Why games shouldn't be overlooked as an educational tool.
For many years, it was generally thought that time spent in front of the TV or computer would have been better spent in a library or gymnasium, where time spent yielded actual benefits. After all, watching tiny little men jump around inside a screen could provide no substitute for actual learning.
The library isn’t the only place where one can learn…
Well, according to respected scholar Kurt D. Squire, this would be a terrible oversight. In his paper, Video Games in Education, he actually goes on to argue that the cognitive potential of video game playing has been largely ignored by educators.
In fact, Squire points out that computerized simulations and other forms of edutainment allow learners to:
i. Manipulate otherwise unalterable variables, such as changing the globe’s oxygen levels in SimEarth.
ii. View economical, historical, political and other phenomena from new perspectives. Games like Hidden Agenda allow users to view such things from the perspective of a Central American president.
iii. Observe systems behavior over time, be it over years in SimCity, or centuries in Settlement: Colossus.
iv. Add hypothetical variants to events that have already occurred. An example of this would be “what if” scenarios in war games where the side that historically loses were able to win due to one or two modified variables.
v. Visualize a system in three dimensions, like in Digital Weather Station, where learners use special tools to view visualize weather systems in three dimensions.
vi. Compare simulations with their understanding of a system. For example, SimCity reflects heavily on author Will Wright’s fondness for public transportation. Educators can capitalize on this discrepancy and have students examine a simulation for bias or inaccuracies.
Looking at these points, it is easy to see that video games are not a waste of time, and in fact have a lot of useful qualities that can enhance an educational experience.
Not only that, video games are able to engage users in a way that few other mediums can. They can inspire users to explore areas that they were previously un-interested in, and bring about powerful emotions like joy, anger and desire in a way that many other entertainment mediums could only hope to. For example, fans of the Total War series may suddenly feel the urge to learn military history, and people who play a lot of flight simulators may find that their calling in life is in the Aviation industry!
Someone could get inspired to eventually fly their own plane!
Thus, one should not be so quick to discount the effect that video games have not only on education, but on other aspects of modern society. As the industry and medium continue to progress, even more avenues will become unlocked. As gaming becomes an even bigger part of society, so will its influence increase.
Carlo Coloma
Community Manager, MatchMove Games
