Digital Games in Education

Digital Games in Education:  The Design of Games-Based Learning Enviroments

Journal of Research on Technology in Eduation, 2007, 40(1), 23-38

Begona Gros

 

            This article looks to understand the current uses of video games and how video games can be used to improve student learning environments.  This article goes back and forth on the merits of video games in education  Much of the current research focuses on student interest in playing games and not how the quality of a game can effect student learning.  Most of the research has been done within the last five years. 

            Video games, when created with education in mind, can have positive effects on student learning.  As stated in the article, video games in the classroom can: promote challenges, cooperation, engagement, and problem solving skills.  Video games can also teach students to be both verbal and visual.  Video games have many things going on at the same time, which can prepare students for using science and technology later on in life. 

            Some of the downsides of using video games in education is that they take a long time to create and long time to educate teachers on how to use them.  Once teachers understand the game, it still takes roughly 15 hours for the students to learn and understand how to play the game (of course there may be some positive learning with that).  Also, the current studies have not taken into account the differences between students.  Differentiation in the classroom is a hot topic and requiring all students to play video games as a means of learning may not be the best approach for all students.

            Overall, video games may have some positive effects for student learning if the games are creating with learning in mind.  The games can only teach what they are created to teach.  Some students may not benefit from games and the time taken away from overall learning in the classroom just to teach the game may not be worth the learning the game offers.