Benefits of Educational Video Games
Video games often get a bad rap when it comes to kids getting active, but video games aren’t all bad. In fact, there are numerous games that are educational and can help students learn new things, develop problem-solving skills, and get creative, all while having a really great time. A number of schools have already gotten on board with educational video games and home schoolers can do the same.
Educational video games are important for individualized learning. Develops hand to eye coordination. Students of all ages can learn programming, coding, and CAD design using video game play. All types of games may be used in an educational environment, however educational games are games that are designed to help people learn about certain subjects, expand concepts, reinforce development, understand a historical event or culture, or assist them in learning a skill as they play.
Video games are inherently incentive-based with the player being rewarded for solving a problem or completing a mission, while fulfilling certain conditions. As a result, video games train a systematic way of thinking as well as an understanding for how different variables affect each other. These games can automatically assess the learner’s ability at any given moment due to the software-based nature of the medium. Multiple research articles state that games are equal or more effective than conventional instruction and have suggested that this mode of learning can be more enjoyable and show positive outcomes on student motivation.
Minecraft and Portal are two of the many video games that have been suggested as platforms for teachers to experiment with their educational abilities. Minecraft is a sandbox game which teaches basic survival skills, such as sourcing wood to build a home, and many others; while Portal is a physics game where the player uses the laws of physics, such as gravity and inertia, to advance through the game’s series. Critical thinking and problem solving are taught in the latter game. Minecraft has been used for young children while Portal has been used by high school physics teachers. Portal 2 has also been used to develop cognitive skills in older undergraduate students, however. Some more games including Portal 2, Borderlands 2, Gone Home and Papers, Please, etc are being used to develop a range of skills in undergraduate students, such as communication, resourcefulness and adaptability.
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