I found this chapter of A New Literacies Sampler quite fascinating. Video games are often criticized for their connections to violence and mature themes, and people blame video games for making kids lazy. It is refreshing to hear an argument in favor of video games and I was interested in understanding how they relate to learning. Fisher and Frey discuss how our military training embraces the use of video games for simulations, while our schools do not offer similar types of simulations. I agree with the argument that video games allow people to learn about a specific set of facts/skills and then allow them to apply those skills and experience outcomes in a simulation. Although we teach our students facts and skills, it is oftentimes difficult to provide them with opportunities to practice those skills in an authentic way.
My love for video games began as a child and I still play them on occasion. I know from personal experience that video games helped me acquire problem solving skills and taught me about strategy. Although I do not have much experience with MMOs (massive multiplayer online), I can imagine that these types of games also offer social interaction and more realistic learning. To give you an idea of what I mean by "realistic learning," MMOs hire professional economists to help with the production of their games, because they need a system for regulating their in-game economies. When MMO players buy and sell items in the game, it teaches them how supply and demand work, and offers experience in predicting economic trends.
The only video game I played as a kid was Pac Man and now my kids have a Wii and X-box. I will have to say that I enjoy playing Rock Band and Mario Cart with my kids in the wintertime when we can't get outside. I also love seeing kids at my house playing Just Dance. I guess I just feel that if parents monitor what they are playing and how much time played, video games can be a good way to spend family time together. My son also got interested in reading about famous baseball players after buying his baseball game. I do think it's wrong using video games as babysitters. When kids come to school and all they talk about is playing video games all weekend or all summer, that's a problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this chapter was refreshing. Although it was about video games, I thought that this chapter was really in depth. I really like education based video games. I can remember playing Reader Rabbit growing up, but I am sure there are even more available now. While I don't think kids need to sit in front of a screen all day, education based games can give a balance between learning, problem solving, and exciting stimulation for today's students.
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