For most people, playing video games is seen as a hobby for children and some adolescents. The media often focuses on its negative effects, and while they come with their disadvantages, they also have some advantages, particularly in education. Here are ten uses for video games in modern education environments.
1. Early Language Education
Learning a language involves mastering four skills: writing, reading, speaking, and listening. That said, there are a few activities that help sharpen reading and listening skills at the same time. A notable benefit of video games for early language education in elementary schools is they integrate reading and listening exercises.
Repetition helps kids remember words and concepts over the long term. The more they repeat different phrases and sentences, the higher their chances of retaining the information. As they progress through levels, the same phrases will be shown on the screen over and over again, allowing them to associate things with words.
Video games also make learning a language interactive and personalized. This way, learning a language is fun and keeps them motivated. Children can monitor their progress thanks to the feedback provided by these games and identify the areas they need to improve.
Playing video games also help children understand the cultural context of a language. They get to learn about the traditions, customs, and history of what they’re learning. This way, they develop a deeper appreciation of the people who speak the language.
Some video games teach and reinforce fundamental grammar guidelines, like sentence structure and verb tenses. They adopt a structured approach to make learning fun and interactive. These are some of the impacts of video games in modern education, early language development in particular.
2. Learning Through Failure and Success
Video games in modern education also allow students to make mistakes, learn from them, and try again as often as needed to succeed before progressing to the next stage. They also boost engagement by providing different and diverse tasks and challenges pertinent to the theme or topic. Most games include scenarios where players must make an instant decision and deal with the consequences, and players may make a different decision if the initial one was wrong.
Trial and error encourage students to seek the most effective solution, teaching them that every situation always has an alternative. This approach also gives students a better understanding of the art of mastery, enabling them to expand on concepts they’ve learned before so they can develop higher-level and more complex ideas to call their own. Contrary to popular belief, making errors when learning, whether in middle schools or universities, can be helpful if the student can identify and reflect on them in a secure setting.
3. Immersive Learning Tools
Another common application of video games in modern education is immersive learning tools. For example, catchy words AR provides an immersive experience where students walk around catching letters and placing them into the right boxes to solve the word. The game can add an entire word list or topic-specific words to reinforce vocabulary relevant to the topic.
Curiscope virtual-tee is another helpful game; it’s more than a t-shirt. It provides an AR learning platform where students from public and private schools can learn more about human anatomy. You wear the Virtual Tee, then scan and explore the different layers of the human body in augmented reality.
Froggipedia is another educational Apple augmented reality app that allows students to explore and learn about a frog’s distinctive life cycle and anatomical features. The app delivers an immersive experience that details each stage of a frog’s life cycle. Students can watch how it develops from a single-celled egg to a tadpole in water to a froglet which eventually becomes a full-grown frog.
Ocean Rift is a virtual reality aquatic safari park where students or anyone interested can explore the underwater world full of creatures such as humpback whales, orcas, sea lions, manatees, rays, sea snakes, turtles, sharks, and dolphins. You can swim around, explore, and engage with marine life across 12 distinct habitats, from lagoons to shipwrecks to coral reefs and even the Atlantis and Arctic. Every excursion to Ocean Rift is unique because every star animal has its artificial intelligence.
4. Simplified Teaching Tools
History or STEM topics can be boring and difficult to understand. Like any storyteller will point out, presentation matters. While parents worldwide are concerned that teens and children may lose touch with the real world in favor of their gadgets, video games in modern education are a great tool for engaging students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects.
When you add colorful graphics, an intriguing narrative, and a bit of competition, learning the periodic table, history, and math becomes interesting. It makes sense that more course instructors are using video games to introduce complex concepts. Over a thousand video games with a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) theme exist.
These games make it easier to understand the various STEM components and how to apply them in the real world. The difficulty of the introductory courses pushes most students to leave STEM programs. However, video games make them less challenging, more enjoyable, and easier to understand.
Other than games that focus on specific STEM topics, video games also offer a way to introduce the fundamentals of coding and the complexities of designing a system, or a ‘world’ in video game lingo. It’s easier to ‘lift the curtain’ and demonstrate to kids what goes into creating a video game because they already have an interest. Code Ninjas and other interactive educational programs make coding rewarding and enjoyable for children by introducing students to its concepts in the context of creating a game or app that they would want to use.
5. Memorization Aids
With children and teenagers alike increasingly playing video games, parents worry about their negative effects on children’s academic achievement, although new research indicates that they also offer some cognitive benefits in early childhood education, according to earth.com. Memory-demanding games can help players develop spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and working memory. These skills are transferable to other facets of schooling and daily living.
Video games engage children’s minds in a way impossible with conventional teaching techniques. They facilitate a fun and interactive learning environment that teachers can customize for each kid. This approach makes it easier for them to retain information as they’re actively engaged in the learning process.
According to the School of Education Online Programs, video games offer an alternative intervention strategy for children with disorders such as ADHD and dyslexia, which affect their memory. They do this because they can be customized to a child’s needs to create an engaging learning experience. Educational-centered games also improve attention in students with learning disabilities.
6. Making Learning Fun
Most people view learning as a serious and formal undertaking. Yes, a student should commit to their goals and prioritize their studies. However, the traditional classroom setting, like in a catholic school academy, tends to be boring for most students, which hinders their academic development.
Video games in modern education can enhance lessons and make learning enjoyable. They offer a way of breaking down complex concepts into easy-to-understand topics. This approach helps students gain a comprehensive understanding of their academic pursuits.
You can find video games on just about anything. Initially, game designers recognized the potential of video games to enhance math and reading skills. There are games available today that cover various topics, including architecture, chemistry, politics, cooking, world history, and other topics one might not have encountered in school.
Multiplayer video games also allow learners to collaborate and compete with other players. They push students to work together toward a common goal or engage in friendly and motivating competition. This teaching approach is particularly effective for the development of social skills.
Some games incorporate storytelling and narrative elements. These create an immersive experience that touches one’s emotions, helping learners absorb and retain information for longer. Storytelling works especially well for topics like history, where stories help to depict historical occurrences vividly.
7. Facilitating Experimental Learning
Whether it’s through watching other people or participating in hands-on activities, experience is the best teacher. While there’s the concern that advancements in video game technology are drawing young adults away from the real world, others contend that they’re simply using different tools to get the same lessons. Video games in modern education can qualify as experiential learning, like visiting a childrens museum and outdoor activities.
According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, teaching students skills like innovative problem-solving is important to prepare them for the future workforce. Learners can master critical thinking skills by playing a game like DragonBox Algebra, where they answer math questions in a fantasy setting. Civilization is a game where players get to take on the role of a civic leader to direct the prosperity of nations.
8. Safe STEM Labs
In the real world, applying some of the lessons students learn from STEM education can have devastating consequences if they perform processes incorrectly. However, with video games, if students are working with chemical reaction systems, for example, they can immediately tell when they’ve made an error and have the option to restart if they fail. Numerous games also feature timers or ‘health’ indicators to help players monitor their progress and alter their tactics as necessary.
Children can have fun while learning valuable skills by tackling science, technology, engineering, and math problems in a safe environment. People of all skill levels can play these games, ensuring older teenagers and young children can comprehend basic scientific theories and engineering concepts and prepare them for more difficult math concepts. As they naturally participate in discussions and trials using early math concepts, the games can help students solve problems, retain information, and sharpen their language skills.
9. Simulated Practice
Simulations are dynamic technological tools developed through delivery platforms to create a scenario-based environment. They offer a way for students to collaborate toward solving real-world problems and situations, improving the learning experience. Designers must consider details like game design techniques, modules, technical challenges, participants, and teaching modes. (synchronous, collaborative, multiplayer, single).
Simulations are considered fun and valuable learning tools, particularly in tackling laboratory activities and clinical skill practice. There are simulations for various practices, from aviation to other technical fields. Instructors in beauty schools can also use them to help students practice different techniques.
That said, video games in modern education should primarily be used as a supplementary element as total integration demands top-notch mechanisms, student involvement, and instructor assistance. In other instances, the inclusion of games in the curriculum could serve as a complement to existing teaching methods or as a partial replacement for traditional teaching methods. Integrating video game simulations depends on the instructor and the teaching process.
10. A Familiar Platform for Students
In the educational field, video games are becoming more effective in teaching. Most teachers still rely on conventional methods of imparting knowledge and learning. However, it’s important to acknowledge that people are changing to stay ahead.
As technology continues to make our lives easier, it also significantly impacts education. More professors are recognizing the value of educational video games and incorporating them into their courses. They’re effective because students are familiar with the platforms, giving them a sense of control over their academic pursuits.
Today’s youngsters are tech-savvy, so incorporating technological advancements into lessons and even higher education enrollment software is wise. Learning and entertainment go hand in hand, and incorporating video games in modern education helps to deliver and share information effectively. Rather than resisting change, embrace it fully.
It’s easy to focus on the negative effects of games since that’s all the mainstream media seems to talk about. However, video games in modern education can help students expand their knowledge and sharpen skills they can apply in the real world. This read highlights some of the uses of video games in the education domain and how they’re helping prepare students for future workforce needs.