Games in Education

Games in Education Reflection

Shelley Engelstone

Research on computer games in education has not been well established, yet the past few years more studies have been conducted. Researchers have not been as interested in the content of the games, but the characteristics that go along with playing these games. Games have evolved over the generations from being repetitive, to cognitive, to much more entertaining and interactive today. The article categorized seven different types of games: action, adventure, fighting, role-playing, simulation, sport, and strategy. Some fall into more than one genre, and some even include some of the characteristics of the first and second generation games.
Computer use for teenage boys and girls are the same in and out of school. However, boys are five times more likely to own a computer game system such as Super Nintendo and Genesis than girls. This was an amazing statistic, yet not surprising to me. 14-18 year olds spend more time playing computer games than 8-13 year olds. In a study of 3000 adolescents in Spain, 58% declare that they play computer games daily! In another study, gender differences do not influence interest, but do influence different lines of play or preferences. Girls tend to spend more time on details of decorating and physical aspects of people, while boys move right into the game and were impatient to begin the simulation.
Video games are useful instruments for learning when used in the right capacity. They emphasize spatial and dynamic imagery, and the need for the user to divide their attention across different locations on the screen. Studies have shown that iconic skills are increased more than verbal skills when playing many computer games. Researchers conclude that “games are powerful contexts for learning because they make it possible to create virtual worlds, and because acting in such worlds makes it possible to develop the situational understandings, effective social practices, powerful identity, shared values, and ways of thinking of important communities of practice (Shaffer, Squire, Halverson, and Gee, 2005, p. 7).
When teachers are able to incorporate video games into their classroom with a solid knowledge of this game, there can be many benefits to the students. These include: aiding the development of three dimensional images, developing learning through observation and hypothesis-testing, broadening the understanding of scientific simulations, and increasing strategies for parallel attention. Group strategies such as cooperative work and task-based learning are also benefits to using video games.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to video games, yet bringing them into the school setting can be very time consuming and take away from other essential learning areas. It’s best to encourage students to play outside of school and hone these skills at home.