Video games are often overlooked as an educational tool for children. Educators tend to focus on the negative aspects associated with video games instead of the positive aspects that could be utilized in the classroom. By focusing on the positive aspects, educators could learn that implementing video games into a classroom might have a positive effect on children and the manner in which they learn. Video games allow children to have a more interactive way of learning and can be implemented in the classroom effortlessly. Video games are an untapped source when it comes to education and if implemented, could allow for children to learn in a new and exciting manner. The first point to consider when deciding whether or not to implement video games in the classroom is the positive and negative aspects it could have. There are many aspects that a video game can have on an individual, especially a child. Educators fail to notice that there are many positives to be seen. One positive is the ability for a video game to allow a player to achieve goals that have been placed strategically throughout the game by designers (Squire 49-50). By playing a game, the player has the ability to foster a new environment, and this ability can and should be looked at by educators in a manner in which they can manipulate a game and aid students to learn in a different manner. A second positive is the interaction, or possibility for interaction among players (Squire 50-51). This is a positive because it would allow children to interact with others not only in their classroom but also with children from other schools. Video games have been given a bad reputation due to their sometimes violent nature. However, what is often overlooked are the video games that exist which are more educational. As educators become more familiar with the options that are available, it could lead to video games being looked at much more seriously. As we have already learned, video games are able to be a positive aspect of a child’s educational experience. This is because it helps to keep their attention, which could help to improve grades and test scores if utilized appropriately. Educators ultimately need to become more willing to allow these tools to be used in the classroom and use them to their advantage. Rather than believing that video games are a bad influence for children, they should be looked at as a positive learning tool.
... games do have an important and distinct impact on the psychological development of children. Some of the positive effects of social, educational, cognitive, and physical uptake are substantial and far outweigh the occasional negative showing of aggression and lethargic behavior. As with all things, the situation and content should always be considered, especially in the developing stages of young minds. With the landscape of the video game industry changing year-by-year, there are constantly more dimensions of this puzzle needing to be assessed. However, there has already been a shift in their potential effects even as recently as the past 10 years. With more research in this field, we can start to note trends (relative to sex and age) and begin to create and environment where children enjoy the process of growing up while developing good health and social habits.
Despite criticisms of video games in the media and among much of the general population, video games have many positive aspects. Walton points out that much of mainstream press tries to put forth the opinion that video games are a plague upon young people (and sometimes even adults) today—blaming such diseases as diabetes and mental issues like sociopathic behavior on video games. Rarely are the positive aspects of games shown—increased hand-eye coordination, development of social problem solving skills, increased attention levels, better collaboration with other students and better grades. (2012)
With the introduction of in home entertainment, there is little more we have to do then turn on a television or plug in a game console to have instant satisfaction. We spend less time being active and more time in front of a screen. While this can be true for some people, others are using these same pieces of technology to further education in classrooms where funding may be lacking. Using a DVD as a classroom aid brings learning to life. Titles like Blue Planet and Life bring wild animals into the classroom at little cost. Video games have become a great tool for PE classes that do not have funding to purchase new sports equipment. Titles like Just Dance and Wii Sports can be used to get the exercise kids need and have even been used as a tool to lose weight. Technology can be used as a creative way to stimulate minds and bodies.
There are several negative stereotypes associated with video games and those who play them; some of these may often hold true. However, there are plenty of learning opportunities in video games. While the direct purpose of some games is to educate or train, other games that do not directly have this purpose can still become a learning experience for the player. As Ntiedo Etuk, president of the educational video game company Tabula Digital said, “The traditional view of video games has been that they are distractions from the task of learning” (Electronic Education Report 1). Video games are an effective tool for learning and retaining skills both inside and outside the classroom environment. The basic cycle of game play--the introduction to the game, game play, collaboration, improvement of these between each round, and evaluation at the end of the game (Klievink and Janssen 159)--are nearly parallel to the traditional classroom learning cycle of reading a textbook or listening to a lecture, taking a quiz, studying, focusing on items missed on the quiz, and taking a test or exam. Within this cycle, there are many opportunities to develop and perfect both educational, life, and occupational skills.
Video games based on learning are quickly becoming known as “the new frontier of learning.” Many children who have learning disabilities have an easier time learning basic skills from playing games rather than looking through a textbook. When learning is disguised as a fun pastime, children are more likely to welcome it. Video games can be utilized in school to influence children into becoming more comfortable with their own knowledge. In some cases, children feel incompetent to their peers because they are not as gifted in math or writing. By using video games, students are not expected to compete with their classmates, so they will become confident and outgoing which, in turn, will show their true talents. A group of researchers at the University of New York conducted an experiment with a group of students that were assigned to play video games competitively or on their own. Through performing this test, they concluded that those who chose to play competitively, or on their own both had an increased final score because they were able to play at their own leisure ("Educational Video Games Can Boost Motivation to Learn.", 2013). Observing how video games can help both gifted children, as well as the individuals who are struggling, is evidence that video games can be as useful as they are
This essay will attempt to prove, that statements made regarding the inappropriateness of video games are untrue. The advantage of playing video games can be proven in their ability to enhance learning, hand-eye coordination, and this in turn can enable children and teenagers to do better in school. Violent video games can help overcome anxiety by providing entertainment without leaving the house, taking everyday stresses out on the characters in the game instead of real life, takes the adolescent’s minds off worries and stress of the outside world, and encourages children to stay out of trouble. Video games c...
Video games are electronic sports which involves user interface and user interactivity. They generate a visual response which helps to provide excitement and entertainment. Video games are played on computers, televisions, or any kind of device with a display screen. People play video games for fun and also because some games are more productive and useful. With growth in technology video games have become very popular in children. Those games can be informative and a brain-builder for children but at the same time it may be so violent that they not only become the reason for the children to be destructive but also vigorously increase anti-social behavior.
...the ideas that are taught in schools. Games also need to intermix instruction with demonstration. This is a big difference from the basic way of learning in school, which is memorize and regurgitate. Demonstrating shows the student what it looks like and they retain the content longer.
I have been playing video games since I was in kindergarten and I believe that they have been invaluable to my intellectual development. I owe about one third of my English vocabulary to video games. Strategy games such as Age of Empires and Age of Mythology have taught me planning and resource management, as well as a great deal about the history and culture of human civilizations. Shooters such as Counter-Strike and Unreal Tournament have taught me how to quickly make decisions while under stress, and have enhanced my hand-eye coordination and spatial orientation. Adventure and puzzle games such as Darksiders and Minesweeper have taught me problem solving and logical reasoning, in addition to improving my ability to concentrate and greatly increasing my perseverance.
Presently, video games aren’t merely toys that negatively influence the youth. They have become an alternative means for people to learn and train for work. Games teach values and essential information, and motivate its players to achieve goals. Soldiers and doctors benefit from video games as well. The collaboration of game developers and educators helps improve the quality of educational games. At present, as technology progresses, one can truly see that video games have become an important factor in learning.
American educational philosopher John Dewey once said, “ Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Education is the foundation of a permanent lifestyle. Parents should desire for their children to have educational stability to build upon. Any concerned parent should want nothing but the best for their child as they are well aware of the new forms of child entertainment. Since the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, children in the United States have become subject to a new type of entertainment: video gaming (Nickson, 2010). Video games have become a big part of the average American household. Parents have begun to wonder how video games are affecting their children’s lifestyles.
Video Games have been accused of making youth violent and aggressive, making people isolate themselves from society, and for lowering the attention span and the ability to concentrate in youth. These claims have yet to be supported by several well organized studies and have never been more than a correlation to any of these claims, and in fact have been disproven on several occasions. Adam Eichenbaum (2014), author contributing to the American Journal of Play, concluded a discussion on the research on video games say that “Today’s video games are much more than entertainment. They are also weapons in the fight against declining mental capacities in old age. They promote job-related skills. And they are a model of how to teach children complex and difficult tasks and abilities. As with any technology, video games are neither intrinsically good nor intrinsically bad.” (pg. 67) Video games are not the waste of time that they are accused of being, nor are they damping the development of today’s youth. If anything is to be said about video games is that in them lays a great potential for good; that video games serve as tools for people who want to make a change in society, whether the changes are positive or negative lie in the hands of those that choose to use video games as tools. These are not unrealistic or histrionic claims; video games, after all, are more than just
In recent years, technology has developed very rapidly. This has led to many arguably both positive and negative changes in our everyday lives. One such change was the increased accessibility of personal computers and gaming consoles as well as the introduction of numerous video games. Due to their entertainment value, these games gained popularity among children and teenagers. Although many concerns have been voiced related to playing video games, especially those that are violent, [e.g., increases in aggressive behavior in children (Anderson & Bushman, 2001)], this paper will argue that certain video games also have beneficial effects. They should thus be played by children, teenagers and adults alike albeit with caution.
The purpose of this report is to know both the good and bad influences of video games on children’s behavior and mind. Parents aren’t aware of what video games may led their children to, thus an informative report was required to give insights about this important topic.
In recent years, most teenagers and young adults spend time on video games every week. Video game playing became as popular as television watching as an entertaining media and leisure time (Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess, 2012). Eighty-one percent of American youth report playing video games at least once per week (Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess, 2012). However, this number may be different in other places. In a continent like South Africa, which is somewhere that contains poorer countries within it, this number may be significantly lower since youth in those places might not even be able to afford a television nor any form of video game. According to Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess (2012) video games playing has been associated with a rise in aggressive behavior and decreases in prosocial behavior. A few studies have shown that an increase in aggression badly affects academic performance (Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess, 2012). Many studies have demonstrated that video game playing in general is associated with lower level of doing homework, studying, and leisure reading which negatively affect school performance (Burgess, Stermer, and Burgess, 2012). However, some other factors may be affecting the academic performance such as how the instructor teaches and the way the student learns.________________