Introduction
In recent years, the influence of video games has expanded beyond entertainment to infiltrate the realm of education. Educators are recognizing the potential of video game technology to enhance engagement, foster critical thinking, and create immersive learning experiences in the classroom. With school’s currently starting to welcome students back, now is a good time to think about how students learn and ways to improve the teaching process. This article explores the innovative ways in which video games can be seamlessly incorporated into educational settings for effective learning outcomes.
How to use Video Games
If you search the term “Video Games” into Google or any other search engine, you will be meet with the most popular games at the time. These games are not the type of games that should be used as methods of learning, as they focus on entertainment. The kinds of games that should be used for the purpose of learning are called edutainment, which combine the entertainment aspect of video games and intertwines education into it. These games are the topic of this article, as they alter and take advantage of the inherent entertainment qualities of games and use them for the purpose of teaching.
The way edutainment is presented to students matters, as changing a student’s entire curriculum to be focused on games would create negatives for that student’s learning ability. If a student is learning basic math skills, having a teacher give their lessons on the techniques of figuring out math equations can then be supplemented by a game. This game then challenges the student to apply their new math skills in a more natural way than sheets of math problems.
The Difficulty Creating Educational Video Games
The type of video game is a factor that needs to be considered, any video game that is presented to a student is not instantly going to provide a desired benefit. For games to be successful, they need to be created with the intention of education. This process can be challenging, as the typical video game creation process revolves around entertainment and monetization. For an educational game to be effective, it should be created with over site from the education field, with all decisions being funnelled through this filter. The shifting away from monetization means that there is less incentive for these types of games to be made, leading to a small amount of them currently available.
From experience, a difficult part of creating any type of video game is deciding on what need to be created, with educational games this process would have an additional layer of difficulty. As video games are seen as a media of entertainment, anyone’s mindset going into an educational game would inherently be focused on entertainment. There needs to be a middle ground between entertainment, which creates student engagement and the ultimate objective of learning; a large leaning to one side can create an imbalance that ends up interfering with the goal of the video game.
There are some games that do incorporate learning into their core gameplay loop. The immensely popular game Minecraft has some benefits for education, as the block based game allows for creativity and critical thinking. But the spin-off game called Minecraft Education Edition uses the base game’s systems but altered for learning. This game has numerous science base lessons, like 200 hours of practice in computer science, but also lessons in topics like History and Culture.
Benefits of Introducing Video Games for Education
No matter what stage of education someone is at, they will have personality differences that affect their learning and which methods are effective in doing so. Despite that, there are some over arching benefits that can come out of this use of video games.
- Enhanced Engagement and Motivation: Video games are known for their ability to captivate players’ attention and keep them motivated to achieve goals. By harnessing this inherent engagement, learning can become more exciting and dynamic. If a game can create enough engagement, students may become unaware of the video game’s goal of learning, or they may not care as they are having fun.
- Immediate Feedback: All forms of digital media provide instant feedback on players’ actions, allowing them to learn from and mix their mistakes. By using this feedback loop, educational games can create an environment of improvement and support that shows students how to fix mistakes or helps reward students for getting correct answers.
- Personalized Learning Paths: Successful video games are created with the ability to adapt to players’ performance and adjust difficulty levels accordingly. This can be using in educational games by automatically tailoring content to each student’s abilities and learning pace. If implemented correctly, this ability can slowly increase a students’ familiarity with a subject.
- Collaboration and Communication: Multiplayer games foster collaboration and communication skills as players work together to achieve objectives. Single player games can still create common ground for students to talk about, providing a starting point for students conversations and possibly friendships. Integrating such games into the classroom encourages teamwork and allow for effective communication skills to develop among students.
Conclusion
Incorporating video game technology into education may be able to transform the future of learning. By embracing the captivating elements of gaming, educators have the opportunity to create dynamic, interactive, and personalized learning experiences for today’s tech-savvy students. The benefits of enhanced engagement, active problem-solving, and collaborative skills can allow students to break away from the traditional learning environment but still engage with educational material.
However, it’s important to consider the integration of video games and education. While the allure of technology is undeniable, there must be a balance that ensures meaningful learning without sacrificing traditional teaching methods. By effectively addressing concerns like screen time and potential distractions, the power of video game technology can fuel a new era of education that combines the best of both worlds. As we navigate the evolving landscape of education, the fusion of education and gaming technology promises to not only prepare students for the challenges of the digital age but also make learning an exciting journey of exploration and discovery.
Disclaimer
All content presented here is taken from an outside view, meaning that the point of view of It’s the World is from a former student looking into the education system. Those in the education system, like teachers, may have different ideas or implications based upon their experiences.
