Sunday, November 20, 2011

Gaming and Learning

Great post from Lisa Nielsen - well worth reading!

Video Games for Learning? Why Not?:

The Atari-generation often defaults to an automatic mindset that books are for learning and games are for play. However, many have no accurate frame of reference. The types of games kids are learning with today, were not available to them when they were children. At their most basic level video games are similar to books. Books can be anything—trashy novels, historical fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, classic literature—each type with varying potential for learning. Likewise, today's video games offer different purposes and varying levels of usefulness when it comes to learning. Adults should focus on the type of learning they want to support in young people, and then consider if games are a good tool for that.

Here are some of the more popular types of games students use for learning today:

  • Drill and Kill
  • Health and Fitness
  • Simulation
“I don’t want to study Rome in high school. Heck,
I build Rome every day in my online game (Caesar III).”
– Colin, Age 16
  • MMORPGs

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