignment, then giving them the opportunity to play a level of a game can incentivize them to continue completing their work on time. Another way to use a game to give learners an…
Blog: How Video Games Can Enhance Learner Capabilities!
By K. T. Richards May 21, 2022
Link: https://drdeason.wixsite.com/201911-blog-idt520/post/how-video-games-can-enhance-learner-capabilities
Meaningfulness and goals
Of the five principles of motivation and volition by Reiser & Dempsey (2018), the student needs to know the reason for incorporating video games into the learning process. Gaming for fun with an academic goal can enhance the learning process by allowing students to participate in an activity they are passionate about while hiding learning concepts within the game. This is like moms hiding vegetables in other food so their children eat them. Games do not have to be created but can be commercially bought. Lee (2021) states that “a commercial game could orient learners towards some disciplinary ideas, an…