For as long as we can remember, video games have been seen in a very negative light. They were seen as time wasters, or as pastimes or hobbies which do not add value. However, there’s been quite a lot of research done which shows that playing video games have a substantial positive influence in education.
Here are some of the benefits.
Video Games Can Help Students Remain In STEM
In 2020, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the United States found that the nation needed to create the STEM workforce of the future. One of the reasons why students will drop or switch out of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programmes is because of the difficulty of introductory courses such as calculus.
The University of Oklahoma has created a calculus game that can assist students with succeeding in calculus. Research has demonstrated that student mastery of calculus increases when utilising a purposeful designed learning game, for example Variant: Limits – which is another calculus game that was created at Texas A&M University.
We Learn Using Play. Video Games Are No Different
The video games at the moment are silently teaching students in younger grades right through to Grade 12. A huge range of skills are taught under the façade of play. EdTech (which is the term for educational and technology blended into fun apps and learning platforms) is schooling children about collaboration, refining their analytic skills as well as preparing them for decision-making in the same way that they will need to in the fast-paced world that we find ourselves in today. Video games are also increasing their literacy and maths skills, hand-eye coordination together with even spatial intelligence — which is thanks to the three-dimensional video worlds.
Players Learn From Failure In Video Games
Video games are a natural way of allowing students to fail in a safe and secure way, learning from failures and then trying again until they come out tops. In the case of the pokies online NZ offers, failure has very tangibke consequences, but winning has great rewards too.
Some games – such as Burnout Paradise – make failure fun for players. In the game, players are able to crash their cars. The more outstanding the crash, the higher the points that will be earned. This gives players the opportunity to ultimately learn from their mistakes, correct them and then try again.
The late, great video game theorist and author Jesper Juul wrote this in his book entitled, “The Art of Failure,” that being defeated in video games is part and parcel of what makes games so engaging. Failing in a game results in the player feeling inadequate, however the player can instantly redeem themselves and then improve their skills.
Video Games Encourage Teamwork
According to a Californian organisation, the Institute for the Future (IFTF), multiplayer games increase teamwork in terms of problem-solving.
They Arouse Creativity, Focus And Visual Memory
The University of California has discovered that video games stimulate these aspects by setting goals that necessitate concentration, imagination and remembering details to attain these.
They Improve Strategy And Leadership
Video games place the players in command, perfecting their abilities in order to resolve disputes, interact with other players as well as make decisions.
