Educational Uses of Video Games
Video games can be played on a computer or a gaming console such as the Nintendo Wii or Xbox360. There are also handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS and the Playstation Portable (PSP). "More than three-quarters of American youths have video-game consoles at home, and on a typical day at least 40 percent play a video game" (Palamara, 2009). Video games are often seen as a form of entertainment and not usually seen as a source of educational material. However, "some academic scholars claim playing games is good for literacy, problem-solving, learning to test hypotheses and researching information from a variety of sources" (Palamara, 2009). Others state that video games can teach positive effects on creativity, community, self-esteem, problem-solving (Write, 2009).
Learning from Video Games
There are various games that can be used to learn. For example, a student wanting to learn more about the American Civil War may consider playing Civil War - A Nation Divided, a video game that documents the American Civil War. It features battle reenactments of 12 major Civil War battles, features documentaries of of all the major historical moments from the battles, historical photos, accurate weaponry and more. So not only can a student have a fun time playing this game, they can also learn much about the Civil War.
Educational Video Games
There are quite a few video games that are actually marketed as educational video games. Almost all of these video games are available on either the Nintendo Wii or the Nintendo DS consoles. These games focus on anything from math to reading to vocabulary. For example the video game Personal Trainer Math has various math games that progressively get more difficult as the player gets better at doing the math. There are also game series such the My Coach series have a wide selection of different things to learn. The games range from My French Coach to My Word Coach to My Fun Facts Coach. One can learn the basics of various languages, learn new vocabulary words, or even how to stop smoking from these video games. (Learn more about My Coach games here: http://mycoachgames.us.ubi.com/)
Video showing usage of Personal Trainer Math on the Nintendo DS. The right screen on the Nintendo DS handheld is a touch screen that one can write on with a stylus, which is where the numbers written on the right side are coming from.
Finding the right Games
With so many games available on shelves, figuring out whether a video game has an educational value can be tough. Websites such as
Super Smart Games lists various video games and states the educational value in each one. The games are sorted by console, age group or subject, so one can find an educational game that serves their needs. There are plenty of other websites that feature articles on what they believe to be the best educational video games. For example this page http://www.squidoo.com/Educational-Wii-Games features a list of various educational Wii games.
More sites with educational game reviews:
Video on why video games can be helpful in the classroom:
Images:
[Photograph] Retrieved May 13, 2009, from
http://www.hardwaresphere.com/2009/02/09/valentine-gifts-idea-for-boys/
[Photograph] Retrieved May 09, 2009, from http://www.pocketmacblog.com/blog/
Videos:
Goff, K. (2009, August 31). Video games in the classroom [Video podcast]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ablkt_PnNE
(2008, January 11). Personal trainer math trailer [Video podcast]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bsfE9s1cMI
References:
Palamara, R. (2009). The Educational value in video games. Retrieved from
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1413795/the_educational_value_in_video_games.html?cat=19
Wright, W. (2006, April). Dream machines. Wired, Retrieved from
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.04/wright.html
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