Week 11 – The Implications of Gaming in Education

The first article I read, “Video Games for the Disengaged (and not only) Students,” provides a compelling argument in support of gaming in education.  Ms. Kara-Soteriou explains the reluctance of educators to include gaming in the classroom.  Chief among the concerns is the widespread belief that video games are difficult, if not, impossible to align with local learning standards and assessment goals.  The myth that video games have little or no educational value is incorrectly supported by the attention given to some commercially popular games that have been denounced for their excessive violence, explicit language and adult subject matter.   

As incredible as it seems, some educators, and parents alike denounce the use of video games as not being a worthwhile tool--choosing to ignore the educational value inherent in so many of the kid-friendly games available on the market.  Ms. Kara-Soteriou’s article identifies several learning principles to look for in a good video game.  This should provide the type of guidance necessary to encourage more educators to consider video games as a viable option in the classroom.

In fact, I would insist that the skills employed by current student users (e.g., critical thinking to problem solve, mastery of tasks, and so on) be translated from academic jargon to laymen’s terms so that teachers, parents and students alike can clearly identify the learning that is actually taking place. 

To further this point, the second article, “Welcome To Our Virtual World,” written by James Paul Gee and Michael H. Levine, discusses the benefits of games such as SimCity and Age of Mythology that are being used in classrooms not just to make learning fun, but also to make learning relevant.

As I see it, the persistent buzz phrase, 21^st Century Skills, is more than the latest craze in education.  It is a hard reality that emphasizes a demand for students to be prepared for a 21^st Century advanced level of education and global workforce.   Thus, K-12 grade educators should feel obligated to equip and familiarize themselves with and earnestly use the technology that is available.